What is the main idea in shooting an elephant?
What is the main idea in shooting an elephant?
The main point, the theme, of “Shooting an Elephant” is to expose the conflict between the law and one’s moral conscience as this pertains to British imperialism specifically, but by extension any imperialism.
What was Orwell purpose in writing Shooting an Elephant?
Shooting an Elephant is intended to make the reader feel unsettled. Orwell purposefully recounts his negative experiences in Burma to reinforce his view that imperialism is harmful on both ends.
How does Orwell’s ultimate decision show that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys?
“I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.” Orwell is referring to himself with the gun, performing his authority, when he refers to “turning tyrant.” When this happens, he says, he becomes the puppet of those who he’s performing for.
What does he wears a mask and his face grows to fit it mean?
In “Shooting an Elephant,” when Orwell says “He wears a mask and his face grows to fit it,” he means that the more a person puts on a “mask” by acting how they are expected to act, the more they gradually transform into the image they present and the more their behavior permanently changes.
What is the elephant death scene in shooting an elephant most likely a metaphor for?
The elephant death scene in Shooting an Elephant is most likely a metaphor for the ineffectiveness of imperialism. The imperialists carried out a poor governance of a colonized country and this scene may be a metaphor for the imperialists’ misguided understanding of how their own system works.
What does the elephant’s slow death symbolize in shooting an elephant?
The fact that the elephant does not immediately die but remains paralyzed after being shot could symbolically represent the oppressed nature of the native Burmese citizens. Either way, the elephant’s slow, agonizing death symbolically represents the destructive, debilitating nature of colonialism.
Is shooting an elephant a narrative?
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell is a narrative essay about Orwell’s time as a police officer for the British Raj in colonial Burma. The essay delves into an inner conflict that Orwell experiences in his role of representing the British Empire and upholding the law..