Imperialism | EssayIvy.com

Running head: BRITISH COLONIALISM 1

British Colonialism

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BRITISH COLONIALISM 2

British Colonialism

Unanticipated choices we make can lead us to experience long-lasting effects. In

"Shooting an Elephant," by George Orwell, the narrator explains encounters of the event in life

when he was serving as a subdivision police officer about twenty years ago. Orwell was

supposed to choose the minor of two tribulations, many years later the occurrence seems to

disturb him still. The incidence took place when the writer was working as a British police

officer in the city of Burma. When he evaluates certain events that happen in his lifetime, he

encounters a moral dilemma, which is to kill or save an elephant. The author becomes unhappy

and confused as a young law enforcement officer experiencing mental isolation. Additionally,

psychological isolation makes Orwell hate the natives of Burmese, his job as a policeman and

British imperialism as it a form of colonialism. Orwell with his fellow people sees the British

rule to be a permanent tyranny as something clinched down. With his own experience, Orwell

has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. However, the author displays the evil empire to be

harsh, provoking and belligerent.

Firstly, Orwell has encounters the harshness of imperialism. The evil of imperialism

made the Burmese furious. The colonization of lead to the people Burmese to move away since

they were a lot of insults from the police and since they were disadvantaged (Ayres, 2012).

Therefore, the only way they could react was to use impoverished. The Burmese people lacked

any other resources they could fight and defend themselves. Orwell felt guilt as he was on the

side of the people and they had a belief that he was the only British who worked with them.

However, the insult and sneering he got when he was on duty started affecting him

psychologically. Furthermore, even the time Orwell was at a distance from his colleague; the

author could still feel the harsh and cruel insults from Burmese. The people of Burmese are

BRITISH COLONIALISM 3

victims of imperialism. Hence they were known to be loud and astute toward Orwell even though

he felt guilty. Lastly, the evil of colonialism was when the bassist was harsh which caused many

people to fear them, and they always stayed away from the Buddhist priest. The people from the

group of Buddhist felt that their culture was more superior to others and no one could ever have

any control over them.

Secondly, the author experienced the provoking work of imperialism. The author goes

through many emotions where Orwell experienced a conflict of mind, humiliation from people

and the evils imperialism had done to the people (Ayres, 2012). The incidence of shame Orwell

suffered when a nimble Burman tripped him up in a football field, and the referee locked the

opponent away, and they yielded with hideous laughter. Being the police officer in Britain make

the author be the most hated person and the target by most people in town. The native citizens

expended most of their time preference on the British whom they considered as outsiders.

Burmese people were more of racism and discrimination since colonialism was between blacks

and white. However, those who did not fit in their natives were judged by their nationality and

race. Both essays happen in unfamiliar places where there were racism and discrimination. They

do not fit in with the natives and is judged because of their nationalities. Orwell was among the

targeted group attacked by natives with insulting words. Therefore, imperialism made the federal

government exhaust the resources world using an illegal mean; hence it deserved to be

contaminated.

Lastly, imperialism leads to aggressive behavior among the Burmese people who hate the

police yet he was there to protect and serve them. The innocent chain of events forces Orwell in

a position in which he has to choose a detrimental choice. When he is forced to go and check an

elephant in the village, he shot the gun to alert the elephant to run away. Orwell did that since he

BRITISH COLONIALISM 4

feared the aggressive behaviors people of Burmese have due to the influence of colonialism

(Ayres, 2012). In most cases the native people hate people who are not Europeans, they

undermine their culture; hence when Orwell used gunfire was a way of self-defense. The natives

never expected the British police officer to shoot an elephant; it was mocked even by the

religious students of Burma. They did that since he was one of the enforcers of their oppressor's

government. Additionally, imperialism made the natives who jeered and spat on him; hence it

made Orwell to face the choice between his moralities and to serve the government.

In summary, colonialism affects the judgment people make in their daily life. For Orwell,

it transforms him psychologically on the way British people treats him as the enemy of the

people. The controversial situation makes him hate his job as a police officer. The maturity of the

decision made when he encounters an elephant and decide to shoot it to please the crowd who

were surrounding him. Imperialism made the people provoke, hate and become aggressive to a

police officer. According to the author, imperialism was evil as evidenced by the dirty work done

by the empires. They used it to acquire resources unjustly from the communities globally and

enriched themselves leaving individuals to hate the officers.

BRITISH COLONIALISM 5

References

Ayres, J. (2012). George Orwell the Essayist: literature, politics and the periodical culture. Prose

Studies, 34(3), 252-254. Doi: 10.1080/01440357.2012.751264

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