Shooting an Elephant

Brief Overview

In George Orwell's essay «Shooting an Elephant», the author recounts his experience as a police officer in Burma when it was a British colony. Orwell describes an incident where he had to shoot an elephant that had gone rogue and caused damage to a village. Although the elephant had calmed down, Orwell felt pressured by the local residents who expected decisive action from him. He did not want to shoot the elephant, but to avoid losing face in front of the crowd, he did so. The essay explores themes of colonialism, power, and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals under societal pressure.