One main lesson George Orwell learns about Imperialism in "Shooting an Elephant" is the destructive impact of colonialism on both the colonizer and the colonized. He learns that participating in the unjust system of imperialism robs individuals of their autonomy and forces them to act against their own beliefs. This is evident when he describes feeling pressured to shoot the elephant, despite his moral reservations and realization of the pointlessness of the act.
British Imperialism
The purpose of the story "Shooting an Elephant" is about to put a light on imperialism. It is also to show that what is legal, and what is morally acceptable may not be compatible.
In "Shooting an Elephant," the elephant symbolizes the power dynamics between the colonizers and the colonized. The decision to shoot the elephant represents the internal conflict faced by the narrator in upholding the oppressive system of imperialism. Ultimately, the elephant's death highlights the destructive nature of imperialism for both the colonizer and the colonized.
Shooting an Elephant was created in 1936.
The thesis statement of "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell is that imperialism not only oppresses the colonized but also dehumanizes the colonizers themselves, leading to moral conflicts and individual struggles with identity and power. Orwell uses his personal experience as a British colonial officer in Burma to explore the destructive nature of imperialism on both the oppressor and the oppressed.
George Orwell uses Latin phrases in "Shooting an Elephant" to evoke a sense of colonial authority and formality. By including Latin phrases, he underscores the oppressive nature of imperialism and the disconnect between the colonizers and the colonized. This use of language serves to highlight the power dynamics at play in the narrative.
One interpretation is that the elephant represents imperialism, which is oppressing the Burmese people. The elephant already killed a coolie, which represents imperialism taking over the people on a small scale. The elephant needs to be killed before it oppresses the people even further. To look at the story from a literal sense, the elephant needed to be killed simply because it already killed one of the citizens and it posed as a threat to the people's safety.
The scene in which the narrator hesitates to shoot the elephant that is peacefully feeding but feels compelled to do so by the pressure of the crowd can be seen as a metaphor for the destructive and arbitrary nature of imperialism. The inability to exercise one's own judgment and the sense of being trapped by external expectations reflect the negative consequences of imperialist policies.
There will be 1 less elephant
Shooting an Elephant is set in Burma, Afghanistan.
the elephant
Orwell shoots the elephant when it is in heat because he is destroying property and also took someones life. Orwell didnt really want to kill it but the people following him made him feel pushed forward to do it.