#shootinganelephant

[thegirlbythefirelight]

💭Still hanging onto the coattails of 2022, I am reluctant to say goodbye. After Covid, January feels too early to celebrate. March, people, March- that seems safe to decide the flavour of 2023.  George Orwell’s collection of Essays was an experience similar to reading Steinbeck’s Travels With Charley (If you haven’t read it, I recommend it)- the writing is taut, no frivolity of either words or ideas. The breadth of the collection isn’t limited to literature- it is decidedly political. His views about the Spanish Civil War, the politics of the English language take care of that. For someone who gravitates more towards the personal experience of living, Orwell’s memories of public school horrors (Such, Such Were The Joys), his account of ‘Shooting An Elephant’ as a police officer in Burma, and a not-so-brief discussion on Charles Dickens are uncompromising and entertaining. I favoured ‘Books Vs. Cigarettes’ & ‘Why I Write’ the most- two delightful compositions. The first is his proof through which he justifiably demonstrates that owning books isn’t an expensive hobby- the price of books is far less than the value one gets from them. ‘Why I Write’- well, why does anyone write? It’s a quirk of nature- like being right-handed or having a painful wart. But returning to Orwell: he takes us on his writing journey in a few words- “I wanted to write enormous naturalistic novels with unhappy endings, full of detailed descriptions and arresting similes, and also full of purple passages in which words were used partly for the sake of their sound.” Listen, just read that essay- it's insightful and honest, and if I were to talk about it more, I’d end up letting all the cats out. If you liked this, read: •Giving Up The Ghost •The Source of Self Regard-equally political and entertaining •What I Talk About When I Talk About Running •Slouching Towards Bethlehem •The View From The Cheap Seats #georgeorwell #nonfictionreads #shootinganelephant #nonfictionbookclub #nonfictionreads #essaycollection #delhireader #delhibookstagrammer (at India) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnOUy1IL_FE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[colelarsonosu-blog]

Thoughts on "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell

In the short peice “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell we go back to a point in time where Britain had control of points in Asia and Orwell was an officer at one of these places. I thought it was interesting that even though he was English and worked for his country he still disliked the way the people in the other countries were treated because of his own country. The part I can agree with is when he says he didn’t want to shoot the elephant (Par 5 Orwell) because Orwell clearly has enough compassion to see that the elephant was coming down from its temper tantrum. I didn’t agree with the fact that he shot the elephant; even though the peer pressure got to him he still should have been able to take control of the situation. The part that interested me the most was when Orwell was searching for the elephant and the elephants trainer was 12 hours away some how; how is it possible to lose an elephant and go that far away! And finally the part that confused me the most was when everyone ignored the body of the man who got trampled by the elephant earlier on; its crazy to think nobody cared enough to at least move the body indoors or away from the road. I really enjoyed the story and it really made me reflect on peer pressure in real life and how other people may see me.

[pheenix23]

Elephant in the room

Thick and viscous mud pulled the soles of my shoes closer to the earth. Rain continues to patter onto the street and soon my clothes are plastered onto my skin. By now, the street was filled with eager European faces watching intently with eyes burning excitement into the back of my skull. In the distance, the elephant is busy scavenging for food, uprooting the tall green grass beside the road. It was clear that they wanted me to shoot the elephant as a spectacle then harvest the animal afterward. If I don’t shoot the elephant, I risk a chance of it causing more damage before the owner arrives. But on the other hand it is a giant piece of expensive machinery as it would be worth more alive than dead. Before this moment, the only times I’ve ever felt so important were the times when I would be ridiculed or teased on the streets, hated by everyone I was protecting. Even now, I can tell they were more interested in the act of using the gun rather than the person wielding it. Looking at the elephant, it seemed almost to be at peace, chewing away and minding its own business. My main fear is that if I don’t put on a show, the thousands of Burmans watching would sentence me to a higher degree of punishment than the elephant would. Not only that but they would probably laugh at me too. I won’t let that happen. I shove the cartridges into the rifle without hesitation. Equipped with my elephant rifle, I lay down in the mud to try and steady my aim. Instantly the crowd goes quiet behind me. The only sound I heard afterward was the skipping heartbeat of what soon would be a meal of tomorrow. (298)

Citation:

Orwell, George. “Shooting An Elephant.” The Broadview Anthology of Expository Prose, Second ed., Broadview Press, 2011, pp. 109–115.

[elgallinero]

#Jp #metaPhoto #metaFoto #meta #shootingAnElephant #warTheAfterParty #saturday #23aprile2016 #happyBirthday #williamShakespeare #willieSmyBitch #willySmyBitch #williSmyBitch #287gallery (at New York, New York)

[elgallinero]

#saturday #23aprile2016 #shootingAnElephant #jp #orwell #blair