that a ruler has absolute power over the people is proven as invalid once the ruler is dictated by the wills of the commonalty. Because of this shift in power, the speaker recognizes how a tyrant does not always have control over the masses. In “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell, he reveals that imperialism, a way of governing in which powerful countries seek to seize control and extend their authority over weaker countries, destroys the freedom of not just the Burmese, but also the…
In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell was completely justified in shooting the elephant. Often time people who have been put in a position of authority are required to make tough decisions. These decisions have to be made based on what is best or the group as a whole; not what one personally feels about a situation. In “Shooting an Elephant”, though Orwell did not personally desire to shoot the elephant based on the circumstances shooting it was the best option. Orwell had no desire…
The descriptive detail of “Shooting an Elephant,” is so powerful that it persuades the reader, through its descriptions. A successful visual will transfer the perspectives and emotions of the narrator to its audience. The quote “But even then I was not thinking particularly of my own skin, only of the watchful yellow faces behind,” makes the reader feel a sense sympathy for the police officer (Orwell 624). The writer’s choice of wording, “yellow faces,” makes the reader self-consciously judge…
Would any one second question shooting a mad dog that had already killed a man and caused large amounts of damage? In “Shooting an Elephant,” Orwell was justified in shooting the destructive elephant because he did not want to appear foolish to the locals, it had killed a man, and because the owner was responsible for not making sure the elephant was watched over. The elephant had gone completely rampant by the time Orwell made his decision to kill it, so legally it was his duty to end his…
I believe that this sentence conveys about the foolishness and vulnerability of people because of the acts of succumbing to pressure and going against one’s conscience. This sentence says, “… to avoid looking a fool”- Shooting an Elephant (pg.89). This shows us his feelings and his vulnerability. He’s easily giving in to the pressure from the Burmans to shoot when he could’ve left the elephant alone. Although, there has been evidence where he feared of the elephant, “... I should have about as…
George Orwell was already hated by many people in Burma, and when he had stumbled upon the chance to handle the nuisance the aggressive elephant created, he saw an opportunity to redeem himself. The narrator states, “They did not like me. But with the magical rifle in my hands, I was momentarily worth watching.” (George Orwell 147). It transpires that he didn’t wish to be humiliated more or back out of the situation that was ongoing. At the moment when he was in the midst of the situation…
Have you ever been faced with an ultimatum so difficult, as if your life depended on it? This essay explores the story written by Frank R. Stockton, titled: “The Lady Or The Tiger”. It is a love story between a daughter of a barbaric king, and a lowly common man. The barbaric king, who was not pleased with the two lovers, imprisoned the lowly man. The barbaric king had a way of punishing his prisoners by throwing them into an arena where they either open a door to a tiger waiting to kill the…
contributions to the world. From the Mongols to the Nazis, humans have always exhibited their greedy nature by seeking more land without minding the effects. Those left in imperialism’s aftermath experience profound cultural effects such as those seen in “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell. The tone begins as acrimonious and bitter then shifts to introspectiveness and strife, highlighting the officer’s views of how Burma and its foreign culture has changed his character. In the first half,…
an entire world persuades individuals, or gives a different vision of the opposite. ‘Shooting an Elephant’ represents a very powerful essay with a police officer that suffers from inner conflict. Orwell seems to be a very weak individual with a weak mindset. Confused and lost as to what decisions he really should make on his own. He sets the mood of this impression in the start of his essay. In the essay “Shooting an Elephant”, it is based on a man who is pressured to kill an elephant that was…
amendment and ever since then people have argued that this right is too much for people to handle and that people will suffer drastically for this. Today in America we are seeing huge debates in all governments due to the tragedies of recent school shootings around America like Sandy Hook. So many were moved by what happened at Sandy Hook and tried to find ways to prevent this from ever happening again but this is no easy task. People all over the US today are seeing their gun rights put to the…