George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant"

Paper Summary:

The following paper examines George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant". In particular, the paper examines the absurdity of seeking to maintain power through the use of force. Among other things, the paper examines how Orwell's brief tale is also a tale about British imperialism in the early twentieth century and a wry examination of how the "white man's" power in the East stole from him much of his own freedom by forcing him to assume a particular role for the entertainment of the natives.

From the Paper:

"Among twentieth century novelists and political commentators, George Orwell enjoys a high station. Among his many political works, the short essay, "Shooting an Elephant", is considered to be one of his most trenchant and provocative. With that in mind, the following paper will examine Orwell's 1936 essay and assess its relationship to the historical period within which it was crafted; the paper will also examine how historical change is revealed in the text. Ultimately, what should emerge is that this brief essay is a sociological examination of the final death throes of a once-mighty British Empire; it is also an examination into European colonialism more generally. Without further ado then, it is to George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" that this paper now turns. As noted previously, Orwell's 1936 essay (or column, if you will) was released at a time when the British Empire was in decline."

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