Shooting an Elephant Summary

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Daughty Son James Irwin ENGL- 102 CU89 27 September 2012 In the essay “Shooting An Elephant” by George Orwell, Orwell tells a story of him in his early twenties as British officer serving in Moulmein, Burma, before he had grown to become an influential figure against injustice. Even though Orwell is a Brit he does not fail to recognize the oppression of the Burmese people caused by the British Empire, still he wrestles with the evils of imperialism and the demands of his service. On the day the story takes place, Orwell, is faced with a strong moral decision putting him in a bind. Orwell starts of by stating the unfulfilling pleasures of his job, and the crazy dynamics of his relationship with the natives. The Burmese people had a deep-seated hatred for the British, but “no one had the guts to raise a riot.”(p.284) and they made no effort to hide these sentiments with Orwell. Being a British officer, Orwell was in the middle of the action, witnessing “the dirty work of Empire at close quarters. ” (p.285) which created an even split of animosity towards both the British and Burmese natives and of course he could not speak and share his thoughts publically. On the day of the event, Orwell was called to deal with a tamed elephant on the loose causing havoc on the village. As usual he could not get it straight from the natives, “we began questioning the people as to where the elephant had gone … but the nearer you get to the scene of events the vaguer it becomes” (p.286). When he finally caught up with the elephant, feelings had been mixed, the excitement had risen, and the people wanted a show. It was in there that laid the personal dilemma. Riffle in hand, the elephant only a few yards away, Orwell was forced to make a decision: to play into the crowd, or make the right choice. The essay “ Shooting An Elephant” provided
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