George Orwell was an assistant superintendent of police in Burma in the 1920s under British rule. When he is called to kill an elephant that has run amok, he finds the animal is calm but shoots it anyway to avoid looking weak in front of the large crowd that has gathered. The essay is a critique of imperialism, showing how it corrupts both the colonizers and colonized and relies on violence. Orwell kills the elephant not because it is dangerous but because he feels he has to maintain his image as a powerful sahib to the Burmese people who hate him as a symbol of British oppression.
No poet has observed animals more accurately than Ted Hughes has done. His depiction of the animals observed is remarkable, vivid, startling, and truthful. He relates that animal to other creatures and also to human experiences and human concepts; represents the typical stresses and contradiction of human nature and also of the Nature.
Edger Allen Poe is a significant American short-story writer and especially known for horror and gothic story. In his short story he has used common theme. The victims are the protagonist and innocent. Even after the death they are alive in the mind of victor.
No poet has observed animals more accurately than Ted Hughes has done. His depiction of the animals observed is remarkable, vivid, startling, and truthful. He relates that animal to other creatures and also to human experiences and human concepts; represents the typical stresses and contradiction of human nature and also of the Nature.
Edger Allen Poe is a significant American short-story writer and especially known for horror and gothic story. In his short story he has used common theme. The victims are the protagonist and innocent. Even after the death they are alive in the mind of victor.
D. H. Lawrence has displayed a bold originality of his genius and his consummate artistic finesse in Sons and Lovers. With his pioneering artistry, he deviated from the traditional patter of fiction and tried to break fresh grounds.
This is the summary of Church Going. This is one of the poem of Philip Larkin. Philip Larkin is one of the most prominent poet of English Literature and Language.
An overview of Emily Dickinson's poetic style.
Information taken from Gale articles and web sources.
Email me for the works Cited page if you're interested.
Disgrace is a trailblazing novel by J.M. Coetzee sets in the background of the post-apartheid situation won Booker Prize and honours. The present ppt aimed to throw light on the power subversion in the novel Disgrace through the protagonist David Lurie
D. H. Lawrence has displayed a bold originality of his genius and his consummate artistic finesse in Sons and Lovers. With his pioneering artistry, he deviated from the traditional patter of fiction and tried to break fresh grounds.
This is the summary of Church Going. This is one of the poem of Philip Larkin. Philip Larkin is one of the most prominent poet of English Literature and Language.
An overview of Emily Dickinson's poetic style.
Information taken from Gale articles and web sources.
Email me for the works Cited page if you're interested.
Disgrace is a trailblazing novel by J.M. Coetzee sets in the background of the post-apartheid situation won Booker Prize and honours. The present ppt aimed to throw light on the power subversion in the novel Disgrace through the protagonist David Lurie
An analysis of the passage from Ecclesiastes cited by George Orwell in his essay 'Politics and the English Language' together with his pastiche of the same passage.
Thomas Hardy is recognized as a great poet; a great novelist; a story-teller of super excellence. Like Dickens he was a social chronicler of his times.
He studied architecture in King’s College, Cambridge and became the Topper in M.Tech.
Hardy wrote poems all through his life but got recognition as a poet only in the fag end of his life because the themes of most of his poems were far ahead of his time. He wrote more than one thousand poems. More than 1000 poems in eight volumes were published during his life time while many more got published posthumously.
A novel is a fictitious prose narrative or tale presenting a picture of real life. The term ‘novel’ comes from Italian ‘novella’ meaning ‘new’, ‘news’, or ‘a short story on something new’. It is the latest form of literary genre in English.The length of the narrative shouldn’t be less than 70,000 words. The roots of novel may be traced in medieval romances.
The Small voice of History refers to the story of the Common People in History. This is because History, in general, tells the story of the elites as it is written by the elites. Ranajit Guha, one of the pioneers of today’s ‘Subaltern Studies’ enumerates the condition of the ‘Common People’ in British India and before. The Small voice is not small; it is the voice of the largest number of Indian (as also of the World).It is, in reality, the biggest voice of History.
