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Shooting An Elephant - Papers Online

Shooting An Elephant

In Orwell’s essay "" he describes the way he felt about the decisions he had to make and the pressure he was put under by all of the people around him. He emphasizes the fact of him being a police officer that was put in a situation that entitled him to make the people of his town feel safe and secure about the life that they were living. It was clear that Orwell did not enjoy his job, as a matter of fact he hated it. The type of things that went on everyday really angered him and made him realize how much he disliked his situation. Nevertheless, he did have a job to do and that required him to do things that he might not have normally done.
Orwell discusses the time ...

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this stage, however he could not face the fact that the people would think of him as a coward. Orwell made it obvious that he did not feel that it was the right thing to do. However he also brought it to the reader’s attention that the reason he did kill the elephant was because he felt he couldn't face the people if he didn't. He says, "To come all that way rifle in hand, with two thousand people marching at my heels, and then to trail feebly away having done nothing—no, that was impossible(page 210)." It seems as if Orwell feared he would be thought of as a coward if he did not kill the animal.
I have been in a similar situation to the one that Orwell encountered with the elephant. There have been many times in my life that I have felt the pressure to do something because I was afraid of what others might say if I didn’t do it. One situation comes to mind immediately. When I was in my junior year of high school, I was faced with the challenge by my friends to ...

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Shooting An Elephant. (2006, October 20). Retrieved January 11, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Shooting-An-Elephant/54222

"Shooting An Elephant." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 20 Oct. 2006. Web. 11 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Shooting-An-Elephant/54222>

"Shooting An Elephant." Essayworld.com. October 20, 2006. Accessed January 11, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Shooting-An-Elephant/54222.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 10/20/2006 12:36:23 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 761
Pages: 3

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