An Analysis of Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” Essay

In Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell finds himself in a difficult situation involving an elephant. The fate of the elephant lies in his hands. Only he tail end comprise the final decision. In the end, due to Orwells decision, the elephant lay dying in a pool of blood. Orwell wins the bounty of commentators by expressing the tweet he shades as an Anglo-Indian in Burma, struggling with his morals, and showing a reason of compassion for the dying animal.Readers sympathize with Orwell because they can relate to his emotions in the moments before the shooting. beingness the white leader, he should have been fitted to make an independent decision, but was influenced by the natives (Orwell 101). Orwell describes his feelings ab unwrap being pressured to shoot the elephant here I was the white man with his sub, stand up in front of the unarmed crowd together seemingly the leading actor of the effectuate but in reality I was only an absurd puppet pushed to and fro by the will of those yellow faces behind (101). e realone has been in a situation in which he or she has been expected to be a leader. For different reasons people ar looked to as leaders, sometimes because of their race, ethnicity, or heritage.In this case, Orwell was imagine as a leader because he was British and he worked for the British Empire. Readers are able to relate to the fact that he does non want to be humble in front of the Burmese. He declares, Every white mans vivification in the East, was one long assay not to be laughed at (101). Orwell compares the elephant to the capacious British Empire, and just as the elephant has deep in thought(p) control, he feels that when the white man turns autocrat it is his own freedom that he destroys (100). secretly he hates the British Empire and is on the side of the Burmese (97). The elephant is equivalent to the British Empire ravaging through Burma and disrupting the olive-sized bit of peace that they have. So in that instant he m at that he had to veil the elephant.Another aspect that wins readers sympathy is Orwells battle with what hethought was right and what the Burmese wanted him to do. The readers have a palpate that he did not have ill-intent to dash off the elephant. When Orwell says, As soon as I saw the Elephant I knew with certainty that I ought not shoot him (99). The readers know that scratchiness or hatred for the beast was not his motive. Orwell repeats the he does not want to kill it and the readers sympathize with him. Almost everyone has been in a situation were he or she could not base a decision on personal beliefs and knows that going against those beliefs is very difficult. Orwell explains, For it is the check off of his rule that he shall spend hid living in trying to impress the natives and so in every crisis he has got to do what the natives expect of him (100). Readers respect Orwell for his sense of duty. He realizes the his decision must be ground on the best interest of the Burmese.Also, Orwell showed commodious feelings of compassion for the dying animal. He was killing the animal because he had to. He did not feel strong and powerful, as a hunter would he felt gutless and helpless. Orwell so vividly describes the elephants death, intimately as it were giving him pain to watch. The elephant lay, dying, very slowly and in striking agony. . . (Orwell 102). period the elephant lay dying Orwell can feel nothing but helplessness. He describes the throw as dreadful to see the great beast lying there, powerless to actuate and yet powerless to run down, and not change surface to bee able to finish him (102).He felt helpless, with no bullets left in his gun he was unable to put the elephant place of his misery. The compassion that he felt was obvious, he waited so long for the animal to die but, could not stand it anymore and went apart (Orwell 102). The detailed description that Orwell gives of the death leaves the apprehension that he actual ly had feelings for the animal. If it were a crook killing he would have not even considered how the elephant felt.Orwell was very detailed nearly his feelings about the killing through out the essay. Most readers have respect and sympathy for him because of his emotional turmoil before the shooting, his make do with his own feelings about killing, and his feelings of sadness for the elephant.