Shooting an Elephant: Imperialism, Morality, and Power Dynamics

Morality and Coercion: The Burmese Officer's Internal Struggle

While reading “Shooting an Elephant,” I noticed that the author discussed uncomfortable aspects of the story. The first paragraph is where I noticed the prejudice beginning. The author goes on to talk about the disrespect the Burmese people show against law enforcement, the ones who protect them. I see a transition over to today’s time, where everyone seems to hate law enforcement, yet they are the ones that risk their lives protecting those that they don’t know.

I also saw a lot of immoral things and found that the Burma officer was going through internal battles with morals and doing the right thing that he believed in. I see the Burmese officer as a puppet throughout the story. You can clearly see that he feels as if some things that he does are wrong, but he has no other choice, for he’s an officer.

The theme of 'Shooting an Elephant': Symbols of Power, Oppression, and True Authority

The moral battle people face in the service and doing what is ordered instead of the right thing. Orwell faces a moral wall about whether he should shoot the elephant or not. He’s faced with the decision of being ordered to shoot this elephant in front of the crowd and the morals to not shoot it. The elephant is the main point in the story. It symbolizes the Burmese people under the British control. The elephant is a harmless soul that is trying to live its life, and that represents the Burmese citizens, and that the officer who shot it is the British Empire and shows how hurtful and oppressive they are. It goes on to show how authorities aren’t necessarily the ones who control a country, but it’s the people who live there that truly control it. When faced with the elephant, the author describes the scene very well, with the officer feeling pressured as all the citizens gathered around. He feared for his life and was uncomfortable during the ordeal. That statement alone shows the author symbolizing that its natives can truly have control and that the controlling forces are merely a tool for the “populous.”

Deciphering Symbolism: British Imperialism and Moral Conflicts in 'Shooting an Elephant'

The symbolism behind the story is very impactful once you understand what it stands for and how it compares to society and events in the past. The Burmese people went through a hard and dark time in the past under the control of the British. The elephant represents the Burmese country as a victim and the British officer as the imperialism hold on the country. This was a story that I had to read, then go back and read more of to begin to understand this. The author also shows symbolism for morals and doing the right thing you believe in. Throughout the story, you see the officer having moral issues where he doesn’t want to do the things he is ordered to do. During the time of the story, imperialism was at its peak and was a way for him to express his thoughts and show others that the “control” can truly be up to those who live there, not the physical force there.

References

1. Orwell, George. "Shooting an Elephant." Selected Essays. Penguin, 1957.
2. Meyers, Jeffrey. Orwell: Wintry Conscience of a Generation. Norton, 2000.
3. Wollen, Peter. "Orwell's Elephant." New Left Review, vol. 1, no. 180, 1990.
4. Greenblatt, Stephen, and M. H. Abrams, eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. (For context on British imperialism and literature).
5. Said, Edward. Culture and Imperialism. Vintage, 1994.
6. Singh, Bhupal. George Orwell: A Study of His Novels. Arnold-Heinemann, 1975.
7. Rodden, John. The Cambridge Introduction to George Orwell. Cambridge University Press, 2012.

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