The play 'Arms and the Man' begins in the bedroom of Raina Petkoff in a Bulgarian town in 1885.it was the time of Serbo-Bulgarian War. As the play opens, Catherine Petkoff and her daughter, Raina, have just heard that the Bulgarians have scored a tremendous victory in a cavalry charge led by Raina's fiancé, Major Sergius Saranoff, who is in the same regiment as Raina's father, Major Paul Petkoff. Raina is so impressed with the noble deeds of her fiancé that she fears that she might never be able to live up to his nobility..-----------
‘The Argumentative Indian: Writings on Indian History, Culture and Identity’ (2005) is a an intellectual tour de force by an astute ‘Nobel Prize’ winning Indian economist Prof. Amartya Kumar Sen.
It is a collection of sixteen essays divided into four equal parts written by the author in various occasions.
The book comprises of four parts each having four dissertation papers.
Here, We shall concentrate in the first chapter of Part one only.
Part one contains four chapters:
(1) ‘The Argumentative Indian’,
(2) ‘Inequality, Instability and Voice’,
(3) ‘India: Large and Small’ and
(4) ‘The Diaspora and the World’.
'The Antecedents 'is the 3rd chapter of Romila Thapar's master piece 'A History of Ancient India' Vol-1.It conveys the reader about the beginning of human history in India from the Paleolithic Age .
Khilnani’s monumental thesis on India, ‘The Idea of India’ was published in 1997.
Khilnani’s book is focused on India as an idea on different stages of history.
Khilnani writes that the India known to us is the result of various ideas prevailing at particular times, and he claims to trace the history of this idea from pre-independence and Nehruvian nationalism to the neo-liberal state of 1990s. The ideological formation of India undergoes a major transformation in the 1990s as the country’s political elite rapidly turns away from the socialist past to embrace neo-liberal capitalism.
So, this book is the result of present historical and material conditions of the time. Khilnani provides the bridge between the nationalist and socialist ideological formation of India on the one hand and the later neo-liberal capitalist formations on the other.
The Book “The Idea of India” is divided into four Sections/Chapters.
The fourth Chapter is titled: "Who is an Indian?"
Medieval romances are stories of adventure in which the chief parts are played by knights, famous kings, or distressed ladies, acting most often under the impulse of love, religious faith, or, in many, mere desire for adventure. The stories were first told in verse, but when, later, prose versions were made, they were also called romances. In length the verse romances vary from a few hundred lines to tens of thousands. . .”
Jane Austen started her writing career in 1787.She began writing plays, poems and stories for her and for her family amusement. Fair copy of Twenty-nine of these writings was later published under the title Juvenilia. Among these works are a satirical novel in letters titled Love and Freindship [sic] in which she mocked popular novels of sensibility and The History of England, a manuscript of 34 pages accompanied by 13 water-colour miniatures by her sister Cassandra. Austen's History parodied popular historical writing, particularly Oliver Goldsmith’s History of England (1764).
Martin Esslin, a theater critic, coined the term “Theater of the Absurd”. The phrase occurred first in his famous book entitled ‘The Theatre of the absurd’ (1962). In order to give a nomenclature to a number of works produced in the late 1950s and early 1960s that defied any traditional genres, Esslin coined the phrase. Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" premiered at a tiny avant-garde theatre in Paris in 1953.It had been translated into more than twenty languages within five years.
The full name of James Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) is James Augustine Aloysius Joyce.
He is an early 20th century Irish novelist and poet.
Joyce is one of the pioneers of ‘stream of consciousness’ technique in novel and a new type of poetry called ‘Prose Poem’.
He is one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century also.
He used the style of ‘the examination of big events through small happenings in everyday lives’.
:-“Mac Flecknoe; or, A satyr upon the True-Blew-Protestant Poet, T.S.” was a lampoon by John Dryden against the poet laureate Thomas Shadwell who superseded him in 1669.
Mac means ‘son of’. So, MacFlecknoe means ‘Son of Flecknoe’, while the word ‘True-Blew’ means an extreme ‘Whig Blue’ which was the colour of the Tories.
