Shooting an Elephant Summary

George Orwell works as the sub-divisional police officer of a town in the British colony of Burma.
Because he is a military occupier, he is hated by much of the village. Though the Burmese never
stage a full revolt, they express their disgust by taunting Orwell at every opportunity. This situation
provokes two conflicting responses in Orwell: on the one hand, his role makes him despise the
British Empire’s systematic mistreatment of its subjects. On the other hand, however, he resents the
locals because of how they torment him. Orwell is caught between considering the British Raj an
“unbreakable tyranny” and believing that killing a troublesome villager would be “the greatest joy in
the world.”

One day, an incident takes place that shows Orwell “the real nature of imperialism.” A
domesticated elephant has escaped from its chains and gone berserk, threatening villagers and
property. The only person capable of controlling the elephant—its “mahout”—went looking for the
elephant in the wrong direction, and is now twelve hours away. Orwell goes to the neighborhood
where the elephant was last spotted. The neighborhood’s inhabitants give such conflicting reports
that Orwell nearly concludes that the whole story was a hoax. Suddenly, he hears an uproar nearby
and rounds a corner to find a “coolie”—a laborer—lying dead in the mud, crushed and skinned alive
by the rogue elephant. Orwell orders a subordinate to bring him a gun strong enough to shoot an
elephant.

Questions Answer
1. What was the attitude of the people in lower Burma towards the European?
Ans. The attitude of the lower Burmans towards the European, which Orwell records as
Subdivisional Police Officer is not a charming one. No one had the courage to create a riot but the
common people would spit beetle juice over European lady’s dress as she went through the bazaar.
The author also was a target of fun to them. The local people insulted him but at a safe distance. The
young Buddhist priest, standing on street corners jeered at all Europeans. These were the worst of all.
The author could not tolerate this, yet it happened against his thought and expectation. In short, this
attitude of the people was not humanistic at all.

2. Why does Orwell say that imperialism is an evil thing?

Ans. The British Government strengthened their iron hand every where they ruled. In Burma also, it
was seen badly. Realizing the truth, the author also felt sympathy for the Burmese and went against
the British. Though he served the British Govt., he was in support of the native people. He hated the
empire he served, for their ruthlessness and on the other hand he was angry with those people who
tried to make his job impossible in the East. The condition of the prisoners made him cry. They were
huddling in the stinking cages. Their faces were grey and cowed. Their buttocks were filled with
wounds and they were caned ruthlessly. All these created a sense of guilt in Orwell’s mind and he
thought that imperialism is obviously evil as it never worked for the development of the country but
always wanted to suppress the common people with strong hand.

Shooting an Elephant is based on his personal experience in Burma when it was a British
Colony. It expresses his anti imperialism stance and the native’s belief in the White man. They
thought that white men are their saviour. He is unwilling to kill the ‘must’ elephant but public
opinion or the thousands of yellow faces behind him forced him to do so. He was expected to kill
the elephant. He was a Sahib and should act like a Sahib. The writer is of the view that white
man wears a mask and his face grows to fit it. He has no personal opinion or freedom to decide
independently. He has to keep the prestige of the British Empire always in his mind. He cannot
do contrary to it. So he had to kill the cow like grazing elephant. He was forced to kill the
elephant just to avoid looking a fool. There is an underlying irony in the narration of the whole
incident.
The word imperialism originated from the Latin word imperium,[6] which means supreme power, "sovereignty",
or simply "rule".[7] The word “imperialism” was originally coined in the 19th century Acquisition by a
government of other governments or territories, or of economic or cultural power over other nations or
territories, often by force. Colonialism is a form of imperialism. a policy of extending a country's power and
influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means. Imperialism is when a country extends
its power into other territories for economic or political gain. The goal of imperialism is to acquire
resources, often through exploitation and force. Motives for imperialism include economic, cultural,
political, moral, and exploratory control. An example of imperialism is the British expansion into India
it always involves the use of power, whether military or economic or some subtler form.
Imperialism can be defined as a doctrine, political strategy, practice, state
policy, or advocacy that consists in extending power by territorial acquisition
or by extending political and economic control outward over other areas

3. What were the two extremes in Orwell?

Ans. Orwell’s love for the oppressed people and his loyalty towards the Govt. made him a prey to
two extreme points. He hated the empire he served, for their ruthlessness and on the other hand he
was angry with those people who tried to make his job impossible in the East. One part of his mind
always thought that British Raj would never come to end and it would always go against the will of
the native people with unbreakable tyranny. His other half always wanted to attack the young priest
with a bayonet. Though Orwell was oscillating between these two points, these were the normal by-
products of imperialism.

