Shooting An Elephant Conflict Analysis

George Orwell faces multiple conflicts in Shooting an Elephant. The first is British imperialism. The British took over Burma and they are treating the natives terribly. Second, the natives aren’t taking this imperial government kindly either as they continuously mock Orwell because he’s a symbol of the government and a vulnerable “obvious target” (Orwell). Orwell hates the way the British impose their power on the Burmese. Ironically, he works for the government which represents the British imperial rule. Orwell states, the “sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better”, because this job creates a lot unnecessary stress between the British, the Burmese, and himself (Orwell). The conflict within himself is a unique one involving …show more content…
Initially in the short story Orwell is constantly taking verbal abuse from the Burmese and he feels that he should return the favor. For example “a nimble Burman tripped” him up just because he works in the British Empire (Orwell). This is very ironic because he’s “theoretically—and secretly” on the Burmese side who oppose the British Empire (Orwell). Orwell still refuses to take this abuse from the Burmese lightly because he’s the man in power and will not allow any Burmese to diminish that due to his pride to maintain high order. This high order represents power that the British Empire bestow to Orwell as a police officer. For example he states “With one part of my mind I thought of the …show more content…
This elephant as Orwell observes, seems to be harmless as it calmly just eats the grass. The elephant simply just wants to be free from the mistreatment of its owner which is why it had rebelled and I believe this what Orwell thinks while he watches the “cow” eats the grass (Orwell). Orwell notices “it was not, of course, a wild elephant, but a tame one which had gone ‘must’. It had been chained up, as tame elephants always are when their attack of ‘must’ is due, but on the previous night it had broken its chain and escaped” (Orwell). The elephant represents the Burmese in the British Empire. They are both living in a restricted environment that takes away their freedom and the only way they express their freedom is by using violence. The elephant violently killed a coolie and the Burmese verbally abuse Orwell causes he’s the main target. But the only reason that this elephant attack is because it went insane due to being restricted. Both the elephant and Burmese are initially harmless, which is why Orwell initially doesn’t shoot the elephant until he’s pressured to do so. Orwell doesn’t shoot the elephant initially because he agrees with his moral