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In “Shooting an Elephant,” George Orwell finds himself in a difficult situation involving an elephant. He is forced to choose between killing the elephant, and letting it live. From reading the story, I have an understanding of the many different reasons he had for killing the elephant, and I strongly feel that Orwell was justified in shooting it.
The elephant was tame, but was experiencing must, which is similar to when a dog goes on heat. This explains why the majestic animal acted out the way it had. “It had been chained up, as tame elephants always are when their attack of “must” is due, but on the previous night it had broken its chain and escaped.” (pg. 144) If the elephant hadn’t broken his chains, the whole episode may have been avoided. Once its owner had realized that the elephant broke loose, he set off after it, knowing the damage that it was capable of. “Its mahout, the only person who could manage it when it was in that state, had set out in pursuit, but had taken the wrong direction and was now twelve hours’ journey away, and in the morning the elephant had suddenly reappeared in the town.” (pg. 144) Unfortunately, when the elephant reappeared in town, there was nothing anyone in the village could do, resulting in the extent of its attack. In the process of its attack of must, the elephant destroyed property, as well as killed a man and a cow.
The elephant destroyed a Burman’s bamboo hut, which was the first part of its destruction to the village. This was just the slightest part of the elephant’s rampage. Secondly, it killed a cow, which is relevant to the village, as the cow produced meat. To me, this was a good addition as to why Orwell was right in shooting the elephant, because it was cutting down on what little the village did have to offer. After killing the cow, the elephant also raided and mangled a fruit hut, eating all the stock in the process. This was very similar to killing the cow, in regards to drastically...