Struggle For Political Emancipation

Ashley Parham

Meggen Lyon

English 101-001

2/19/2007

Struggle for Political Emancipation

Unanticipated choices one is forced to make can have long-lasting effects. In "Shooting an Elephant," George Orwell recounted an event as a British Police officer in Burma around the age of twenty. He begins the essay by describing his experiences with the local Burmese people who hated the British and found various ways by which to put the English fraternity to shame and ridicule. One day, he was informed that a forceful elephant, which had obviously lost control under the attack of "must," was ravaging a market and had killed a man, an Indian Dravidian coolie. In order not to lose his face or be jeered by the Burmese people, George Orwell finally shot the elephant after an extensive internal conflict took place. He decided that he preferred to shoot the elephant at where he thought the darting bullet would end its life, so that he wouldn't look like a fool; however, he lost his liberty when he did what was expected of him.

In "Shooting an Elephant," Orwell wanted to create an understanding for the younger British citizens about the self-destruction caused by their British system of government. This narrative helped the reader comprehend figuratively how, even today, imperialism can be a double edged sword that destroys both the defeater and the defeated. The plot is arranged both chronologically and climactically, which helps build suspension and express the ideas clearly. The theme of "Shooting an Elephant" is Orwell's clear attack on imperialism and its problems, based on his personal experience back when he was working at Burma under the command of the British government. Orwell saw British rule as "an unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down. . . upon the will of prostate peoples."(pg. 511) He observed firsthand the cruel imprisonments and beatings that the British used to enforce their control. Orwell stated ". . . I was an obvious target and was baited," and "stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible."(pg. 511) His hatred for the Burmese was caused by their bitter feelings against the domineering Europeans and by helping to oppress the Burmese, he felt guilty and hated his job "more bitterly."

According to George Orwell, imperialism can cause damages to both the empire and its officers who feel forced to "impress the natives," thereby losing their freedom, and to the occupied people whose freedom is restricted. The elephant in Orwell's essay was large, powerful, and untamed and took control of the village. This comparison leads to the understanding that the power behind imperialism is only as strong as its dominant rulers. In "Shooting an Elephant," Orwell represents the elephant as a force greater than the narrator had the aptitude to kill. It took the narrator several shots to kill him, and a protracted period of time for him to pass away. The elephant's scheming force over the narrator is compared to that of an imperialist. Orwell is faced with a very vital decision of whether or not he should shoot the elephant. Ironically, the natives actually control the killer instead of the other way around. The killing event actually makes Orwell feel important. If he shoots the elephant, he will be a "hero" to the Burmese; however, he would shoot it solely to "avoid looking a fool," rather than trying to be their "hero." In turn, he would be giving in to the imperial force behind the elephant and will of the Burmese that he finds so unjust and wicked. If the narrator lets the elephant go free and uninjured the natives will make him feel inferior for not being able to protect the village. The fact that Orwell actually shoots the elephant gives the reader an uncomfortable feeling because up to that moment the reader is led to think that the officer is not going to shoot the elephant. On the other hand, the elephant symbolizes freedom and the sufferers of imperialism. The elephant is compared to machinery and later it is said to have a "motherly air." George Orwell wrote the story in a way that the reader feels compassion towards the elephant. In addition, the yellow faces of the Burmese also represent the "victims" of imperialism, even though