. By the type of language and the choice of words that the author used to write his essay, it is very likely that it was written for the British people, to make them aware of the injustice and cruelty of Imperialism in the colonies. The author’s aim is to make the reader feel disturbed and uneasy by describing in detail his negative experiences in India. This rhetorical analysis explores the success of the author in portraying the negative impact that Imperialism had on those being governed under it, but also on the impact on those in power. The way Orwell used the words for describing the scene of shooting the elephant, his aim was to get the reader’s mind to understand the injustice of Britain’s rule over the natives. While Shooting an …show more content…
With the use of the words ‘white man’ and ‘tyrant,’ it is obvious Orwell was referring to one of the sides of Imperialism, the side that has the power. They are becoming the puppets of the natives: “A sahib has got to act like a sahib” (Orwell, 410). With the use of this phrase Orwell uses the word “sahib” as a symbol of tyrant or master. This phrase shows not only how the people oppressed by the Imperialism suffer, but the tyrant itself by giving up his freedom. Through the way Orwell arrange this paragraph the audience can now truly understand Orwell’s argument about how Imperialism has negative effects on those in the power, and how ironically it is for Orwell to gain power and dominance over others, just to lose freedom and dominance over yourself. Through the essay, with the use of particular emotional words and sentences, the audience can perceive Orwell’s feelings and emotions, by the memorable amount of pathos over his essay. Orwell goes on describing the cruel reality the Burmese people lived in by describing, with the use of dramatic and lively words, the terrible situations, and consequences of Imperialism. Giving more reasons for his logos, Orwell at the same time uses pathos to emotionally involve
While he writes, Orwell symbolizes the harsh evils of imperialism through his own character. Both Orwell and the imperialistic British government are young, foolish, and driven by hate. This hatred becomes so intense that Orwell begins to not only hate the British and the Burmese, but eventually himself for the decisions he makes. He also symbolizes the guilt and resentment that he feels inside. It starts with his overwhelming guilt that splits his loyalties in two. Then it is his passionate resentment towards the British which in turn, grows to not only the British, but the majority of the Burmese people. And lastly, Orwell also represents his own realization to his surroundings. In the story Orwell says, “I perceived in this moment that when a white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom he destroys” (327). He finally realizes that neither he nor the imperialistic government are in control, that the Burmese will never conform, and that the people’s will always
He says “I, the white man with his gun, standing in front of the unarmed native crowd — seemingly the leading actor of the piece; but in reality I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind.” Through the use of metaphors he says that although he should be the person in power, in reality he is the one being controlled by the Burmese people. Moments later he says, “ I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.” By shooting the elephant against his own will in order to please those he should have control over, Orwell displays to us how harsh imperialism can be. He uses the words dreadful and tortured to describe how he feels about his actions. With all things considered, Orwell was able to adequately inform us of the negative effects that imperialism imposes on the oppressor.
George Orwell, a journalist and an author of 1903 through 1950, is not only the author of “Shooting an Elephant,” but surprisingly, he is also the narrator and the main character. Orwell’s narrative essay of 1936 takes place in squalid, British-occupied Moulmein, lower Burma. To begin, in the opening of his piece, Orwell describes himself as a young, British police officer who, ironically, despises the British imperial project in Burma. Although he secretly sides with the Burmese, he is resentful of the way they torment him. Eventually, a previously chained elephant is introduced to the essay. It is when this elephant escapes that it begins ravaging Moulmein. After concluding
Orwell describes the native Burmese people, who have been gathering behind him, as a “sea of yellow faces above the garish clothes-face all happy and excited over this bit of fun; all certain that the elephant was going to be shot” (Orwell). This imagery of an immense crowd swirling and stirring like a sea would before a storm, depicts the sense of power these defenseless native people had over Orwell and his mental state. As the essay proceeds, Orwell is overwhelmed by an unparalleled force pressuring him to shoot the elephant. “[He] could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly” (Orwell). As Orwell’s attempts to conclude upon the infamous question of whether or not to take the life of this elephant, he comes to the realization of the power of the “white man in the East.”
He uses imagery to help the readers picture the situation. Imagery is best used when he describes the moments he shot the elephant. He describes the Burmese very clearly, and stresses on how the animal reacted to the gunshots. He chronologically describes the scene after every gunshot that was fired. “And then down he came, his belly towards me, with a crash that shook the ground.” “The thick blood came out of him like red velvet” are examples of imagery used by the writer. He describes the huge crowd before him as a “sea of yellow faces.” He also uses similes in various parts of his essay, for instance when he talked about the crowd that followed him he says, “They were watching me as they would watch a conjurer about to perform a trick”. The reader can also infer from the essay Orwell’s racism. He repeatedly uses “yellow faces” and “white man” to differentiate the Burmese from the
George Orwell who wrote a narrative essay Shooting an Elephant” has a tense tone of literature towards his life. He is using a stressed tone due to peer pressure, and lack of confidence toward himself as he is an imperialist who came to protect uphold the laws. He's difficult attitude sets the scene for the story in his eyes. Throughout the story the concept of his decisions and action will be projected through the uses of diction; the write words to express his feelings.
