Power of the Oppressed in George Orwells Shooting an Elephant Essay

Power of the Oppressed Exposed in Shooting an Elephant In Burma, the Indian Imperial Police consisted of British officers who, in theory, supported the extension of male monarch and dominion of a nation, which is the basis of imperialism. George Orwell decided to follow family tradition when he went to Burma to work for the Indian Imperial Police, yet when he realized how much against their willing the Burmese were ruled by the British, he felt increasingly ashamed of his role as an alien police officer (Britannica). In his narrative, Shooting An Elephant, George Orwell realizes that end-to-end his entire rule in Burma he is actually the victim of the Burmese, and it is their expectations of what he should do with his power that force him to do what they want. Looking back upon his experience as an officer of the imperialistic regime, Orwell recalls a crucial morning when he is asked to deal with an elephant that has escaped from its mahout or caretaker, and has gone must (310). On this day Orwell realizes that he is ineffective to make choices according to his own beliefs but must act according to the demands of the natives who have been deprived of their own country. Orwell acknowledges that imperialism is an evil thing and the sooner he chucked up his transaction and got out of it the better (310). He is constantly reminded of the abuse inflicted upon the native people as he observes at first hand the wretched prisoners huddling in the loathsome cages of the lock-ups, the gray, cowed faces of the long-term convicts, and the scarred buttocks of the men who had been flogged with bamboos (310). Very prevalent is the anti-European sentiment among the natives of Burma this prejudice nearly makes his job impossible. T... ...natives feel obliged to test the imperialists authority (or privation thereof) as a means of keeping some control all over their country. The imperialists believe that they are keeping control by acting resolutely, but as Orwell show s in Shooting An Elephant, they put on this act to satisfy and appease the wishes of the natives. In imperialism, the oppressed indirectly hold the actual power and control over those that falsely believe to be the oppressors. Works CitedOrwell, George. Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays. New York Harcourt, Brace & Company, 1946. Rpt. The McGraw-Hill Reader Issues across the Disciplines. 7th ed. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York McGraw-Hill, 2000.Smyer, Richard I. Primal fancy and Primal Crime Orwells Development as a Psychological Novelist, University of MissouriPress, Colombia 1979.http//www.britannica.com/