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Summary
George Orwell was born on 25 June 1903 in Bengal, India, to British parents. He was educated in England. After finishing high school in England, he went to Burma (today known as Myanmar) and served five years in the Imperial Police. He resigned in 1927 and decided to become a writer.
“Shooting an Elephant” is a narrative essay written by George Orwell. The essay of ‘Shooting an Elephant’ takes place in Moulmein /mul’mein/, Burma, during the time of British Imperial Leadership in India. The narrator is a sub-divisional British police officer of the town.. He notices a strong anti-European feeling among the natives. He had also made up his mind that imperialism is an evil thing. In explicit (clear) terms he says that he’s in favour of the Burmese people, who are oppressed by colonial rule.
Early one morning, the narrator was rung up on the phone and said that an elephant was ravaging (cause severe and extensive, damage) the bazar. He did not know what he could do but he wanted to see what was happening. He took his rifle (an old 44 Winchester) and went. Burmans stopped him on the way and told what was elephant doing. It was not a wild elephant. It was tame (domesticate) and it had been chained up. But previous night it had broken its chain and escaped. The Burmese population had no weapons and were quite helpless against it. It had already destroyed somebody’s bamboo hut and killed a cow.
The Burmese sub-inspector and some Indian constables (police officers) were waiting to him. He asked the people where the elephant had gone. Some of the people said that the elephant had gone in one direction, some said in another direction and some said that they have not heard any elephant. He thought the whole story was a pack of lies. Suddenly they heard a loud sound of people; cry of “Go away, child !Go away”. The narrator saw an Indian man’s dead body who was killed by elephant just before. Meanwhile some Burmans came and said him that the elephant was in paddy field only a few hundred yards away. He moved towards the field and the whole population followed him. They were all shouting excitedly that he was going to shoot the elephant. He knew that the people were following him for elephant’s meat. He reached there and saw an elephant was standing eight yards away from the road. It was eating grass peacefully. It looked no more dangerous than a cow. It ould be murder to shoot the elephant. In fact he had never shot elephant and never wanted to. Then he thought not to shoot the elephant.
But at that moment, he glanced round at the crowd that had followed him. The crowd of two thousand people was there and the crowd as growing every minute. The crowd blocked the road for a long distance on other side. They all were watching at him. They were excited thinking that he was going to shoot the elephant. He turned to some experienced looking Burmans who had been there and asked how the elephant. had been behaving. They all said the same thing. Suddenly he realized that he should have to shoot the elephant. He as standing there as the white inan with his gun in front of the unarmed native crowd. If he didn’t shoot the elephant, the crowd would laugh at him. A white man mustn’t be frightened in front of natives. So he shot the elephant. But it didn’t die until his third shoot. Finally he fired his two remaining shoots into the spot where he thought his heart must be. After that, he went away. Later he heard that it took the elephant half an hour to die. He was told that Burmans had cleared its body almost to the bones by the afternoon.
Afterwards, there were endless discussions about the shooting of the elephant. The owner of elephant was furious, but he was only an Indian and could do nothing. There’s some discussion among the other police officers about whether or not he did the right thing. Among the Europeans, opinion was divided. The older men said he was right; the younger men said it was shame to shoot the elephant for killing a Burmese collie (an unskilled native labourer in Asia).
Questions
1. What is the purpose of the first two paragraphs? In what ways do they introduce the incident Orwell narrates in his essay?
Ans: The purpose of first two paragraphs is to show Burmese hatred toward British Empire. It is clear that Orwell hates his job as a colonial police officer because of the way locals treat him. In the narrative technique, it tells that to save from their hatred and to show his boldness, he has to kill the elephant
2. What thesis about “the real nature of imperialism” does Orwell prove by narrating this “tiny incident”?
Ans: The British government strengthened their iron hand every where they ruled. In Burma also, it was seen badly. Realizing the truth, the author also felt sympathy for the Burmese and went against the British. Though he served for the British Government, he was in support of the native people. The condition of the prisoners made him cry. All these created a sense of guilt in Orwell’s mind and he thought that imperialism is obviously evil as it never worked for the development of the country but always wanted to suppress the common people.
3. What is the reasons Orwell considering when he tries to decide what to do? What does he conclude, was his main purpose in shooting the elephant?