Richard Flecknoe (c. 1600 – 1678) was an English dramatist and poet. His works were praised by some critics and derided by others. Why John Dryden used his name to ridicule and satirize Thomas Shadwell, his contemporary and one time friend who later became an enemy, is not clear. Flecknoe was a minor poet having religious inclinations and most of his writings were private writings. So, Dryden calling him ‘the monarch of absolute nonsense’ was similar to Iago’s ‘motive hunting of a motiveless malignity’. Thomas Shadwell was called the ‘son and successor’ of Flecknoe’.
Published in 1667 by England’s most scholarly poet John Milton, ‘Paradise Lost’ is the only epic in English till date.
Milton is still the greatest English poet for both his ‘Grand Style’ and ‘Elevated theme’.
Instead of following Homer, Milton followed Virgil and Dante to give his epic a distinct Englishness.
Milton’s Grandfather, Richard Milton was the owner of Oxford-shire County.
Pope’s ‘heroi-comic’ epic is a social satire. The action completes in one single day in the life of fashionable recusants of London. Belinda gets up from bed at about noon and spends a few hours in ‘denting and painting’. She has to take part in a card game named ‘Ombre’ at Hampton Court Palace. She along with a number of young men and ladies undertake a boat journey in the river Tames to reach the destination in the north Bank. Ariel, the divine angel guesses some evil to happen on Belinda and engages his troop of Sylphs to guard Belinda’s possessions and honour. An adventurous youth Robert,Lord Petre is determined to steal Belinda’s tempting ‘Locks’ of hair.
Shakespeare was born not at Stratford-on-Avon as told, but Stratford, one mile away from the Shottery village, the residence of his beloved wife Anne.
Stratford was on the Upper-Avon and not on the Avon.
Essays are usually classified according to content and style.
Under the heading of content, essays may be classified as either informational or personal. (We will not elaborate on this part.)
I. Informational essays
The informational or expository essay is written to provide information or to give instruction. The tone of an informational essay is generally serious.
II. Personal essays
Personal essays are entertaining and written on any subject that meets the authors need. The subject is often less important than mood and attitude.
Under the heading of style, essays may be classified as either formal essays or informal (familiar).
I. Formal essays
Basic elements of a successful formal essay:
A strong thesis statement with logical supporting points.
Body paragraphs that discuss the supporting points in the order they are mentioned in the thesis statement.
Good transitions between paragraphs.
A conclusion which summarizes what has been said in the body of the paper.
Appropriate diction and tone
Dramas staged between 1660 and 1700 are called ‘Restoration Dramas’. The dramatic literature of the period was dominated by comedies called ‘Comedy of manners’. Actually ‘Restoration Comedy’ is used as a synonym for “Comedy of Manners”. The plot of the comedy, often concerned with scandal, was traditionally less important than its witty dialogues.
The comedy of manners was first developed in the new comedy of the Ancient Greek Playwright Menander. His style, elaborate plots, and stock characters were imitated by the Roman playwrights Plautus and Terence, whose comedies were widely known and copied during the Renaissance. The best-known comedies of manners, however, may well be those of the French playwright Moliere.
Oscar Wilde and William Congreve are the most celebrated authors of ‘Comedy of Manners’.
"My Little Portuguese”! Robert Browning used to address her in this pet name and Elizabeth wrote in Sonnet-33 “Yes, call me by my pet-name! let me hear”.Elizabeth Barrette Browning was one of the most prominent Victorian rational feminist poetesses.
A rational-humane point of view manifests itself in her poems.She developed this quality because she was "self-taught in almost every respect."
Edgar Allen Poe called her "the noblest of her sex” and borrowed the themetic elements of his famous poem 'Raven' from her poem.
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher presents at the OECD webinar ‘Digital devices in schools: detrimental distraction or secret to success?’ on 27 May 2024. The presentation was based on findings from PISA 2022 results and the webinar helped launch the PISA in Focus ‘Managing screen time: How to protect and equip students against distraction’ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/managing-screen-time_7c225af4-en and the OECD Education Policy Perspective ‘Students, digital devices and success’ can be found here - https://oe.cd/il/5yV
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
1. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
“In Moulmein, in lower Burma, I was hated by large
numbers of people” (Orwell).
2. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair known better to the world as ‘George
Orwell’ was born at Midnapur (India) on 25th June 1903.
His father was a Colonel in British Indian Army.
He got his education at Eton.
After completion of his graduation he joined as a
commissioned officer in Indian Imperial Police.
He was posted in Burma(Myanmar) as an Assistant
Superintendent of Police.
He resigned in 1927 and decided to become a writer.
3. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
He resigned because he could not tolerate the
imperial tendency of England.
In 1928 he moved to Paris.
Fortune eluded him initially and in order to
survive he had to work as a ‘Dish-Washer’ in a
hotel.
His first book 'Down and Out in Paris and
London’was published in 1933.
He published the book under the pen name
‘George Orwell’.
Besides ‘George Orwell’ he had another lesser
known pen-name. It was ‘John Freeman’.
Orwell died on 21st January,1950 at the age of
46.
4. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
What is Imperialism?
By Imperialism we
mean a country
colonizes a land that it
does not own, and
exercises political and
financial dominance
over that country.
Orwell is acclaimed as a
great novelist because of
his two dystopian novels—
‘1984’ and ‘Animal
Farm’.
The term Orwellian has
been entered in the OED to
mean ‘any oppressive or
manipulative social
phenomenon opposed to a
free society’.
5. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Orwell is one of the greatest English prose
writers of the 20th century. His work is
marked by keen intelligence and wit, a
profound awareness of social injustice, an
intense opposition to totalitarianism, a
passion for clarity in language, and a belief
in democratic socialism.
7. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
-:Context of the Story ‘Shooting an elephant’ :-
Burma was finally conquered by Britain in 1886 after three Anglo-
Burmese wars beginning in 1823. It became a separate
independent province of India in 1937. Burma got independence
on January,1948.
Orwell was posted at Moulmein as an Assistant Superintendent of
Police in 1922.
It was a period of intense anti-European sentiment in Burma.
Although sympathetic towards the Burmese natives, he was held as a
symbol of oppressive Imperial power.
He was subjected to constant baiting and jeering by the natives.
Being disgusted, he resigned in 1927.
9. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Context of the story:- (2)
During his stay at Moulmein, he was once invited to kill an
elephant reportedly gone mad.
Orwell visited the place and found that the report was
fabricated and false.
He did not like to kill the elephant as it would be a destruction
of a huge resource.
But, the natives wanted him to be heroic.
The first person narrator narrated the story how he was
compelled to kill the elephant against his conscience just not
to be leveled ’coward’.
It was originally published as an addendum to his book
‘Burmese Days’[1936].
10. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
-:The story:-
In an early morning of March, a group of Burmese
natives along with a sub-Inspector of police came
to Orwell’s official Residence at Moulmein and
asked him to save them by killing a mad elephant
that had rampaged the village areas and killed a
cow and a coolie.
Orwell did not like killing big animals as they were
the resource of the nation.
11. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
People in lower Moulmein gathered to watch the shooting of the elephant.
12. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
But, by virtue of his office, he was supposed to
oblige the request of the people and save them
from such a danger.
So, he started towards the place of occurrence
along with the messengers.
Reaching the spot, he saw a huge elephant grazing
in the paddy field without having any concern for
the people of the locality.
13. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
It appeared quite normal.
Orwell felt that the elephant was probably under
the spell of a ‘must’ that had made it mad
temporarily. But, it recovered and did not deserve
to be killed.
It was not a wild elephant; it was a domesticated
elephant of a local trader.
14. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
A crowd of nearly two thousand native Burmese
people gathered there to watch the ‘fun’ killing
and having a share of elephant’s flesh.
They insisted Orwell to kill the elephant instantly.
They had dual interests---to enjoy the fun of
watching how an elephant is killed and to get the
share of the remains of the dead elephant.
