Shooting an Elephant

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What does the elephant demonstrate by rising up one final time before dying? (Paragraph 11)

A) Its enduring power, even in death

B) The symbolic rising of Burma against the narrator

C) How powerful the narrator desires to be

D) The strength of the British Empire

2. Why does the author foreshadow the end of his essay with the title, “Shooting an Elephant”?

A) To warn readers of the graphic nature of the ending of the story

B) To make a symbolic message about violence toward others

C) To build suspense as the narrator decides what to do

D) To offer a paradox about the nature of survival

3. Why does Orwell find his treatment by the Burmese “perplexing and upsetting”? (Paragraph 2)

A) He is young and ill-educated, so he feels they should be more sympathetic of his ignorance.

B) He is secretly anti-imperialist and favors self-governance for the Burmese.

C) He is doing them a favor by playing football with them, so this behavior is unwarranted.

D) He is convinced that without British rule, Burma would have dissolved into anarchy.

4. How does Orwell approach the request for help with the elephant?

A) Uncertainly

B) Nonchalantly

C) Determinedly

D) Curiously

5. At which point does Orwell first decide he will kill the elephant?

A) When the sub-inspector phones him from the police station.

B) When he sees the dead man’s body and sends for an elephant rifle.

C) When he sees the elephant peacefully eating a bunch of grass.

D) When he realizes if he doesn’t kill it, he will be laughed at.

6. Which description best fits the tone of “Shooting an Elephant”?

A) Brusque

B) Adventurous

C) Pretentious

D) Tense

7. Which of the following quotations shows how Orwell interrogates the concept of Worth in “Shooting an Elephant”?

A) “The Burmese population had no weapons and were quite helpless against it.” (Paragraph 3)

B) “He was an Indian, a black Dravidian coolie, almost naked, and he could not have been dead many minutes.” (Paragraph 4)

C) “…I was told they had stripped [the elephant’s] body almost to the bones by the afternoon.” (Paragraph 13)

D) “The owner was furious, but he was only an Indian and could do nothing.” (Paragraph 14)

8. What is the main source of conflict for the narrator?

A) He does not want to kill the elephant because he is against animal cruelty.

B) He does not want to kill the elephant because it is eating peacefully.

C) He does not want to kill the elephant but feels compelled to keep the community safe.

D) He does not want to kill the elephant but feels compelled to preserve his pride.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Why is it ironic that the Burmese ask for the narrator’s help with the elephant?

2. Why does the narrator hesitate when he finally comes face-to-face with the elephant?