Shooting An Elephant

This short story by George Orwell is very easy for everyone to relate to as well as understand. Although everyone may not have experience with attempting to be accepted by another culture, often people are confronted with the experience of attempting to fit in to a group of people. These people can be, but are not limited to, the peers of that person. The pressures which can be applied by the group on the individual can often quite substantially control the individual's actions and thought process. It is clear that the police officer felt as if he should go near the elephant which had gone "must" to see if that was finished. However, in an attempt to do what the people were there to see and what he thought the society expected or wanted him to do, he made up excuses. Excuses to cover for his actions. This can be put into context of first year cadets at RMC. Quite often cadets who were caught doing something which they are restricted from doing for the duration of their first year at the college (eg. Wearing civilian clothing into town) do this. When these cadets are asked the reason for which they did this, quite often the reply is along the lines of "I see people doing it all the time" or "What did you expect me to do, that's what my friends expected." The impact of peer pressure and pressure from the group in which one is attempting to be associated with or accepted in can quite often sway a person to act in a manner which they do not believe is correct.