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The target audience for this summary and response writing exercise over George Rowel’s Shooting An Elephant would be the other individuals and the instructor of this online English Composition course. The majority of my core audience, minus the instructor, should be my fellow college students taking this course. Other than stating that the others who will be reading this piece vary in age, ethnicity, and overall life experience; I would be hard pressed to further describe my target audience. As do not know enough of the backgrounds of my other classmates.
I cannot state with any certainty what my intended audience knows about the topic of this piece. I can only assume that the reader has read the required material for this assignment. I deduce some might have the same basic understanding of the topic that I possess. Due to the underlying theme of Rowel’s work, there is the possibility that one or more of the readers can relate to the topic In some way. This may be due to various life experiences and whatnot. As far as the relationship between the audience and myself, we are united on somewhat common ground. We are all taking a course to Improve our writing skills.
In this instance, we are all writers in some form or another. We are each other’s audience for the time being, critiquing each other’s pieces. Also, giving advice and suggestions on how to Improve our pieces. My role In this assignment Is that of an amateur writer. Writing is not a new experience for me, but there is always room for improvement. I am by no meaner an expert writer. It is my intention to convey the mall Idea as clearly and accurately as possible. Imperialist Elephant Shooting involved Orwell while stationed in Mullein, Burma as a police officer during that country’s European occupation of the early sass’s.
This incident involved a conflict within Orwell. One that made him question his feelings toward his country, his current position, and the “by-products of imperialism” (Orwell, 1950). During his time in Burma, Orwell had to not only face the hardships of his own emotions, but the rejection and contempt of the Burmese people. During the period the event took place, Imperial Europe (specifically Britain) was occupying Burma. Orwell was involved in said occupation. Though I would surmise he didn’t have much choice in the matter. Suffice to say, the European Imperial rule was ill-received by the Burmese people.
They seemingly despised their foreign occupants. Orwell even stated that during his time as a police officer in Burma he was “hated by large numbers of people” (Orwell, 1950). “There were several thousands of them in the town and none of them seemed to have anything to do except stand on street corners and Jeer at Europeans” (Orwell, 1950). Though, no matter how much he was hated by the natives, he hated who he worked for equally, for not more so. Orwell was an outcast where he was stationed, he would be harassed by all kinds of people, even ones thought to be peaceful.
He stated that the ours of them were the young Buddhist priests in the area (Orwell, 1950). The overall contempt and lack of acceptance on behalf of the Burmese people affected Orwell in a profound way. The way the Burmese were treated by British Empire neglected to remedy the situation. To Orwell, “All this was perplexing and upsetting” (Orwell, 1950). One day, an incident occurred that enlightened Rowel’s prospective on the big picture at hand (Orwell, 1950). Orwell, while on his daily routine as a police officer, received a report that an elephant had gotten loose from its containment and was estrogen a local bazaar.
He set out to track down the rouge animal. At first Orwell thought “that the whole story was a pack of lies” (Orwell, 1950). That is until he came upon the trampled, half naked body of an Indian, face-down in the muck (Orwell, 1950). It wasn’t until then, Orwell realized the severity of the situation. After being told the current whereabouts of the beast, “in the payday fields below” Orwell set out to track it down (Orwell, 1950). Unbeknownst to him, the people of the town decided to follow Orwell on his search. Orwell stated, ” It was a bit of fun for them… Asides hey wanted the meat” (Orwell, 1950). Once he neared the elephant, a feeling befell him that “l ought not to shoot him” as it was peacefully eating (Orwell, 1950). Moments later, he realized that letting the elephant live wasn’t a viable option. In relation to shooting the animal, Orwell stated, ” The people expected it of me… ‘ could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly” (Orwell, 1950). In the end, Orwell shot the elephant. Though it didn’t end so easily. The elephant laid in agony for a long period of time before passing and being dismembered by the Burmese people.
Through much deliberation, I feel that this piece raises a few social and moral issues. Over the course of the text, Orwell had to deal with the struggle of his personal hatred for his overseers, the British Empire, and being a hated outcast by the Burmese people. All Orwell wanted, much like everyone, was to be accepted by went against his beliefs, Orwell wanted to impress others and finally gain an amount of acceptance. Overall, this piece struck me in a way. It was not for the entertainment value, but for the deeper meaning of what Orwell wrote. The issue divided his peers and superiors in the Empire.
Some thought it was nothing more than “for a mad elephant has to be killed, like a mad dog” (Orwell, 1950). While others shamed Orwell for committing the act. Ultimately, Orwell was happy with the decision. Although, at the end, Orwell stated that he “often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool”.