Shooting an Empire - Revised

         George Orwell begins a critical analysis of the work of imperialism and colonialism in Burma in his story, “Shooting An Elephant.”  With a combination of his education and his own time spent in the area, he uses the description of shooting a rouge elephant as a metaphor for the entire project. England had at the time long lost its original colonies in the US, who were attempting then to attain some colonies of their own. In an effort to continue to expand the British Empire however, they had gone to settle India.  Colonialism was a popular ideal and mindset in the 1930s. Many countries were still attempting to expand their boarders and educate the “uncivilized” “savage” masses that they believed native to their colonies.

         Orwell has issues with imperialism as a whole, and within the first two paragraphs has made that blatantly clear to the readers. In the second sentence of the second paragraph Orwell states, “For at that time I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better.” Orwell, speaking through our local policeman, in the story expresses his distaste and hatred for imperialism. Though imperialism is something that he is playing a part in, it is not something he wishes to for longer than he must.

         The English, along with most other colonizing countries, at this point believed that they were sending their men out properly educated and cultured for their assigned areas. This is a topic that the story brings under inspection as well. Orwell writes, “I was young and ill-educated and I had had to think out my problems in the utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East.” The men that were being sent out into the field often felt similarly. Despite their education it often did not teach them what they needed to know. Being taught a new culture by those who are bias against it does not properly educate those men entering the countries any valuable information.

         In addition to many a solider being ill educated, the era for empires was dying off. Countries, who were in last-ditch efforts to expand their boarders, would be solidified countries by the time WWII starts. Orwell laments that, “I did not even know that the British Empire is dying, still less did I know that it is a great deal better than the younger empires that are going to supplant.”  Many soldiers trudge on in a patriotic duty for an empire that was beginning to crumble.  Yet instead of bringing their men home and trying to repair the motherland, they continued to send them into the jungles of India. 

         The education that they did have did not serve them well. When our main character begins his search for the rouge elephant he notes the following, “We began questioning the people as to where the elephant had gone and, as usual, failed to get any definite information. That is invariably the case in the East . . .” When stereotypes and bias beliefs are instilled in men before they begin work in the country, these frustrations are bound to happen. If those who were going to any of the empire’s colonies has been better educated in the ways and culture of the native people there would have been fewer frustrations on both ends of the agreement.

         As Orwell continued his story the political commentary continued. After having found the elephant they were unfortunate enough to find a dead body of someone the elephant, had trampled in its rage. Given this death the young officer sent for a shotgun to defend himself it necessary, yet, in this one act he knew he had committed himself to shooting the elephant whether he wanted to or not.  This debate of whether to shoot the elephant or not played a large part through the middle of the story. The officer really did not want to shoot the elephant but felt, as if by duty, it was what he must do.  It was in this chaos that Orwell had a realization, “And it was at this moment, as I stood there with the rifle in my hands, that I first grasped the hollowness, the futility of the white man’s dominion in the East.” Not only did he not agree with the colonization and imperialism in the East, he believes that it is futile. It is a hollow hold they have on the East and it comes strictly from force, if that were to end so would their dominion.

         In the end he still finds himself conflicted as to what he should have done. Should he really have shot the elephant? Did he really have a choice? Legally he was in the right because a man had been trampled but he still questioned. In his final thoughts in the story Orwell states, “I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.” It was not an act he did out of personal judgment, rather it was something that must be done. He simply did not want to look like a fool in front of the natives. For this is something that an officer of the British Empire can never do. The officer represents the Empire as a whole and cannot disappoint or upset that image.

         Overall Orwell did not approve of the whole situation. His feelings against imperialism are enough to note this however, his continued comments on remaining aspects: education, saving face, shooting the elephant etc. Provide concrete examples as to his hatred of the whole endeavor. The character has a hatred of the empire, of imperialism and in the end an almost hatred or disgust of himself. This representation tells us a lot about Orwell’s beliefs and views on the subject matter. With his own experience and knowledge aiding his view and allowing for a more empirical analysis, Orwell paints a realistic overview of the conditions and mishaps within the Eastern Colonies of the British Empire previous to WWII.