Ans: He has killed the elephant because it was a matter of his prestige. Burmese has already blocked the road from one side to another side. They were watching him as Orwell would perform a trick like a magician. He was pressed forward by the will of the thousands. of people. He was with his gun but if he didn’t shoot the elephant, it would be matter of shame. So, unwillingly, he was guided here and there by the will of the yellow faces (Burmese). So, though Orwell had no original. intention of killing the elephant, he was determined to do it as it was a matter of dignity in front of people (Burmese).
4. What kind of people does Orwell imagine will read his essay?
Ans: Orwell imagines that his essay would be read by those people who want to know the negative impact of colonization.
5. Why did he really shoot the elephant?
Ans: He thought that he would shoot if he were attacked again. Otherwise, he would wait until the mahout came back. The ground was very soft and one would sink at every step. If elephant charged and the author missed it, then he would be like a toad under a steam roller. He was not afraid at least in front of the native people. He was always thinking that if anything went wrong, those 2000 Burmese would see him perused, caught, trampled on and changed to corpse like the Indian coolie. He was not in any mood to be an object of fun to others. So, there was no other alternative.
6. Why did he really shoot the elephant?
Ans:If he didn’t shoot the elephant, it would be matter of his shame. Burmese would think that he is cowardice and can not maintain. peace and security in Burma.
7. What techniques does Orwell use to describe the shooting as a drama? Who is the audience? How does their attitude influence the leading actors ?
Ans: He uses narrative technique as Orwell uses to describe the shooting as a drama. His audience are oppressed by imperialism. Their attitude influences the leading actors that colonialism leads to contradictory thinking as Orwell is able to better understand imperialism through his run-in with the elephant because the elephant serves as a symbol of colonialism. For example, much like the Burmese who have been colonized and who abuse Orwell, the elephant has been provoked to destructive behavior by being oppressed. While its destructive behavior, and the Burmese’ more subtle rebelliousness may not be unequivocally good things that they are made understandable given the oppressive conditions both elephant and Burmese have had to endure.
8. How does Orwell pace the shooting of the elephant in paragraphs 11 and 12? How does the elephant’s slow death affect Orwell’s point of view toward what he has done?
Ans: In the story as he looked around, he found himself virtually surrounded with a sea of yellow faces, eager and excited at the prospect of an elephant being killed. They had taken it for granted that the sahib was going to kill the elephant and so they were going to have their bit of fun. Besides, they wanted its meat, too. Suddenly and with a feeling of horror, the author realized that he would have to kill the elephant even against his own will and better judgment.
Burma’s insulted and laughed at him because he could not kill the elephant at once even if he shot many bullets, it shows that imperialism can be rooted easily and take time. In this regard, elephant stands for colonizer or imperialism. For, the huge crowd of natives was expecting him to shoot the elephant and he, as the representative of the omnipotent British Imperial Rule, was bound to live up to that expectation. That was the irony of imperialist domination, the author felt. The white men deprive the natives of their freedom and, in the process, lose his own. At that moment, the author felt that he had no will of his own, but was being driven on by the will of the multitude that surrounded him.
9. Why is it important to “avoid looking a fool”? What does it mean to be laughed at? What is the difference between acting like a joker and acting like a fool?
Ans: It is important to “avoid looking a fool because he has killed an elephant on which young people think that he did wrong to kill it because it was more valuable than man. As he has killed, the elephant was in calm so that his shooting to the elephant seems to be a work of foolish man. Acting like a joker can make us laugh but acting like a fool make us insulted and can harm us.
10. Much of Orwell’s essay assumes a knowledge of the word’s “imperialism” and “despotism.” What do these words mean? How do they apply to the essay? What current events you can identify in which these words might also apply?
Ans: Imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means. Despotism is the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way. Throughout the essay, Orwell explicitly discusses the nature of British imperialism, specifically the way that he, as a police officer represents and internalizes the imperial project. He opens by revealing the brutality of British colonialism in Burmese with images of tortured prisoners. He discusses his distaste for the empire’s impact in Burma. He says that he’s on the side of the “Burmese,” yet he also resents Burmese people for the way they perceive him. Orwell’s self-consciousness as the face of British imperialism is central to his internal conflict as he tries to uphold the image of the impenetrable empire while going against his personal inclination, and killing an elephant that he doesn’t want to kill.
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