Cultivate your World

~ “I was stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible.” (George Orwell) ~

Below is an audio reading of the short story “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell. Take a few minutes and enjoy this story for your first, second, or third time!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

      In the story, an English man living in Burma, Africa is put in charge of the people in that area. He hates repressing the Burmese people, because he believes they should be free from Britain’s reign. However, he is also frustrated with the Burmese people, because they do not see him for his intentions; they hate him because of what he represents. His identity is criticized, not his opinions, unlike somewhere like Canada. For this reason, I have no idea what it would be like to be in his situation. For the most part, people in Canada and other places around the world are treated as equals. We are only directed through our own government and its laws, and even these are subject to change based on society’s views. We are not forced to decide whether to be loyal to our country or sacrifice everything for our beliefs and values.

      During the course of the story, the British representative is put in a difficult situation, where he has to choose between shooting a “must” elephant or leaving it alone in the field of grass. This decision is not as simple as it seems, because choosing to shoot the elephant or not is actually a symbol for something else. The English man is standing in the field, armed, like the country he represents, and is placed in a situation he cannot control. The elephant, like the Burmese people, is in its own habitat, but is restricted by something more powerful. The elephant poses no threat to neither the English man nor the Burmese, yet is shot to prove to everyone Britain is strong, and their efforts to get ahead will not be forgotten.

       As of right now, I would not be able to make the same decision the English man did. He gave in to the crowd of Burmese people behind him and shot the elephant. He was determined to not look like a fool, and make Britain proud of his control over the situation. I hope I am never put in a situation where I have to choose between my country and my values, because I don’t think I would be strong enough to choose the latter. In my mind, I know that this is right- to stand up for myself and fight for what I believe in. But I fear I would never have the guts to do it, and would melt like the English man in the story did. I know it would be something I would think about for the rest of my life, wondering if I had made the right decision and feeling guilty if I hadn’t.