4. What did the elephant do?

Ans. One day, when Orwell just got up from sleep, he was called on phone to come and control an
elephant. On his way, he learned about the doings of the elephant from the common people. They
told that it was a wild elephant but tamed one which had gone mad. It was chained up but breaking it,
it escaped the previous night. It will take twelve hours for the mahout to come and manage it as he
had gone in the wrong direction to search it. In the morning, the elephant suddenly appeared in the
town but being weaponless, the people could do nothing to it. It had already destroyed a bamboo hut,
killed a cow and raided some fruit shops and devoured the stock. Even it had upset a municipal
rubbish van and the driver is inflicted with some wounds as the car was turned upon him.

5. Why does Orwell say…….. “That is invariably the case in the East?”
Ans. Getting the information, Orwell and his force were coming to the town in search of the
elephant. But there was no sign of that animal. Then they started questioning the people about the
whereabouts of the elephant. But everybody failed to give any definite information. People were
muttering at a distance but when they were asked they were silent. Some people said that the
elephant had gone in one direction, some said that it had gone just in the opposite direction, while
some professed to have heard of no elephant at all. Orwell became sure that the whole story was a
pack of lies. But a cry was heard in the distance and gradually Orwell was informed about the
elephant.

6. How did a black Dravidian coolie die?

Ans. When the author came near a hut, he saw a man’s dead body lying in the mud. He was a
Dravidian coolie. He was naked and just dead. The people reported that the elephant suddenly
appeared upon the man round the corner of the hut, caught him with its trunk, put its foot on his back
and grounded him into the earth. It being the rainy season, the soil was soft. The man was lying on
his belly with arms crucified and his head twisted to one side. His face was marked with mud and
eyes were wide open. His face gave an impression on agonizing death. The beast’s foot gripped the
skin from the man’s back. The man was looking like evil. Truly speaking, the man died a horrible
death.

7. Describe the procession scene when Orwell was moving to kill the elephant?
Ans. When Orwell got the rifle in his hand, he moved forward and the whole population followed
him. Seeing the rifle, the people were shouting in glee. They were not interested when the elephant
ravaged their homes but now the point was changed as it was going to be shot. They needed its meat.
By the by, Orwell got unnerved. But the author had no intention of killing the huge animal. With the
rifle on his shoulder, he was moving like a fool. When the author reached at the fixed place followed
by a large crowd of people, he saw that the elephant was tearing up bunches of grass and stuffed
them into its mouth.

8. Why did the author think of the killing of the elephant as a serious matter?
Ans. When the author first saw the elephant, instantly he decided not to kill it. To him, killing such
an elephant was really a serious matter. It was a working elephant first and it was comparable to a
huge and costly loss of machinery. Moreover the animal was now looking like a cow having
grandmotherly outlook. Being middle aged, the author was in no mood to kill the animal. He never
did this or wanted to do that. Again, the owner of the animal was to be considered. Alive, the
elephant was worth of hundred pounds but when it is dead its value will be five pounds and the tusks.
People also told that it would cause no harm then. Considering all these matters, the author took it to
be serious to kill the animal.

9. How was the author made a puppet in front of the native people?
Ans. The author was being followed by the native people as a creature was going to be shot. They
blocked the road from one side to another side. They were watching him as Orwell would perform a
trick like a magician. People were excited because they were going to see a novel scene. The author
became will-less. He was pressed forward by the will of the thousands of people. He was with his
gun but if he didn’t shoot the elephant, it would be matter of shame. This is the problem of a white
man in the East. It was a matter of his prestige. How could he lower down himself in the eyes of
those men, the majority of which insulted him? So, unwillingly, he was guided to and fro by the will
of the yellow faces. So, though Orwell had no original intention of killing the elephant, he was
determined to do it as it was a matter of dignity in front of lower class people.

10. What brought the author to the final decision of killing the elephant?
Ans. Being followed by the yellow faced people, the author reached within 25 yards of the elephant
and began to test its behaviour. He thought that he would shoot if he was attacked. Otherwise he
would wait until the mahout came back. The ground was very soft and one would sink at every step.
If elephant charged and the author missed it, then he would be like a toad under a steam roller. He
was not afraid at least in front of the native people. He was always thinking that if anything went
wrong, those 2000 Burmans would see him perused, caught, trampled on and changed to corpse like
the Indian coolie. He was not in any mood to be an object of fun to others. So, there was no other
alternative. Placing the cartridges into the magazine, he concentrated for a better aim.

