Shooting an Elephant

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1936

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Essay Analysis

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Key FiguresCharacter Analysis

George Orwell

George Orwell, born Eric Blair, served in the British military for five years in Burma between 1922 and 1927. Although there is a question of whether “Shooting an Elephant” is a short story or an essay, it presents the corrupting power of British imperialism. The narrator lives daily with the cruelty and hypocrisy of colonialism and tells readers that he does not believe in the colonization efforts and hates his job. Nearly every sentence expresses the narrator’s struggle with his conscience as he seeks to balance compassion, duty, and ego. In the end, he succumbs to the pressure of the crowd and kills the elephant not primarily to protect the village but to not be laughed at.

British Imperialists

From 1824 to 1948, the British ruled Burma, now Myanmar. In “Shooting an Elephant,” readers see, in graphic detail, what can happen when greed and the hunger for power override compassion and even rationality. Despite being a British imperial officer, the narrator sides with the native people in the face of imperialism. Yet his position in the colonial system, and the need to appear dominant over an inferior people, cause Orwell to act against his conscience and judgment. Orwell does not hide his disgust at the imperial system, yet he is complicit in it. In the end, he becomes one of its victims alongside the native people.

Burmese People

Under the colonial system, the Burmese people are regarded as poor, uneducated, and inferior to the “white” man. Nevertheless, they direct the sequence of events. They explain the problem to the narrator; they alert him to the dead body; and finally, their excitement and enthusiasm cause the narrator to shoot the elephant. They are subordinate to their imperial masters, yet they have control because the threat of their laughter determines the narrator’s decision.

The Elephant

The elephant has long been revered in many cultures for its stature, its service to humans, and its usually calm, patient nature. Yet the elephant in this essay is in a state of “must” or temporary madness. The creature’s rampage needs to be contained; the narrator is called to action before further destruction occurs. The narrator references the animal’s size and worth. In the face of real danger, he decides to shoot it to stop the danger to life and property. Although the elephant dies, it first rises, reminding the narrator of its power. The death takes so long that it seems the elephant dies on its own terms.