In order to save his ‘heroic’ image Orwell had to
commit the most cowardly act of his life.
16. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
He felt that a Sahib had got to act like a Sahib; he had
got to appear resolute, to know his own mind and do
definite things.
So, he borrowed a ‘Rifle’ from one of his friends living
nearby. He felt that his personal one, an old .44
Winchester would be quite small to kill an elephant.
The elephant was spotted grazing peacefully in a muddy
paddy field.
He realized the danger of approaching the elephant. The
soil was muddy and slippery.
17. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
He realized that in case he fails, he would be
trampled and the natives would laugh in
seeing his grinning corpse.
He aimed straight at the elephant’s ear-hole
as it was sideways on. He did not hear the
bang of the rifle when he pulled the trigger
but heard the devilish roar of glee that went
up from the crowd.
19. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Very soon an enormous senility seemed to
have settled upon him. He sagged flabbily
to his knees.
Orwell shot again aiming at the same spot.
The elephant did not collapse but climbed
with desperate slowness to his feet and stood
weakly upright, with legs sagging and head
drooping.
20. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Orwell fired a third shot. This was the shot that did for
him. The elephant trumpeted for the first and the only
time raising his trunk skywards like a tree.
And then down he came, with a crash that had shaken the
ground.
Orwell became very sorry in seeing the large beast
powerless to move and yet powerless to die. He fired his
remaining two shots to hasten the end. But nothing
happened. The thick blood welled out of him like red
velvet and the entire muddy ground became red.
22. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Orwell could not see the horrible scene anymore.
He took his own rifle and fired shot after shot at
his heart and down his throat.
At every shot, the body of the elephant shook but
none of the shots could kill the elephant.
Orwell found it unbearable to see the elephant in
such a condition and left the place with a
grievous soul.
A sense of guilt and helplessness overpowered
him.
23. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
There were endless discussions about Orwell’s action
afterwards.
The Indians thought it a sign of the oppression of the colonial
rulers.
The European opinion was divided.
The older men said that Orwell was right.
The younger men said it was a damn shame to shoot an elephant
for killing a coolie.
Orwell himself felt that he had done it solely to avoid looking a
fool.
He surrendered to the unholy desire of the mob just to keep the
image of a ‘Demy-god’ un-maligned.
The European colonizers were held as ‘Demy-god’ by the
colonized natives.
25. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Q. What reasons does Orwell give for shooting the elephant?
Orwell shoots the elephant because the two thousand native
people standing behind him expect him to. They want vengeance
for the man it killed, the meat the carcass will provide, and the
entertainment of watching the shooting. “The people expected it
of me and I had got to do it” (7), he writes.
There is an implication that if he decided not to shoot the
elephant, both he and the empire would suffer a loss of prestige,
but the main concern in Orwell’s mind is the “long struggle not to
be laughed at” (7). He is even afraid to “test” the animal’s mood
by going closer for fear it might attack and kill him before he
could shoot, thus giving the crowd a sight it would enjoy as much
as the slaughter of the beast.
www.enotes.com
26. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
What does imperialism mean in the essay "Shooting an Elephant" by
George Orwell?
"Shooting an Elephant," a story loosely based on George Orwell's personal
experience as a colonial official in Burma (modern-day Myanmar), a colony
in the British Empire. Burma was ruled by Great Britain, and as a
representative of the British, the narrator of the story is viewed with hatred
by the Burmese people. When a rogue elephant storms through the
bazaar, the narrator is called upon to shoot it, which he does not want to
do. The elephant, despite having accidently killed a man on his "rampage,"
is now calm and docile. But the narrator also does not want to appear weak
in front of the people, who might then question his authority. Through this
episode, Orwell is showing how imperialism corrupts people. It forces
colonial subjects to look to people they hate for justice, and forces the
imperial officers to commit morally repugnant acts. Above all, it shows that
the imperial relationship, at its heart, is based on violence.
www.enotes.com
27. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Q.What does the elephant symbolize in "Shooting an elephant?
