Shooting an Elephant
Shooting an Elephant
In life, everyone has their own choices to make. Most of the time, the side that one has to choose is not what they want but what they need. Just one wrong decision can even cost a life. Hence many choices are immensely difficult. A significant one could be choosing to follow one own heart or to surrender under the pressure of the society they live in. This is the one that occur in Orwell situation. In his essay, Orwell writes about the one who has the responsibility of managing, regarding their morals and self-worth, are higher than those are being oppressed, and he reveals these costs by examining the outer forces that shape his behavior, the inner forces that lead him to shoot the elephant, and what he and England end up losing when they do not live up to their own principles.
While being a police officer in Moulmein, in Lower Burma, Orwell shows the readers the outer forces that shape his behavior. Orwell, is a subordinate of the British government, is under a great pressure. He has the responsibility of controlling the people according to their command. To him, the Europeans like dictator abuse the innocent people. And later, while chasing the elephant, this concept does not change much, only that now, in a closer aspect, the dictator who pressure him turn out to the people he has sided with against the innocent – the escaped elephant – outer. In addition to the external forces that Orwell has to endure, he also faces internal pressures that also influence his behavior.
Even though Orwell is “for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British,” he still shoots the elephant, revealing the internal forces that contribute to his behavior. On the surface, Orwell appears to follow the demand of the British. He does as they ask and try to please them, so he can be at peace. However, he is also well aware of the justice for the Burmese that burning inside him. This actually contribute to build up his hate frees for the British.
In life, everyone has their own choices to make. Most of the time, the side that one has to choose is not what they want but what they need. Just one wrong decision can even cost a life. Hence many choices are immensely difficult. A significant one could be choosing to follow one own heart or to surrender under the pressure of the society they live in. This is the one that occur in Orwell situation. In his essay, Orwell writes about the one who has the responsibility of managing, regarding their morals and self-worth, are higher than those are being oppressed, and he reveals these costs by examining the outer forces that shape his behavior, the inner forces that lead him to shoot the elephant, and what he and England end up losing when they do not live up to their own principles.
While being a police officer in Moulmein, in Lower Burma, Orwell shows the readers the outer forces that shape his behavior. Orwell, is a subordinate of the British government, is under a great pressure. He has the responsibility of controlling the people according to their command. To him, the Europeans like dictator abuse the innocent people. And later, while chasing the elephant, this concept does not change much, only that now, in a closer aspect, the dictator who pressure him turn out to the people he has sided with against the innocent – the escaped elephant – outer. In addition to the external forces that Orwell has to endure, he also faces internal pressures that also influence his behavior.
Even though Orwell is “for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British,” he still shoots the elephant, revealing the internal forces that contribute to his behavior. On the surface, Orwell appears to follow the demand of the British. He does as they ask and try to please them, so he can be at peace. However, he is also well aware of the justice for the Burmese that burning inside him. This actually contribute to build up his hate frees for the British.