Shooting an Elephant

In “Shooting an Elephant,” the term “Coringhee coolie” refers to the unskilled or low-wage workers—primarily Telugu, also known as Andhras, one of the four major Dravidian ethnolinguistic groups native to Southern India—who emigrated to Burma under the British Empire. At the end of the essay, the narrator makes known his relief that the elephant killed such a man as it gave him the right to kill the elephant, saving him from explaining his real reasoning for carrying out the act. Orwell’s gratitude for the man’s death further diminishes the value of the lives of the natives. It brings readers back to who the narrator is: a British officer carrying out the will of an imperial power. No matter how much he professes his rage and disgust, he is one of them in the end.

A type of Burmese knife or sword. Also spelled dha, Orwell writes that the “Burmans were bringing dahs and baskets” (155) as an offering at the foot of the elephant after it was shot and before it was stripped of its flesh.

Dravidians are a collection of ethnolinguistic groups found in Southern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. The term “coolie,” considered extremely derogatory, is no longer in use. In Orwell’s time, it referred to a slave or indentured servant from Northern Sri Lanka or Southern India. In the essay, the Indian who is crushed by the elephant is alternately called a “black Dravidian coolie” (150) and a “Coringhee coolie” (156).

Imperialism is the policy of extending a country’s power typically through military force or the threat of force. The British imperial system was one of the largest and most powerful in the history of the world, encompassing more than a quarter of the globe by the early 20th century. The British ruled Burma for 124 years between 1824 and 1948. While imperialism is often connected to colonization, many scholars distinguish the two, considering colonization a narrower term that refers to occupying forces that remain separate on the land being colonized.

Latin phrase meaning “in and about fear” or “an intention to threaten or intimidate.” Upon hearing the news about an elephant gone mad, Orwell brings a small rifle that will not kill it but hopefully intimidate it (and the crowd).

An elephant rider, trainer, or keeper for military or civilian use. In “Shooting an Elephant,” the mahout loses his way and will undoubtedly not return before the elephant destroys the village and kills more people. The British narrator is called to help because the native Mahout is unavailable.

Also known as musth, a condition occurring occasionally in male elephants wherein there is a surge of aggressive behavior and reproductive hormones. When an elephant goes mad in such a way, it might destroy everything in its path. Hence, the narrator seeks to take care of the precarious circumstances as the elephant’s owner, the mahout, is far from the village.

Latin phrase meaning “an age of ages” or “forever and ever.” The narrator reminds readers of the “unbreakable tyranny” of the British Raj. No matter the rage or battle against the Raj, nothing will destroy the legacy of its rule.