The power of the oppressed in George Orwell shooting an elephant nation, which is the basis of imperialism. George Orwell decided to follow the family tradition when he went to Burma to work for the Indian Imperial Police, but "as he realized how against their will the Burmese were ruled by the English, he became increasingly ashamed of his role as an agent of alien police". " (British). In his short story "Shooting an Elephant", George Orwell realizes that throughout his rule in Burma he has actually been victimized by the Burmese, and it is their expectations of what he should do with his power that they force him to do what they want. Thinking back to his experience as an officer of the imperialist regime, Orwell recalls a crucial morning when he was asked to look after an elephant that had escaped from its "mahout" or keeper, and "gone away". (310).On this day Orwell realizes that he is unable to make choices according to his own beliefs but must act according to the demands of the "natives" who have been deprived of their country. imperialism [is] an evil thing and the sooner [he] gave up [his] job and left, the better" (310). He is constantly reminded of the abuses inflicted on the natives as he observes firsthand the "miserable prisoners huddled in smelly prison cages, the gray and intimidated faces of long-term convicts, and the scarred buttocks of men who had been flagellated with bamboo" (310). Anti-European sentiment is very widespread among the "natives" of Burma; this prejudice makes his job almost impossible. T... middle of paper... "natives" feel compelled to test the imperialists' authority (or lack thereof) as a means of maintaining some control over their country. Imperialists believe they maintain control by acting decisively, but as Orwell shows in "Shooting An Elephant", they carry out this act to satisfy and appease the desires of the "natives". In imperialism, the oppressed indirectly hold actual power and control over those who falsely believe they are the oppressors. Works Cited Orwell, George. Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1946. Rpt. The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across disciplines. 7th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Smyer, Richard I. Primal Dream and Primal Crime: Orwell's Development as a Psychological Novelist, University of MissouriPress, Columbia 1979.http://www.britannica.com/

Topic > The power of the oppressed in George Orwell shooting an elephant nation, which is the basis of imperialism. George Orwell decided to follow the family tradition when he went to Burma to work for the Indian Imperial Police, but "as he realized how against their will the Burmese were ruled by the English, he became increasingly ashamed of his role as an agent of alien police". " (British). In his short story "Shooting an Elephant", George Orwell realizes that throughout his rule in Burma he has actually been victimized by the Burmese, and it is their expectations of what he should do with his power that they force him to do what they want. Thinking back to his experience as an officer of the imperialist regime, Orwell recalls a crucial morning when he was asked to look after an elephant that had escaped from its "mahout" or keeper, and "gone away". (310).On this day Orwell realizes that he is unable to make choices according to his own beliefs but must act according to the demands of the "natives" who have been deprived of their country. imperialism [is] an evil thing and the sooner [he] gave up [his] job and left, the better" (310). He is constantly reminded of the abuses inflicted on the natives as he observes firsthand the "miserable prisoners huddled in smelly prison cages, the gray and intimidated faces of long-term convicts, and the scarred buttocks of men who had been flagellated with bamboo" (310). Anti-European sentiment is very widespread among the "natives" of Burma; this prejudice makes his job almost impossible. T... middle of paper... "natives" feel compelled to test the imperialists' authority (or lack thereof) as a means of maintaining some control over their country. Imperialists believe they maintain control by acting decisively, but as Orwell shows in "Shooting An Elephant", they carry out this act to satisfy and appease the desires of the "natives". In imperialism, the oppressed indirectly hold actual power and control over those who falsely believe they are the oppressors. Works Cited Orwell, George. Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1946. Rpt. The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across disciplines. 7th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Smyer, Richard I. Primal Dream and Primal Crime: Orwell's Development as a Psychological Novelist, University of MissouriPress, Columbia 1979.http://www.britannica.com/