George Orwell Imperialism

Writers View of Imperialism In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, European nations expanded their influence into areas such as India and Africa. They did this by diplomacy, and at times force. This is known as imperialism and from a distance, you could argue that the nations impeded upon, benefited. In Africa and India, imperialism lifted the economy through the building of roads and rail. The production of crops enhanced nutrition which led to longer life. People now had access to things they previously went without, such as better communication and healthcare. Imperialism brought these nations a new way of life. All of these improvements sound like a blessing, but what were the effects of these improvements on …show more content…
Orwell (1936) describes in the beginning of the story the daily life of a police officer. The native people of Burma would taunt and look for ways to antagonize the officer. They were not bold enough to band together and start a revolution, but would take a stab at Europeans every now and then when they could. Orwell is describing the contempt the Burmese had for their oppressors. Deep down the officer toiled with the fact that his job required him to do some of the things he did, but he had to keep his feelings to himself for the fear of retribution. This is showing how imperialist kept a close eye on dissent within, because they do not want that to spread. When Orwell writes about the incident of the elephant getting loose and how it was tame at first, he is describing how imperialism always seems to be docile and domesticated initially, but it is only a matter of time before it does damage. The elephant destroyed homes but the people seemed to look on as if nothing was happening and had a sense of what could they do about it. The elephant stomped an Indian man into the ground and ripped his skin off his body. All this shows how people became beat down and oppressed to a point where it was normalized. They had submitted their will to the oppressor. As the officer shows up with his rifle, people begin to cheer. Soon a crowd forms behind the officer cheering him on to kill the elephant. The officer doesn’t want to actually kill the elephant, but the pressure from the native people, the excitement he sees in their eyes, makes him feel it is his duty as a human being to put an end to the elephant. Orwell is showing how people will look for a hero, or rather wait around for a hero, to put an end to their suffering. The officer shoots the elephant but it does not die at first, it takes several shots, and then finally the animal succumbs to death a short while