What does shooting an elephant symbolize?

The British officer, the executioner, acts as a symbol of the imperial country, while the elephant symbolizes the victim of imperialism. Together, the solider and the elephant turns this tragic anecdote into an attack on the institution of imperialism.

What does an Englishman killing an elephant show the Burmese?

Orwell (1936) explains that the Burmese are now under the control of the British, and the death of the elephant is a metaphor showing the British rule and how it has declined against Burmese as some went away and others died (67).

What is the elephant a metaphor for in Shooting an Elephant?

Because the locals expect him to do the job, he does so against his better judgment, his anguish increased by the elephant’s slow and painful death. The story is regarded as a metaphor for colonialism as a whole, and for Orwell’s view that “when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.”

How did Orwell feel about shooting the elephant?

Shooting the elephant for Orwell is symbolic of his role as a colonial police officer. He doesn’t want to be there; he doesn’t want to act the part of an agent of imperialism, but he has no choice; he’s merely a mere cog in a gigantic machine of order and control.

Why is Orwell asked to do something about the elephant?

Why is Orwell asked to do something about the elephant? He has experience handling elephants. The Burmese refuse to control the elephant.

What is the theme of the story Shooting an Elephant?

The main themes of “Shooting an Elephant” include conscience, culture clash, and order and disorder. Conscience: In the essay, colonial law contrasts with the conscience of the narrator both in his killing of the elephant and his treatment of the Burmese.

What steps does Orwell take as soon as he sees the dead man?

After seeing the dead man, what does Orwell do next? He sends his pony away so it doesn’t go mad over fear of the elephant, and sent an orderly to get an elephant rifle.

What damage does the elephant cause in the town?

In “Shooting an Elephant,” the elephant damages the town by ravaging a bazaar, destroying a hut, raiding fruit stands, killing a cow, overturning a garbage truck, and trampling an Indian man to death.

Is Shooting an Elephant an allegory?

“Shooting an Elephant” is an allegory for the system of British imperialism in Asia.

What is the central allegory in Shooting an Elephant?

The Elephant Symbol Analysis. The elephant is the central symbol of the story. Orwell uses it to represent the effect of colonialism on both the colonizer and the colonized. The elephant, like a colonized populace, has its liberty restricted, and it becomes violently rebellious only as a response to being shackled.

Why didnt he want to shoot the elephant?

But beyond both practical reasons—to shoot the elephant is to destroy a valuable piece of property—and humane reasons (the thick-hided elephant would die slowly and painfully) the narrator doesn’t want to shoot the elephant because in doing so he is acknowledging his powerlessness.

What is Orwell’s primary purpose in writing Shooting an Elephant quizlet?

He shoots the elephant mostly to avoid looking foolish. Why does this hatred of George Orwell cause conflict in him? He sympathized with the Burmese, but they bullied him constantly.

What is the irony in shooting an elephant?

The greatest irony of Orwell ’s “Shooting an Elephant” is that the many have no control or that there is control. It is the collapse of truth, a collapse of justification, and a self examination of motivation that will overcome the irony of the entire sad sad situation.

What is the message of shooting an elephant?

Shooting an Elephant. In the extract, “Shooting An Elephant” Orwell conveys his message through the use of various persuasive tools. He wants the reader to identify when somebody assumes power. This technique is used to show that the powerful are also a captive to the will of people they control. Everyone involved in the situation becomes affected.

What is a metaphor in shooting an elephant?

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 is the symbolism of shooting an elephant?

The act of shooting the elephant (allegory) The actual shooting of the elephant works as an allegory for the British colonial project in Burma. Orwell feels that it’s wrong to kill such a large and wild animal. This feeling represents the guilt of attempting to commandeer an entire culture and society.