George Orwell was an English author who is a well known figure today in literature. According to Matthew Price, Orwell is continuously resurrected by his many supporters and is hard to keep in the grave (Price, 2003). Two of Orwell’s earliest writings include “A Hanging” and “Shooting an Elephant.” Orwell’s “A Hanging” and “Shooting an Elephant” both have similarities and differences that can be examined by further analyzing each text.
First, the background of each story needs to be examined to compare and contrast both pieces. Both writings are heavily focused on Orwell’s personal life. Orwell was born in 1903 in India, where his father served as an imperial servant (Price, 2003). Orwell followed in his father’s steps by becoming an Imperial Indian policeman in 1922. He served five years in several Burma outposts (Feeney, 2003). “A Hanging” and “Shooting an Elephant” both show this background during the British Imperial Rule in Burma. …show more content…
Orwell shares his disgust for killing living creatures in both stories. John Rodden claims that “A Hanging” shows the wrongness of taking a human life” (2014). Another similarity that the stories share is the lack of power. In “A Hanging” nothing can stop the hanging, not even the disruption from the dog. “Shooting an Elephant” also demonstrates this lack of power. Although the narrator is holding the gun, he does not have the power to save the elephant because he fears what the villagers will do to him if he does not kill the animal (Salutin, 1993). The last similarity between both pieces is the anti-imperialist view shared throughout both writings (Price, 2003). Both stories show Orwell’s distaste for capital
First, the background of each story needs to be examined to compare and contrast both pieces. Both writings are heavily focused on Orwell’s personal life. Orwell was born in 1903 in India, where his father served as an imperial servant (Price, 2003). Orwell followed in his father’s steps by becoming an Imperial Indian policeman in 1922. He served five years in several Burma outposts (Feeney, 2003). “A Hanging” and “Shooting an Elephant” both show this background during the British Imperial Rule in Burma. …show more content…
Orwell shares his disgust for killing living creatures in both stories. John Rodden claims that “A Hanging” shows the wrongness of taking a human life” (2014). Another similarity that the stories share is the lack of power. In “A Hanging” nothing can stop the hanging, not even the disruption from the dog. “Shooting an Elephant” also demonstrates this lack of power. Although the narrator is holding the gun, he does not have the power to save the elephant because he fears what the villagers will do to him if he does not kill the animal (Salutin, 1993). The last similarity between both pieces is the anti-imperialist view shared throughout both writings (Price, 2003). Both stories show Orwell’s distaste for capital