Also Read:

 Summary of Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell

11. What was the effect of pulling the trigger?
Ans. When the author pulled the trigger, he didn’t hear the bang but heard the devilish roar from the
crowd instantly. A mysterious and terrible change came over the elephant. It neither stirred nor fell
but every line of its body had altered. It looked stricken, shrunken and immensely old. After five
seconds, it sagged loosely to its knees. A great weariness grasped the elephant. When the second
round was shot, it didn’t collapse but climbed with desperate slowness to its feet and head drooping.
When Orwell fired for 3rd time, the whole body of the elephant was jerked and it was falling but
fought greatly to rise. Then it collapsed on the ground like a huge rock, with its trunk spreading
towards the sky like a tree. It trumpeted for the first and last time. Then it fell on the ground with its
belly towards the author.

12. Describe the elephant when it was struggling with death.

Ans. After three shots, the elephant fell on the ground. It was breathing rhythmically with long
rattling gasps. Its great mound of a side was rising and falling painfully. Its mouth was wide open
and one could see its pinkish throat. Orwell waited for a long time to see its death but it did not die.
So the author fired the remaining two shots towards its heart. The thick blood sprang out like red
velvet but it was alive. It was dying very slowly with tortured breathing. The author thought that now
the elephant would reach such a world, where no bullet could damage him further. At last, the author
left the place as the scene was intolerable to him after firing a few shots from his small rifle. But the
animal continued to breathe like the ticking of a clock. At last, it died in the afternoon.

13. What was the after effect of killing the elephant?

Ans. There were endless discussions about the shooting of the elephant. The owner of the animal was
furious but being an Indian he could do nothing. Besides the author did a legal work because a mad
elephant had to be killed like a mad dog if its owner failed to control it. Opinion was divided among
the Europeans also. The older men said that he was right but the younger section called it a shameful
act to shoot an elephant, for killing an elephant is more valuable than that of a coolie. Latter Orwell
became glad when he heard that a coolie had been killed. He at least was able to forgive himself with
sufficient pretext. He wondered whether anybody understood that he had killed the elephant just to
keep his prestige and not to look like a fool.

What is the main point of the essay "Shooting an Elephant" by

George Orwell?

One could argue that the main point of "Shooting an Elephant" is to show
how colonialism corrupts the soul: not just the souls of those who are
subject to colonial repression, but also the souls of the colonists themselves.

The colonial policeman in the story—clearly based on Orwell himself—doesn't

really want to kill the elephant. But he knows that he must do so in order to
satisfy the expectations of his superiors as well as those of the indigenous
Burmese. In this way, the policeman's soul has been corrupted by his duties
as a colonial functionary.

In the process, the policeman becomes someone he isn't. The indigenous

people hate him without knowing anything about him as a person. All they
see is a colonial authority figure. As such, they expect him to shoot the
elephant. But the real man beneath the uniform doesn't want to do that.
He's still the same person he ever was, even though his soul has been
corrupted. The very fact that he's so uneasy about shooting the elephant
shows that he still retains something of his humanity, though how much
longer that will last after he's performed this latest act of duty is a matter of
debate.
In the essay "Shooting an Elephant," what is the irony the author
George Orwell poses?

The chief irony that Orwell demonstrates is that although the British
imperialists in Burma are supposed to have all the power, in fact, they are
caught in a system that renders them virtually powerless. It is the
imperialist system that actually runs everything in Burma.

The narrator of "Shooting an Elephant" knows it is ridiculous to shoot the

elephant that went on a rampage through the village, because now the
elephant is calm. It poses no threat. Furthermore, he knows the gun he has
is inadequate to kill the elephant, meaning that if he shoots it, the elephant
will suffer and die slowly. Finally, he knows that shooting the elephant is an
economic waste.

Nevertheless, because a crowd of Burmese is behind him, expecting him to

play the role of the powerful English police officer, the narrator realizes he
must kill the elephant to save face. It is a senseless and cruel act, but like
the Burmese, he is caught in a system of oppression, in
which appearing powerful is more important than acting in a sensible and
humane way.

Q.2. Why was the writer expected to kill the mad elephant? OR
Q. Talking about the white man the writer says; He wears a mask and his face grows to fit it.
What does it mean?

Shooting an Elephant is based on his personal experience in Burma when it was a British
Colony. It expresses his anti imperialism stance and the native’s belief in the White man. They
thought that white men are their saviour. He is unwilling to kill the ‘must’ elephant but public
opinion or the thousands of yellow faces behind him forced him to do so. He was expected to kill
the elephant. He was a Sahib and should act like a Sahib. The writer is of the view that white
man wears a mask and his face grows to fit it. He has no personal opinion or freedom to decide
independently. He has to keep the prestige of the British Empire always in his mind. He cannot
do contrary to it. So he had to kill the cow like grazing elephant. He was forced to kill the
elephant just to avoid looking a fool. There is an underlying irony in the narration of the whole
incident.