Orwell is an unhappy young policeman who lives in mental isolation.{4} He hates British imperialism, he hates Burmese natives, and he hates his job.{5} He is completely alone with his thoughts since he cannot share his idea that "imperialism was an evil thing" with his countrymen. Orwell sees the British rule as "an unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down. . . Upon the will of prostate peoples" because he observes firsthand the cruel imprisonments and whippings that the British use to enforce their control.{6} Nor can he talk to the Burmese because of the "utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East." This "utter silence" results from the reasoning behind imperialism that says, "Our cultures are different. My culture has more power than your culture. Therefore, my culture is superior in every way, and it will rule yours."{7} If one is a member of a superior culture, one must not make
Orwell had a lot of control over the natives of Burma as a British officer during the time of imperialism, or at least he believed as a young, naïve imperialist. The British officials worked hard to maintain their illusion of power through the use of fear. In order to evoke these feelings of fear in these natives, the officers often used violence to assert dominance over “the wretched prisoners” whose “scarred buttocks… had been flogged with bamboos.” When called upon to handle a situation of a ravaging elephant, he reaches an epiphany as he begins to realize that the power of imperialism may very well not lie in the hand of the oppressors, but instead in the hands of the
Through this grim tone, Orwell explains his encounter with a “must” elephant that has killed a man, and because of his crime, the Burmese locals request Orwell to shoot and kill the elephant. Describing the gruesome scene,
The shooting of the elephant, itself, is treated as a theatrical spectacle, rather than with the gravity it deserves. Their gleeful disrespect for the life of the animal prompts the narrator to admit:“Here was I, the white man with his gun, standing in front of the unarmed native crowd— seemingly the leading actor of the piece; but in reality I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro…” As a colonial policeman, the narrator feels as though he must play a role for the Burmese people; he is not truly in control but rather following lead and desires of the natives. The true cost of white westerners’ conquest, Orwell is the white men’s freedom. Through this interaction, the ambivalence of the narrator is expressed for he wants to gratify the Burmese people as he feels it is his duty as a colonizer, yet the action goes against his moral conduct.
It was evident that Orwell had no control over Burmese people and this where he becomes understandable to the reader why Orwell is symbolic. Orwell is symbolic in the essay because he is aware of the injustice that is being done to the Burmese people but he has chosen to be neutral. Besides, by staying neutral Orwell is assisting oppressor to continue doing the bad deed and he is living a symbolic life of cruel British rules. George Orwell shows that he is neutral because he is not raising any voice against the vindictive rules that are being applied to the village
Throughout Orwell’s essay, “Shooting an Elephant,” he weaves his theory about the effects of imperialism. He explains how it effects not only the oppressed, but the oppressor as well. However, the essay captures a universal experience of going against one’s own humanity as a cost of a part of that humanity.
When it came to the sad or upsetting things like the death of the Burmese man or the elephant, he was a little sad at first then he quickly got over it. Another use of irony is that he has to kill in order to protect people. He also states that he was glad that the elephant killed the Burmese man so he could do his job which is ironic. The last example of irony I will use is the fact that he in actuality is in charge but his actions basically suggest that he is a puppet that is be pulled by the Burmese in order to feel accepted by them. Orwell also uses symbolism a lot in this story, the elephant could stand for a multitude of things.
George Orwell show the effects of imperialism and the development of tyranny in an imperialistic society, as a result of dehumanization and the forcing of ideals upon a population, and also how it executes the way the oppressors perform their tasks. In “Shooting an Elephant”, Orwell shows he is reflecting on his writing in Politics and the English Language”, because he is honest. Orwell shows that the oppressor is doing what the Burmese people want, so he will not look a fool. Orwell goes against his sympathy for the elephant and shoots him. Some may criticize that this is a form of animal cruelty, but he tells the truth that it is much worse to be humiliated and laughed upon. Like in most of his writings, Orwell likes to get straight to the
George Orwell starts his essay Shooting an Elephant by clearing stating his point of view about British Imperialism. He says that it is evil and that he is for the Burmese and was against their oppressors, the British. Even though Orwell is a British officer at the time, he feels guilt and hatred for his empire, himself and the “evil spirted beast who made his job impossible,” the Burma people. Orwell writes about not just his own experiences with the elephant but the metaphors imperialism and his views on the matter.