“Shooting an Elephant” is an
essay by British writer George Orwell
, first published in the literary magazine New Writing in late 1936 and broadcast by the BBC Home Service on 12 October 1948.
Is Shooting an Elephant a short story of an essay?
In contrast to the essay, the
short story is fictional prose
. It is characterised by its shortness and the unity of time, setting and plot.
What type of essay is Shooting an Elephant?
George Orwell's “On Shooting an Elephant” is, an exemplary
descriptive essay
.
Is Shooting an Elephant a biography?
Among his most powerful essays is the 1931 autobiographical essay “Shooting an Elephant,” which Orwell based on his experience as a police officer in colonial Burma.
What makes Shooting an Elephant a narrative?
“Shooting an Elephant” is the stronger descriptive narrative
because of vivid sensory detail, manipulating the perception of the reader, and Orwell's use of conflict
. The vivid sensory detail of a text is the perfect way to wrap the reader's senses around the story.
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 does the elephant symbolizes?
Elephants are traditionally considered a symbol of
good luck, wisdom, fertility, and protection
. Wearing or placing the image of the elephant with its trunk raised in your home is thought to attract good fortune, as it showers its positive energy out of the trunk and into all surrounding beings and spaces.
What has elephant destroyed 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 many shots does Orwell shoot to shoot an elephant?
How many bullets does it take to bring the elephant down? As the elephant makes terrible, gasping noises, Orwell fires
2 bullets
into the elephant's heart.
Why does the narrator shoot the elephant three times?
He shoots the elephant three times
because he wants to ensure a quick death
. Neither the first nor the second shot kills the elephant, and Orwell observes how much the animal suffers. To put it out of its misery, therefore, he fires for a third and final time.
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 is the value of the elephant?
Anti-Poaching Teams with seized ivory. Photo courtesy of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. In their report, iworry estimated the raw-ivory value of a poached elephant to be $21,000. In contrast, a living elephant is
worth more than $1.6 million over its lifetime
, largely because of its eco-tourism draw.
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.
What are the themes in 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.
When was Shooting an Elephant set?
As Orwell relates, the setting of the story is Moulmein, a town in Lower Burma, during the era of the British Raj. The exact date is not given, but Orwell worked as a policeman in Burma
between 1922 and 1927
, so we can guess that the events take place within this time frame.
What does Shooting an Elephant reveal about imperialism?
The shooting of the elephant in the incident that reveals that imperialism inflicts damage on both parties in an imperialistic relationship. … The elephant plays the “stricken, shrunken, immensely old” countries that have been stormed and conquered by imperialism, while the Burmese play its “helpless” people.
