During the time of imperialistic rule‚ rich empires were able to take over those of lesser value and benefit from their resources. This is the exact situation going on in Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell; the British had taken over the Burmese. Through Orwell’s use of stylistic and rhetorical strategies‚ he conveys the inferior attitude he has towards himself and the trapped‚ conflicted attitude he feels towards his position in Burma‚ which both stem from the negative aspects of imperialism
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1. Orwell shoots the elephant because the two thousand native people standing behind him expect him to. They want revenge for the man it killed‚ the meat the carcass will provide‚ and the entertainment of watching the shooting. “The people expected it of me and I had got to do it” he writes. There is a suggestion that if he decided not to shoot the elephant‚ both he and the empire would suffer a loss of prestige‚ but the main concern in Orwell’s mind is the “long struggle not to be laughed at”. He
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Technique Analysis of ‘Shooting an elephant’ Written by George Orwell Essay by Arthur Diennet In 1936‚ George Orwell published his short story ‘Shooting an elephant’ in an English magazine. Since then‚ it has been republished dozens of times and holds a place as a definitive anti-colonial piece of literature‚ in an era where the British Empire was at its peak and covered almost 1/3 of the Earth’s surface. George Orwell believed that “…imperialism was an evil thing...” and uses much themes
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Aurelian M. Gogean What you give up to fit in? Many people sacrifice their beliefs and values to be accepted in society and to win the societies approval. George Orwell in “Shooting an elephant” and Langston Hughes in “Salvation” deal with the issue of “fitting in” in very different ways. George Orwell describes to us in “Shooting an elephant” the struggle that his character faces when to win the mobs approval and respect when he shoots down an innocent animal and sacrifices what he believes to
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While reading the essay Shooting an Elephant‚ first published in 1936 by Eric Blair under the pen name of George Orwell‚ one gets captivated by the intricate web of rhetoric that Blair weaves throughout the piece. Surely‚ the reason this essay keeps the attention of the reader so well is because Blair writes with an unmistakably strong exigency. It is this need of his to tell the world the truth about imperialism that enables him to write something so captivating. Blair found himself in Moulmein
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_SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT BY GEORGE ORWELL:_ _Commentary_ Political‚ social & ethical issues raised in Orwell’s essay "Shooting an Elephant" create a controversial storyline in which the events metaphorically symbolize the colonial imperialism of the time. Set in Burma‚ 1936‚ the context is based around the anti-European attitudes existent post the Anglo-Burmese Wars. Orwell’s positions‚ as police officer for the despotic British governments‚ required him to hold authority over the Burmese‚ consequently
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Shooting An Elephant Questions 1)George Orwell has an extremely scornful attitude towards imperialism. He views it as a corrupt form of government. He has a strong disgust for the native people‚ as they continually harass him on a daily basis. They attempt to trip him on the soccer field‚ laugh and make fun of him. Orwell dislikes his position in Burma‚ as he frequently states that he does not like having power and ruling over a foreign people. Many times the masses of people tend to go around what
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"How to shoot an elephant" and "Empty Seat" caparisons In "Shooting an Elephant" The main characters biggest conflict was to shoot an elephant. This was something he did not and typically under the circumstances would not have done‚ but felt compelled and pressured to do so. If it weren’t for the watching Indians this story may have turned out differently. He felt as if he had to do it‚ cause by not doing it would have been like him demonstrating his and his native country weakness. Being in a
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Abstract The present study looks at an important political essay “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell. The literary critics gave the text wide recognition and appreciation. It depicts Orwell’s anti-imperialistic view which is presented through the shooting of an elephant. The theme is presented in a fantastic way and this is evident from Orwell’s use of lexis‚ syntax‚ cohesive ties‚ point of view‚ and figures of speech. A closer look at the experiences he had gone indicate that his sentiment
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“Shooting an Elephant” In George Orwell’s “Shooting An Elephant” the narrator was faced with a tough decision‚ whether or not to kill the Elephant. Throughout the story The narrator explained his resentful feelings towards the british police. He also did not like the Burmans also known as the “natives”. Throughout the story Orwell uses a harsh‚ demeaning‚ and unforgiving diction to convey a nervous and scared tone. Throughout the story the narrator or “ murderer” as Orwell would like to say‚ clearly
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