Shooting an Elephant

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   clane Teacher
   High School - 10th Grade

   Orwell wrote this essay because he wanted to express his distaste for imperialism which he grew up in the face of. He had strong ties to India, his birthplace, even though he grew up in Britain. He actually served as an Imperialist Police Office in the 1920s as well so he saw first hand the abuse that they received from people like the Burmese. "I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing... I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British." His main thesis in writing the essay then was more of an appeal to the British to stop enforcing these strict imperial laws and turn away from colonialism in an effort to salvage what was left of their freedom as the British. Orwell writes, "when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys," which is probably the clearest statement of how he feels about British imperialism. We see the loss of freedom when he is forced to shoot the elephant for the Burmese people even though he doesn't personally think it's necessary. He has lost his freedom to think for himself as his hand is pushed by those who are being tyrannized.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/shooting-elephant/author-biography

   http://www.enotes.com/shooting-elephant/historical-context

   http://www.enotes.com/shooting-elephant/summary

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   Posted by clane on Saturday February 9, 2008 at 12:46 PM
   
   

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