Adrianna Geisler
ENGL1010
Essay #1
8 Sept. 2015
Reading Response Essay for “Shooting an Elephant” In the essay “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, the author is trying to show how imperialism can have strong effects on someone. In addition, Orwell describes his personal decision to shoot an elephant after the animal kills a man. He does not initially intend on killing the animal, but anti-imperialism and the pressure of the crowd really get to him. Orwell states that the only reason he shot and killed the beast was to avoid looking like a fool which, in the end, caused the author to be thankful that the man was killed because it gave him a reason to shoot at the elephant and he would not get in trouble with the authority. George Orwell uses detailed description of how the people are reacting to effectively show readers how peer pressure can affect people in positions of power.
Although Orwell struggled …show more content…
He hates his job with a burning passion. “As for the job [Orwell] was doing, [he] hated it more bitterly than [he] can perhaps make clear” (Orwell 129). Orwell disliked being put into difficult situations and dealing with the outcomes when they did not go exactly how he expected them to. The sooner Orwell got away from this job of being a police officer, the better off he would be.
Not to mention, the Burmese dislike him because his beliefs differ from theirs even though he also disapproves of imperialism. “[He] was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so” (Orwell 129). For Orwell, it was a lot easier just to hand his power over to the Burmans and to do as they wanted. Being a policeman, Orwell becomes an extremely easy target. He is different from them and a bright spotlight shines on him. There are more Burmans than there are police officers, over ruling them in a way. The pressure that the people put on Orwell crushes
ENGL1010
Essay #1
8 Sept. 2015
Reading Response Essay for “Shooting an Elephant” In the essay “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell, the author is trying to show how imperialism can have strong effects on someone. In addition, Orwell describes his personal decision to shoot an elephant after the animal kills a man. He does not initially intend on killing the animal, but anti-imperialism and the pressure of the crowd really get to him. Orwell states that the only reason he shot and killed the beast was to avoid looking like a fool which, in the end, caused the author to be thankful that the man was killed because it gave him a reason to shoot at the elephant and he would not get in trouble with the authority. George Orwell uses detailed description of how the people are reacting to effectively show readers how peer pressure can affect people in positions of power.
Although Orwell struggled …show more content…
He hates his job with a burning passion. “As for the job [Orwell] was doing, [he] hated it more bitterly than [he] can perhaps make clear” (Orwell 129). Orwell disliked being put into difficult situations and dealing with the outcomes when they did not go exactly how he expected them to. The sooner Orwell got away from this job of being a police officer, the better off he would be.
Not to mention, the Burmese dislike him because his beliefs differ from theirs even though he also disapproves of imperialism. “[He] was an obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so” (Orwell 129). For Orwell, it was a lot easier just to hand his power over to the Burmans and to do as they wanted. Being a policeman, Orwell becomes an extremely easy target. He is different from them and a bright spotlight shines on him. There are more Burmans than there are police officers, over ruling them in a way. The pressure that the people put on Orwell crushes