When given the option, one must rise to the occasion! It is up to the individual to seize the moment and grasp advantage of what has been given to them. In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant”, that is precisely what he did. When given the opportunity, Orwell stepped up to the occasion and made the most of it; this includes shooting the elephant. Orwell was justified in shooting the elephant because he needed to improve his image, he did not do anything wrong in the eye of the law, and it was his job.
Undoubtedly, Orwell had been an effortless target for the Burman people to pursue: he was a European police officer. He stood out against the “yellow faces” that surpassed him day to day. European people were not looked upon fondly due to the power they possessed over the Burman’s. …show more content…
In this case, Orwell’s job was to protect and guard the lower Burma region. He was employed as the law enforcement and was responsible for the people as well as the land itself. His employment by the Empire empowered him to fulfill even the most difficult of tasks. Shooting the elephant proved to be one of those tasks. Nonetheless, it was Orwell’s job. He was instructed to take care of the problem, and shooting the elephant seemed to be the only logical way. Orwell did not relish in shooting the elephant, however, it was needed in order to solve the bigger issues: the safety of the village and the reputation of himself. Overall, Orwell did the right thing. It could have been days before the mahout showed up and the elephant could have done further damage. Orwell may have done it to save-face, nevertheless it proved to be beneficial in the end. The Burmese people received food, and Orwell avoided looking a fool. All in all, Orwell was justified in shooting the elephant because he needed to improve his image, he didn’t do anything wrong in the eyes of the law, and he was performing his
Undoubtedly, Orwell had been an effortless target for the Burman people to pursue: he was a European police officer. He stood out against the “yellow faces” that surpassed him day to day. European people were not looked upon fondly due to the power they possessed over the Burman’s. …show more content…
In this case, Orwell’s job was to protect and guard the lower Burma region. He was employed as the law enforcement and was responsible for the people as well as the land itself. His employment by the Empire empowered him to fulfill even the most difficult of tasks. Shooting the elephant proved to be one of those tasks. Nonetheless, it was Orwell’s job. He was instructed to take care of the problem, and shooting the elephant seemed to be the only logical way. Orwell did not relish in shooting the elephant, however, it was needed in order to solve the bigger issues: the safety of the village and the reputation of himself. Overall, Orwell did the right thing. It could have been days before the mahout showed up and the elephant could have done further damage. Orwell may have done it to save-face, nevertheless it proved to be beneficial in the end. The Burmese people received food, and Orwell avoided looking a fool. All in all, Orwell was justified in shooting the elephant because he needed to improve his image, he didn’t do anything wrong in the eyes of the law, and he was performing his