Sarabia 1

Tania Sarabia
Professor Lynda Haas
Writing 37 (11am class)
February 22, 2015
Desire for Power and Control
Writers are like music composers, in the sense that they write what they feel and allow
for the readers and listeners to interpret the meaning of their work. Short-stories are usually
intended to deliver a specific message that is relatable to any audience worldwide. Symbolism is
an effective method of how the meaning of literary texts can be persuaded. However, the era in
which a short-story is written is significant in relation to the message it conveys. Historical
events impact people to write in any form that allow them to express their feelings about a life
changing event. George Orwell was an English novelist, essayist, and critic. A great amount of
his work was politically influenced. Orwell opposed totalitarianism, advocated for democratic
socialism, and rose awareness of social injustice through his writing. Although George Orwells
Shooting an Elephant has withstood the test of time and is seen as a classic story of the humananimal relationship, its fullest meaning is understood when it is read in light of the historical time
and culture in which it was created. The story of a man who kills an elephant because he doesnt
want to look weak works as a story about man vs. animal, but both the man and the elephant are
symbols of British Imperialism in India, and Orwells main point is about power and control in
human relationships.
Dominance is made up of power and control, and it is a quality that people desire. In
Orwells short story, the British are the dominant ones and the Burmese are inferior. The rifle that

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the man uses to kill the elephant symbolizes the superiority of the British. In Burma, the
Burmese population had no weapons and only the British walk around carrying guns which
demonstrates the power and control they have (Orwell). A Daily Kos member, Donald McCarthy,
argues that people do not necessarily have guns for the reason that they want to feel protected,
but more so because people want to possess guns because of the sense of power that comes
with it (McCarthy). The man is not trying to create a safe environment for the villagers, but is
making a statement of both his personality and his capabilities. The lack of respect shown from
the inhabitants is something he could easily attain if he simply kills the elephant. However, he is
aware that it may not be the right thing to do. I had committed myself to doing it when I sent for
the rifle, and at this specific point and time, the man acknowledges the fact that the rifle is what
gives him the respect he longed for (Orwell). As the rifle is in his hand, the crowd that follows
him assumes and expects him to kill the elephant without any hesitation. For the man it seems
like the perfect time to live up to the description of a British officer during imperialism. The rifle
allows the man to look and feel superior over the Burmese.
The death of a native man by the elephant is purposely described in a horrid way by
Orwell. A death regardless of a persons status should be respected. However, considering the
time of imperialism in Burma, a death of a native was not taken into much consideration as a
death of British man would have. The fact that the native man is given the name coolie in the
story describes the inferiority of the villagers. Coolie has a negative connotation. The word
coolie was used during the period of imperialism to describe an unskilled native laborer. Most of
the best jobs in Burma at the time were obtained by the British. The living conditions are also
illustrated during the description of the mans death. The description, dead mans body
sprawling in the mud gives the audience a clear image of how poor the Burmese were and how

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it was living in Burma at the time. And afterwards I was very glad that the coolie had been
killed; it put me legally in the right and gave me sufficient pretext for shooting the elephant,
evidently the man did not view the natives death as devastating, instead he viewed it as a
convenient reason and excuse as to why he killed the elephant. The man has conflicting internal
thoughts as to what he should do, so he feels the need to find an excuse that would back up his
drastic measures. Guilt is what leads the man into a feeling of gladness regarding coolies death.
According to Phil Barker, a graduate student in Political Science at the University of Colorado,
Boulder, states that Guilt is tied to the beliefs of what is right and wrong and when a person
goes against the moral guidelines they seek for a fix that will help them overcome the internal
conflict and the sense of guilt, and that is exactly what the narrator did in Orwells story
(Barker). Art Markman, a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas, claims that a guilty
person will try to do something for other people to help them feel better (Markman). In this
story Markmans claim is relevant because the man kills the elephant to help them forget about
the death of the coolie and also because he knew that the villagers wanted the elephants meat.
The man did not want to seem like he just killed for no apparent reason, so he uses the coolies
death as a justification for his inhumane actions and convinces himself into thinking that he did
the right thing.
The death of the elephant is a symbol that represents the how unwillingly yet slowly the
Burmese fell into the hands of the British. There were three wars in total that the Burmese fought
against British oppression. The first war was the Anglo-Burmese War in 1824, the second one
occurred in 1852, and the third and final war was in 1885. I fired a third time. That was the shot
that for him., just like it took three wars for the people of Burma to succumb to the ruling of the
British Empire it took three shots for the elephant to collapse and slowly die (Orwell). The

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people of Burma struggled as hard as the elephant to remain alive and independent. However, the
elephant did not immediately die after the third shot, just as the Burmese they the natives
remained in their homes but with less strength and loss of hope after the third devastating war. In
colonizing Burma the British expanded and once again demonstrated the power and control of
the nation. Orwell mentions, It was obvious that the elephant would never rise again, but he was
not dead. to indicate that Burma although it had fallen under British control the villagers were
not willing to surrender for good quite yet (Orwell). George Orwell wrote various essays and in a
specific essay How a Nation Is Exploited The British Empire in Burma, Orwell states several
reasons as to why the British were interested in Burma. The British were beyond interested in the
natural resources that Burma was known for. In his short story Orwell describes a bit of the
living conditions in the Burma and he doesnt fail to mention the excessive mud and in his essay
he emphasizes that tons of alluvial mud every year makes the soil immensely fertile
(Orwell). Having fertile soil is a huge advantage that a nation like Britain did not want to miss
out on. Another perk of Burma that the British were interested in was the temperature allowed
the harvest to be remarkable in both quality and quantity that would be desirable all over the
continents (Orwell). All in all the intensions of the British to colonize Burma were intended to
only benefit the British Empire as a whole and add on to their power and control.
The historical context of any type of literature can say a lot about an authors work. A
specific event in history can change the meaning of a text completely. George Orwell is a perfect
example of how the meaning of a story can have a drastic shift once a reader is informed of
certain background information necessary to the reader understand what the writer was truly say.
It is extremely important for those who read Shooting an Elephant to know about what was
going on during that time that Orwell was inspired to write the story. The story is not simply

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about a man vs. an animal, both the man and the elephant serve as symbols to help Orwell prove
his main point of British Imperialism and the desire for worldwide power and control.

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Work Cited
Barker, Phil. "Guilt and Shame | Beyond Intractability." Guilt and Shame | Beyond Intractability.
N.p., July 2003. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
Markman, Art. "What Does Guilt Do?" Psychology Today. N.p., 08 May 2012. Web. 22 Feb.
2015.
McCarthy, Donald. "The Gun Obsession." The Gun Obsession. Daily Kos, 18 Mar. 2011. Web.
22 Feb. 2015.
Orwell, George. How a Nation is Exploited The British Empire in Burma. The Orwell Prize.
N.p. 4 May 1929. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.
Orwell, George. Shooting an Elephant. The Literature Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015