It is common for a journey to be represented in a story, but for what reason? What purpose does it serve? George Orwell uses the journey in his autobiographical short story, Shooting an Elephant to develop our awareness of life's struggles, through the inner conflict faced by Orwell. The book is set in the British colony of Burma, and it details Orwell's physical and mental journey of completing the aforementioned task of shooting an elephant. The story is written in first person, and is a reflective piece of writing, both of which give the impression of a more personal connection between the story and reader. The obstacles encountered during this journey are both of a physical and emotional nature, and are both used by the author to represent
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In the story, Orwell embarks on a trip to find a rampaging elephant, learning more about the situation as he gets closer, mirroring his realisation about the power of the British. Despite initially believing himself, and thus, the British, to be in charge, the challenges on the journey undertaken by Orwell grant him insight showing otherwise. Near the end of his journey, he finds himself wanting to spare the elephant. Despite this, he is pressured by the expectations of the locals to kill it needlessly. The elephant itself is symbolic of Orwell's free will. Its slow, agonising death represents the painful realisation of Orwell's lack of power, which he further notes by referring to himself as a metaphorical “puppet pushed to and fro by the natives”. Through this, Orwell also finds out the true nature of imperialism, coming to the realisation that “when the white man turns tyrant, it is his own freedom that he destroys”.
Thus, the representation of a journey, and the challenges within it, are used to show and develop the reader's awareness of life's challenges in Shooting an Elephant. The effect of external factors on journeys and the link between a physical and mental journey are both shown, and thus the text has effectively developed our awareness of life's challenges, as our own lives are essentially one long journey in
In the story, Orwell embarks on a trip to find a rampaging elephant, learning more about the situation as he gets closer, mirroring his realisation about the power of the British. Despite initially believing himself, and thus, the British, to be in charge, the challenges on the journey undertaken by Orwell grant him insight showing otherwise. Near the end of his journey, he finds himself wanting to spare the elephant. Despite this, he is pressured by the expectations of the locals to kill it needlessly. The elephant itself is symbolic of Orwell's free will. Its slow, agonising death represents the painful realisation of Orwell's lack of power, which he further notes by referring to himself as a metaphorical “puppet pushed to and fro by the natives”. Through this, Orwell also finds out the true nature of imperialism, coming to the realisation that “when the white man turns tyrant, it is his own freedom that he destroys”.
Thus, the representation of a journey, and the challenges within it, are used to show and develop the reader's awareness of life's challenges in Shooting an Elephant. The effect of external factors on journeys and the link between a physical and mental journey are both shown, and thus the text has effectively developed our awareness of life's challenges, as our own lives are essentially one long journey in