Irony In George Orwells Shooting An Elephant - 854 Words

In George Orwell’s 1936 essay, â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell thoroughly describes his position in Burma, India during a period of British imperialism. Though Orwell is a police officer working for the British, his mind varies in the feelings he has towards his position. Orwell feels ambivalence, as he thinks that his position is controversial because he despises imperialism, yet when trying to do his job and simultaneously please the Burmese, Orwell receives contempt from them. Orwell tries to convey his ambivalence and contradictory feelings by showing the extent to which he is abused in Burma using irony, by portraying the effects of his position on him using juxtaposition, and by showing his inner guilt regarding the Burmese using†¦show more content†¦The oxymoron allows the reader the gain an insight into how the actions of the Burmans are affecting Orwell and the reader is also able to see the growth of confusion in regards to Orwell’s feeling s. Orwell also starts to feel the effects of his position in Burma on himself. He feels as if he is â€Å"stuck between [his] hatred† and his â€Å"rage against the evil spirited little beasts who tried to make [his] job impossible† (277). This furthers shows the reader the inner conflict Orwell is having. The use of juxtaposition, in which Orwell works for an empire he hates, contradicts the idea and purpose of his job. The inner turmoil that Orwell is having is making an impact on him as he is constantly thinking about the consequence of imperialism on himself and his surroundings. Orwell’s creation of juxtaposition assists the reader in distinguishing the contrast in his feelings. The audience is able to clearly discern his torn opinion regarding his position. In paragraph 2, Orwell furthers his pessimistic attitude by describing the situation as â€Å"perplexing and upsetting†. Orwell uses this a tool to demonstrate to the reader that he is truly affe cted by the harassment from the Burmese, and it is adding to the abhorrence he has for both imperialism and Burma. Owell clearly portrays his guilt regarding the Burmese by illicitly describing the â€Å"wretched prisoners huddling in the stinkingShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of George Orwells Shooting an Elephant Essay example1050 Words   |  5 PagesTechnique Analysis of ‘Shooting an elephant’ Written by George Orwell Essay by Arthur Diennet In 1936, George Orwell published his short story ‘Shooting an elephant’ in an English magazine. Since then, it has been republished dozens of times and holds a place as a definitive anti-colonial piece of literature, in an era where the British Empire was at its peak and covered almost 1/3 of the Earth’s surface. George Orwell believed that â€Å"†¦imperialism was an evil thing...† and uses much themesRead MoreEssay about Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell1527 Words   |  7 PagesShooting an Elephant by George Orwell Few supervisors experience lack of respect and denunciation from workers because of their positions in a company. Supervisors take actions to preserve the image of authority before subordinates and from being ridiculed by their workers, even if the supervisors object these types of actions. The essay Shooting an Elephant relates to this situation. The author of this essay is George Orwell. The author talks about his work and personal experience that emphasizesRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Shooting An Elephant1165 Words   |  5 PagesIn George Orwell’s story ‘Shooting an Elephant’, insight is given into the life of an oppressor in the British Empire. 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The Burmese people have lost their dignity and integrity while trying to fight off the British imperialism. Orwell uses allegories to describe his experience of the British imperialism and he had