Introduction
Various principles of domestic and foreign policy have evolved throughout human history. Driven by many factors that benefit their country, rulers have taken action that they believe is necessary to improve its well-being. The apogee of this policy is the desire to subdue and conquer new countries and territories, which has been named imperialism. This critical writing paper will discuss the text of “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell (1936), which represents the author’s personal experience and his feelings in the context of this imperialism. An argument of the paper states that conveying an opinion on a topic that concerns the author through personal experiences is an effective method for transmitting their point of view to the reader. To illustrate how imperialism affects a person’s will and consciousness, the author tells the story of an elephant they shot with a gun. The text depicts imperialism as not only some of the basest vices of the person but as a trigger of forcing other people unconsciously to follow it unless they have the fortitude to resist it.
The Topic That the Text Explores
The text explores the topic of imperialism and the ability to make the right decision independently. As a way to broadcast the vices of imperialism, the author of the text uses their memories and talks about their feelings. Due to this approach, the reader can get acquainted with what the author experienced during a certain period of their life and why the topic of imperialism is important to them. Moreover, it is essential to emphasize that the author pays special attention to the transmission of their negative memories in order to reflect all the drawbacks of imperialism. An example is the author’s words concerning their supposed enjoyment of driving a bayonet into the guts of a Buddhist priest (Orwell). According to Orwell, “feelings like these are the normal by-products of imperialism” (1). Hence, such a vivid example of their own experience from life allows the author to reflect on situations that demonstrate the flaws of the concept of imperialism, which is the topic of the text.
Author’s Attitude about The Issue and The Way They Express Their Opinion
The author of the text has a great aversion to the vices and principles of imperialism. It is expressed in their description of the behavior of the British people, who took imperialism as the basis of life outside of the country. However, it is essential to note that the author makes no definite conclusion regarding this topic. Instead, they tell a story from their own life, to which most of the text is devoted. Thankfully, in the story with the elephant, the reader can trace the sequence of the author’s thoughts and the logic of their actions in the context of imperialism.
The elephant that fled from its master and destroyed the villagers’ homes became dangerous to humans and had to be shot. The author deliberately emphasizes the people’s desire to kill the elephant and the pressure they put on them. As Orwell states, “I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly” (3). The reader can notice how the author’s opinion changed from confidence not to kill an elephant to indulging people’s will to kill him to not seem weak and indecisive. According to Orwell, “I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool” (5). Therefore, the author highlights the critical defect of imperialism, which consists of unconscious adherence to imperialism, even with the understanding of its cruelty and inhumanity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to stress that due to the descriptive part of the text devoted to the author’s life experience, the reader can immerse in the events described and assess changes in the author’s thinking process. This way of writing about imperialism allows a qualitative and detailed reflection of the author’s argument. The text demonstrates that imperialism negatively influences people’s thinking and forces them to follow its rules regardless of their own opinions and consciousness.
Work Cited
Orwell, George. “Shooting an elephant.” The Orwell Foundation. Autumn, 1936.