In its heyday‚ colonialism was often celebrated as a means to spread the values of advanced civilizations to people considered uncivilized. The great irony of this notion is that once the European colonial powers drew the lines over the newly discovered continents‚ their own civilized values were‚ in many cases‚ completely disregarded. The British writer Anthony Burgess‚ coincidentally the author of A Clockwork Orange‚ a book containing scenes of extreme violence not unlike some of the instances
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In the essay “Shooting an Elephant” George Orwell is conveying the message that imperialism within a society creates an imbalance in power amongst individuals‚ where Orwell came to realize that he was not on the top of the heap but a tool to oppress the Burmese people. Orwell employs the use of metaphors to enforce his message. When Orwell states‚ “conjurer about to perform a trick”. This way of looking at Orwell is contrary to the way that white Europeans would be looked at in ordinarily. In this
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An Elephant-Sized Dilemma Everyone‚ of all ages and time periods‚ faces a moral dilemma. This may be about a smaller problem or matters of life and death that have a far more wide-ranging impact‚ such as imperialism. In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant‚” an unnamed narrator‚ despite his initial reluctance‚ succumbs to collective pressures to shoot a marauding elephant in Lower Burma. Orwell comments on the dangers of collective pressure and the horrors of imperialism in order to explore the
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“Shooting An Elephant” “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell deals with the evils of imperialism; Orwell uses metaphors to represent his feelings on imperialism‚ his inner conflict between his personal morals and his duty to his country. Orwell demonstrates his outlook and feelings about imperialism; and how it effects his duty as to being a white man. The elephant and the British officer help prove that imperialism is a double-edge sword. Together‚ the soldier and the elephant turn this
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In the article ¡°Shooting an Elephant‚¡± Orwell describes his experience of killing an elephant to express the real nature and sorrow of imperialism. He first confesses his bitter life in Moulmein and the baiting by the native people of European. He goes on to narrate a tiny event of shooting an elephant which makes him to realize the real characteristic of imperialism. By reading and thinking this essay in depth‚ I perceive the main theme the essay is that the real nature of imperialism actually
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George Orwell’s "Shooting an Elephant" is an essay about a British police officer living in Lower Burma who goes through the trial and error process of making the right decisions while still trying to maintain an image and position of authority. The officer is hated by the Burmese people‚ which is clearly shown when he would play football. The Burmese were extremely unfair to the officer due to the fact he was part of the Imperialist group which was oppressing Burma. (para. 1) Although the officer
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Audience Analysis The target audience for this summary and response writing exercise over George Orwell ’s Shooting An Elephant would be the other individuals and the instructor of this online English Composition course. The majority of my core audience‚ minus the instructor‚ should be my fellow college students taking this course. Other than stating that the others who will be reading this piece vary in age‚ ethnicity‚ and overall life experience; I would be hard pressed to further describe my
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Rhetorical Analysis of “Shooting an Elephant” In George Orwell ’s short story‚ “Shooting an Elephant‚” the narrator‚ a young European sub-divisional police officer states‚ “that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys.” This realization of British imperialism comes to him one day when he is pressured into shooting and killing a “peacefully eating‚” elephant. Orwell ’s tone in this story is rather blunt and candid. The narrator is often speaking on how he doesn
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Shooting An Elephant – George Orwell Orwell begins his essay by describing the intense hatred of the Burmese for their European masters. In Moulmein‚ in Lower Burma‚ I was hated by large numbers of people‚ the only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me. Europeans were spit at‚ jeered at‚ and insulted. As a police officer I was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so. I feel his sympathies were on the side of the Burmese‚ and
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Composition~Orwell Analysis In the excerpt from Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”‚ the author uses similes‚ syllepsis‚ and connotation to appeal to the readers sense of pathos in order to convey his attitude of remorse and fluster in regards to shooting the elephant so as to comment on imperialism. Orwell uses Similes to convey his remorse and fluster towards shooting the elephant. He compares the elephant to “…a huge rock toppling…” and paints the scene by saying “The thick blood welled out of
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