Shooting an Elephant

During the years of the 1800s British fought against the Burmese three times. As the British and Burmese fought each other, British dominated the economy, political system and social life of the Burmese. The domination of the British in Burma had given the British people better opportunities then the Burmese, which caused the Burmese to dislike them. George Orwell writes about his experience in “Shooting an Elephant” as a British police officer working in Burma to convince the British that imperialism is bad for both the British and the Burmese. George Orwell persuades the British government that imperialism is bad for both sides by telling them his experience in Burma.

George Orwell uses symbolism to persuade the British that imperialism is bad for both the British and the Burmese. For example “he neither stirred nor fell… you could see the agony of it jolt his whole body and knock the last remnant of strength from his legs.” This strategy was implied to show that every shot Orwell made symbolizes each war against the Burmese but also the result of each shot or each war is that imperialism is falling. The British will then realize that each of their fights against Burmese is bringing imperialism down and is causing the British domination over the Burmese to become less. This realization will cause the British to be convinced that imperialism is bad for both, the British and the Burmese.

George Orwell uses metaphors to persuade the British that imperialism is bad for both the British and the Burmese. For Example “They did not like me, but with the magic rifle in my hand I was momentarily worth watching.” This strategy will help convince the British because Orwell holding the “magic riffle” the burmans anticipated that he would kill the elephant because he was the white British authority man, it was expected of him. This will show the British the true position of the British in Burma and how imperialism

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