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  1. A Summary and Analysis of George Orwell's 'Shooting an Elephant'

    By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) 'Shooting an Elephant' is a 1936 essay by George Orwell (1903-50), about his time as a young policeman in Burma, which was then part of the British empire. The essay explores an apparent paradox about the behaviour of Europeans, who supposedly have the power over their colonial subjects.

  2. Shooting an Elephant

    A logical thesis statement for "Shooting an Elephant," then, could be "George Orwell's essay is an indictment of the injustices of empire and a scathing comment on the nefarious way imperialism ...

  3. "Shooting an Elephant" Summary & Analysis

    Orwell aims at the elephant's head—too far forward to hit the brain, he thinks—and fires. The crowd roars in excitement, and the elephant appears suddenly weakened. After a bit of time, the elephant sinks to its knees and begins to drool. Orwell fires again, and the elephant does not fall—instead, it wobbles back onto its feet.

  4. Shooting an Elephant Summary

    Shooting an Elephant Summary. In "Shooting an Elephant," George Orwell draws on his own experiences of shooting an elephant in Burma. This elephant has been terrorizing a bazaar, but the ...

  5. Shooting an Elephant

    Shooting an Elephant

  6. What is the central point of Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant"? How does

    "Shooting an Elephant" is more than a narrative about an incident in George Orwell's career as a British imperial police officer in Burma. The central point of the essay is a critique of imperialism.

  7. Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell

    "Shooting an Elephant" is an essay written by George Orwell, whose real name is Eric Blair.It was published in 1936 in the magazine, New Writing. It is an autobiographical essay that Orwell writes ...

  8. Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell Summary & Analysis

    To avoid undesirable awkwardness, he has to kill the elephant. He pointed the gun at the brain of the elephant and fires. As Orwell fires, the crowd breaks out in anticipation. Being hit by the shot, the elephant bends towards its lap and starts dribbling. Orwell fires the second shot, the elephant appears worse but doesn't die.

  9. "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell

    In "Shooting an Elephant," author George Orwell finds himself in a position of authority as an Indian community encounters a rampaging elephant. Click on the link to view the essay: "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell. As you are reading, identify the following: The "situation". The "complications". The "lesson" the ...

  10. PDF The Underlying Tones of George Orwell's Shooting an Elephant

    In Shooting an Elephant, he recounts a story from his duty and how he was faced. what he believed was morally right and let it live. Ultimately, he chose the former, going against. his morals, claiming it was due to the communal pressure he felt to not appear foolish. His. colonizing force in history, Great Britain.

  11. 'Shooting an Elephant'

    time, "Shooting an Elephant."1 It is per-. haps Orwell's finest essay. For those. readers, unfamiliar with Orwell, or only. familiar with 1984 or Animal Farm, it. should serve as an introduction to his. other essays. Indeed, all the writings of Orwell deserve the thoughtful attention. of the modern reader.

  12. Analysis Of Shooting An Elephant By George Orwell

    The story is "Shooting an Elephant" published in 1946. E. Story is about a Burma village where an elephant got loose and wreaked havoc on the town and kills a villager (a man). George Orwell is the sheriff and ultimately makes the choice to kill the elephant. F. THESIS: Although Orwell is justified, legally shooting the elephant is wrong ...

  13. 'Shooting an Elephant': Key Quotes Explained

    By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) 'Shooting an Elephant' is a curious work in George Orwell's canon. It is often reprinted with his essays, but in some ways Orwell's account of his time working as a policeman in Burma can be regarded as closer to a short story than a factual essay. Indeed, doubt has been cast over whether ...

  14. Power Theme in Shooting an Elephant

    Themes and Colors. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Shooting an Elephant, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. "Shooting an Elephant" is filled with examples of warped power dynamics. Colonialism nearly always entails a small minority of outsiders wielding a disproportionate amount of influence over ...

  15. George Orwell "Shooting An Elephant": Metaphors and Analysis

    George Orwell's Shooting An Elephant is a great essay combining personal experience and political opinion. The transitions he makes between narration and the actual story are so subtle the flow of the essay is easy to read. More than just falling into peer-pressure, Orwell proclaims what a dilemma it is when people expect groups of people to ...

  16. Shooting an Elephant Questions and Answers

    The death of the elephant in George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant". Orwell's personal conflict and its resolution in "Shooting an Elephant" are symbolized by the elephant, whose misery he ...

  17. Shooting an Elephant Essays and Criticism

    The paragraph is narrative, and it recounts the shooting and falling of the elephant. In the opening sentence we read that the first shot is fired. The collapse of the beast is described in the ...

  18. Imperialism in Shooting an Elephant: Symbolism & Themes

    The story captures the violent reality of colonialism as the narrator unfolds the events of the actual shooting and the description of the slow and painful death of the elephant that seemed peaceful in hands of a colonial officer. The above study argues that George Orwell's "Shooting an elephant" story represents a symbol of imperialism.

  19. Shooting an Elephant Themes

    Power. "Shooting an Elephant" is filled with examples of warped power dynamics. Colonialism nearly always entails a small minority of outsiders wielding a disproportionate amount of influence over a larger group of local peoples. This imbalance of power in colonialism seems counterintuitive, and Orwell literalizes the imbalance by showing ...

  20. Shooting an Elephant

    Quick answer: In "Shooting an Elephant," Orwell reveals "the real nature of imperialism" as irrational, cruel, and dehumanizing. He illustrates this through the incident where he feels compelled ...

  21. Shooting An Elephant Thesis

    The thesis of George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant" is that imperialism corrupts and destroys the souls of both the oppressors and oppressed. While the essay is a narrative, it has a thesis that imperialism tears apart the humanity of all people involved. Orwell's personal experience shooting an elephant while working as a police officer ...

  22. Main Idea of "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell

    The main idea of "Shooting An Elephant" is that imperialism forces people to behave in a specific way. This is shown by the incident in which Orwell, in his capacity as a police officer, is asked ...