Symbolism in "Shooting an Elephant" Essay

He hates what he has become and what he does. He confesses that he secretly roots for the Burmese and roots against "their oppressors (335). He admits he is "stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible" (335). He is like those in oppression in that he is not free to do what he actually wants to do. His reputation is on the line and he acts to defend it. A man in his position "mustn't be frightened in front of 'natives'" (339), he writes even though he knows that in order to impress those natives, he must act of line with his conscious. He does the "right thing" (340) according to the law he did also killed the elephant "solely to avoid looking like a fool" (340). Asker asserts that wrapped within the decision to kill or not kill the elephant is the idea that a "tyrannical ruling nation or class loses its freedom in proportion to the power it exercises" (155) and those "who are ruled determine and govern the acts of their oppressors" (155). The narrator realizes the "moral iniquity of British imperialism and sides with the Burmese" (155). In addition, Asker states, "The symbolism allows Orwell to "highlight the contradictions and duplicities imposed on a decent man by an indecent system" (Asker 155). By making the narrator a symbol, Orwell is forcing us to look at not only the narrator's point-of-view but also the internal conflict he feels and the reasons behind why he acts the way he does. Things are rarely as simple as they seem and this situation demonstrates this point.The narrator cannot honor his true feelings but he knows that he will fine regardless. Others will understand his dilemma but it is his own mind that places him in a difficult place.

In "Shooting an Elephant," Orwell explores the many facts of humanity through various symbols. The elephant is a symbol of the oppressed Burmese that did not ask for British help and do not appreciate the British for being there. They do not understand why the white man must come and rule over them. The elephant represents the Burmese in that they are dying. They might not be aware that the British are killing them but they certainly resent them for being there. The animal's death is also symbolic in that it forces us to look at the inevitable demise of the Burmese society. The narrator also serves as a symbol of the Burmese in that he is just as trapped as they are. He becomes a puppet to their expectations just as they behave in certain ways. The story illustrates the complexities of life through effective symbolism.

Works Cited

Asker, David Barry. Aspects of Metamorphosis. Atlanta: Rodopi. 2001.

Kenneth Keskinen, "Shooting an Elephant.' An Essay to Teach." English Journal. 1996 GALE

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