Ans. In "Shooting an Elephant", the Elephant represents the working
man since in India and Burma, the elephant is a work animal. It
can also be seen to represent the role of the Burmese to the
colonial power - in this analogy; the Burmese would be the colonial
power over the elephant. At the end of the story, the animal takes
on definite human characteristics as it dies.
www.enotes.com
28. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Why does the author spend so much time narrating the death of the elephant?
The death of the elephant is when the police officer feels the strongest guilt
inside. From the beginning, he knows he shouldn’t have killed the elephant, but
out of pressure and in order to not look like a fool to the two-thousand natives,
the police officer kills the elephant. But Orwell does not let the elephant die right
away. The elephant continues to live and brings great distaste to the police
officer. As a representative of British tyranny and imperialism to Burma, the police
officer almost loathes imperialism at this point. This is critical to Orwell’s main
theme, and in order to emphasize this point about imperialism, Orwell spends a
lot of time talking about its death. In order to underscore the police officer’s
distaste, Orwell creates his story so that the policeman leaves the scene, which
shows that his emotions are unstable. The policeman also finds out later that the
elephant died 30 minutes after he had left the scene. Overall, the death of the
elephant is the crux of the story where the policeman (or Orwell) criticizes
imperialism and himself for acting for Britain and to save his own face in the
community
http://kevinp321.wordpress.com/shooting-an-elephant
29. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Q. Orwell spends more time discussing the sociology of the event than
about the setting in which it occurs. Explain why doing so is
appropriate to his purpose.
The setting of the story is not really important. Even though a
significant part of it is the historical content (that India was a British
colony), setting does not play a big role. The beginning paragraphs
explained enough about setting (about the British and the Indian
colony and how the policeman is not welcome). The real emphasis is on
the sociology of the community and the thoughts and feelings of the
British policeman. The way he feels about killing the elephant, and how
he is forced to shoot the elephant because of pressure from the
people. The main theme of this short story was about imperialism and
self-identity, not on setting. So the importance was more character-based,
rather than setting-based. Orwell wanted to state that
imperialism is not a good thing.
http://kevinp321.wordpress.com/shooting-an-elephant
30. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
Q. What purpose does Orwell intend his narrative to serve?
This story was primarily about a British man in India and his feelings about living in a conquered
territory. In a broader sense, Orwell touches upon the topic of imperialism and how he feels that
imperialism is a wrong thing. While living in India or Burma (to be more specific), a British colony, the
policeman feels out-of-place in the community. On a narrower sense, Orwell explains about a
policeman who is alienated by the Indians. The people don’t like him because he is British (there is an
anti-European sentiment), and they look at him in a disparaging way. Then the main conflict occurs
when there is an elephant that threatens the community. The policeman has to decide whether to kill or
save the elephant. The emphasis here is that Orwell explains about peer pressure, and how he is forced
to kill the elephant even though he doesn’t wish to, because thousands of people want him to kill the
elephant.
Link.--
http://kevinp321.wordpress.com/shooting-an-elephant/
31. “Shooting An Elephant”
George Orwell
In what way is this essay a study in self-deception? Make specific
reference to the text to explain your answer.
This story is a self-deception because the British policeman doesn’t really
want to kill the elephant; however, thousands of native people want him
to kill the elephant because they want revenge and compensation, and in
the end the policeman is forced to kill the elephant. In a way, the
policeman doesn’t want to become a loser or he does not want to let-down
the hopes of the natives. In order to do so, he has to persuade
himself that it is right to kill the elephant, even though deep inside him, he
knows that it is wrong, because the elephant is peaceful, and he doesn’t
have the owner’s permission and the elephant is peaceful. He states, “As
soon as I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to
shoot him.” He, in part, knows that he is being deceived by the natives. He
states, “I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those
yellow faces behind.”Finally, in the end he states that it was better that the
“coolie” had died because he had justification for the killing of the
elephant-but we also know that deep inside him, there is still unrest and
uncertainty; therefore, the act of self-relieving is actually deception.
http://kevinp321.wordpress.com/shooting-an-elephant