Table of Contents
- 1 How does Orwell use symbolism in shooting an elephant?
- 2 How does Orwell use imagery in the first two paragraphs?
- 3 What is the summary of shooting an elephant?
- 4 What makes the narrator change his mind about shooting the elephant?
- 5 How does Shooting an Elephant show that Orwell sympathized with the underdog and opposed political and social injustice?
- 6 What is the central idea that Orwell is presenting in Shooting an Elephant about identity?
How does Orwell use symbolism in shooting an elephant?
The elephant is the central symbol of the story. Orwell uses it to represent the effect of colonialism on both the colonizer and the colonized. The elephant, like a colonized populace, has its liberty restricted, and it becomes violently rebellious only as a response to being shackled.
How does Orwell use imagery in the first two paragraphs?
In the first paragraph, Orwell creates imagery by describing the way the Burmese show hatred for him. For example, he writes, When a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football [soccer] field and the referee (another Burman) looked the other way, the crowd yelled with hideous laughter.
What is the most powerful symbol in Shooting an Elephant?
The elephant gun represents the power of the British Empire. At first, the gun is used to control the colonists, but when Orwell uses it to kill the elephant in order to appease the colonists, the power of the British Empire is turned against itself.
What is the value of the elephant in Shooting an Elephant?
The elephant in “Shooting an Elephant” is valued at at least a hundred pounds, which is about $4,400 in today’s money.
What is the summary of shooting an elephant?
‘Shooting an Elephant’ is a 1936 essay by George Orwell (1903-50), about his time as a young policeman in Burma, which was then part of the British empire. The essay explores an apparent paradox about the behaviour of Europeans, who supposedly have the power over their colonial subjects.
What makes the narrator change his mind about shooting the elephant?
The narrator hesitates to kill the elephant because by the time he arrives at the place where the elephant has been on a rampage, the elephant is peaceful. If he does not kill the elephant, he will look weak to them. Therefore, he does so, even though it is unreasonable and inhumane.
What is the theme of Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell?
The main themes of “Shooting an Elephant” include conscience, culture clash, and order and disorder. Conscience: In the essay, colonial law contrasts with the conscience of the narrator both in his killing of the elephant and his treatment of the Burmese.
What do prisoners symbolize for Orwell?
Both the tense setting and the depiction of the prisoner as a weak individual undeserving of such rough handling, highlight his increasing anger at the authorities in Burma. Orwell uses the techniques of imagery, setting and symbolism to display his disgust towards the use of capital punishment.
did you know? George Orwell . . . wrote his first poem when he was about five years old.
What is the central idea that Orwell is presenting in Shooting an Elephant about identity?
The main point, the theme, of “Shooting an Elephant” is to expose the conflict between the law and one’s moral conscience as this pertains to British imperialism specifically, but by extension any imperialism.
What is the reason behind shooting the elephant in George Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant?
Orwell makes it clear in this essay that he was not a particularly talented rifleman. In the excerpt above he explains that by attempting to shoot the elephant he was putting himself into grave danger. But it is not a fear for his “own skin” which compels him to go through with this course of action.
What is the main theme of George Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant?