Analysis Of George Orwell 's ' Shooting An Elephant ' Essay

“To be truly positive in the eyes of some, you have to risk appearing negative in the eye of others” (Criss Jami). To appear positive to some people, they have to appear negative to others. Each person has his or her own opinion; therefore, just because he or she satisfies a person, does not mean the others agree with them too. For example, in “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, the speaker ponders whether he should kill the elephant to please the people. Whether he shoots it or not, not everyone would be pleased with his decision.In addition, the speaker of “Shooting an Elephant” is a sub-divisional police officer and a lot of people hate him, thus leading him wanting to please the people by shooting the elephant. Orwell persuades the readers that under imperialism both parties suffer. The author accomplishes his purpose through shifts in verb tense, reflective tone, and specific details to assert authority; metaphor and analogy to demonstrate logic; and a self-deprecating tone, direct reader address, and colloquial language to establish an emotional connection with the audience. Orwell’s shifts in verb tense evoke a reflective tone and his evidence justifies a specific detail which appeals to authority. For instance, the speaker ponders, “I was young and ill-educated and I had had to think out my problems in the utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East” (1). By altering from simple past, “I was,” to past perfect, “I had had,” the speaker ponders…