George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant - 894 Words

â€Å"He was dying very slowly and in great agony†, as described by George Orwell, in his short story, â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†(Orwell). In this story, Orwell delicately explains to his readers how society is influenced by peer pressure. The story was set in Burma in 1936 and begins with a low self-esteemed police officer just trying to get through day- to- day life. His life takes a turn when he is suddenly faced with the decision to shoot an elephant to please a crowd of spectators. Believing that his actions are wrong he shoots the elephant anyway and is rewarded with cheers and social acceptance. However, knowing in his heart that the deed was wrong he is now faced with guilt and must try to convince himself his act was warranted. George Orwell’s short story â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† is relevant in today’s society through the structure, quality, and applicability of the content in the story. In order to fully understand and appreciate a story, it must consist of a good structure, or framework. The structure of this story begins with a setting in lower Burma. Orwell uses a fourteen paragraph narrative approach to connect with his readers in this story. We are given our setting, lower Burma, in the first paragraph followed by several negative person experiences. These experiences help us relate to the narrator on a personal level and feel compassion for him. The paragraphs flow beautifully giving us great insight into his day- to- day life and exactly why he succumbs to peerShow MoreRelatedGeorge Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1114 Words   |  5 PagesShooting an Elephant : George Orwell Since the publication of George Orwell s, Shooting an Elephant in 1936 many philosophers have engaged in conversation about humanity, violence, politics, power, dominance, race, culture and principles. Orwell was in fact a genius plain and simple, though in a very complicated way(Firchow 94). He brings you into the essay with his lucid and vivid details the entire way through from the setting I remember that it was a cloudy, stuffy morning at the beginningRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Shooting An Elephant And A Hanging 860 Words   |  4 PagesIn George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant and A Hanging. The setting of both the spots was in Burma, a nation in Asia. In A Hanging the setting was principally in a correctional facility while in Shooting an Elephant was in a Moulmein, in lower Burma where an Elephant went quiet . The Characters in A Hanging were for the most part a Hindu who was little whit no hair and obscure fluid eyes, additionally he had a thick, mustache which was hu mongous for his body. Additionally George OrwellRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1265 Words   |  6 Pages  Shooting an Elephant is an essay by George Orwell, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in the autumn of 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on October 12, 1948. The essay describes the experience of the English narrator, possibly Orwell himself, called upon to shoot an aggressive elephant while working as a police officer in Burma. Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant s slow and painfulRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words   |  5 Pagesforced to make can have long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives inRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words   |  4 PagesPride{1} Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is facedRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 953 Words   |  4 PagesThe area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"what if I don’t do anythin g?† Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice tellingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 985 Words   |  4 PagesUnanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects.{2} In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is faced with a moral dilemmaRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1886 Words   |  8 PagesDisobedience† challenged its readers to â€Å"defy the law and the Constitution† of the United States (407). About eighty years later in 1936, George Orwell wrote â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† (307). In the essay, Orwell described a memorable experience of his time as an officer in imperialist Burma. â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† is a narrative account of Orwell’s encounter with a rogue elephant, acting as an extended metaphor for imperialistic England. Both of the essays revolve around governmental motifs. Based on the historicalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1250 Words   |  5 Pagesbefore then. For example, in the essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell, Orwell himself is working as a British police officer in Burma in the 1920’s. He does not like his job because of his hate for the oppressive nature of the British government. However, he does take the job seriously. One day, he gets a report about an elephant tearing through the town. He quickly gets his gun and rides to the scene with his horse. Once Orwell arrives, the elephant is long gone, but he sees all the damageRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 2165 Words à ‚  |  9 Pagesauthor of Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell, describes his moral troubles as a police officer in Moulmein in lower Burma (known as Myanmar in the twenty-first century) when encouraged by its citizens to kill a rogue elephant in town. Orwell details how nearly every citizen in Moulmein had a grudge against Europeans, and would, as a result, antagonize any European in the town. Orwell was a sub-divisional European police officer and had a particularly difficult time in Moulmein. Orwell explains one