Shooting an Elephant

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   sagetrieb Teacher
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   It is important to distinguish the narrative voice from the author constructing that voice. Orwell wants to show the reader the harmful effects of imperialism. Even though the narrator clearly has a moral conscience, he admits he has been corrupted by imperialism, that he thinks like an imperialist. The dynamics of imperial rule are such that the ruler, the person in authority, would denigrate those he ruled-- the native population, thinking of them as less than human, for such is the corollary if not the foundation of imperialism. Therefore, the author Orwell deliberately has his narrator use this term “yellow faces” to reveal the extent of his corruption. He thinks of the native population as “the other,” as people less civilized than he. The author is deliberate, but the narrator speaks in terms natural to his position, and one could characterize this as "naturally" or "unconsciously."

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   Posted by sagetrieb on Tuesday January 15, 2008 at 4:35 AM
   
   

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