The Damned Human Race And Shooting An Elephant Comparison

Short stories and essays utilize a wide range of effective writing techniques and literary devices to draw the readers into the material and to clearly deliver the main ideas. Analyzing a piece of writing can help us further understand how the authors structure their work, but finding the similarities and differences within a piece of writing allows us to recognize important ideas that were not obvious and clear on the surface. “The Damned Human Race” by Mark Twain, and “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, allow the readers to recognize the many characteristics of human nature. An analysis of the similarities and differences between the two essays shows the reader that while they both address the concept of humans seeking revenge and the
While both authors clearly agree on the concepts of humans seeking revenge and experiencing the feeling of embarrassment, they disagree on the way they believe humans make decisions. At a glance, both of these essays appear to be complete opposites; for example, “The Damned Human Race” is a scientific experiment, while “Shooting an Elephant” is a memoir told by the author. Further analysis allows us to uncover the many other important similarities and differences both essays possess in order to come together and make us truly think about the concept of human nature. The natural way humans think, feel, and act are truly challenged in both of these essays in two unique and different ways. Mark Twain challenges the concept of human nature by explaining the results of his experiment when testing humans and animals, in which he believes that we are the lowest of all animals. George Orwell challenges the concept of human nature by telling a story about a person who struggled making a decision between killings an innocent animal or letting down many people. In conclusion, both essays emphasize the complications of human nature and the fact that being a human is not as simple as being an