“Shooting an Elephant” By George Orwell Historical Background & Context

Setting: “Shooting an Elephant” Colonial Period Burma, Province of India British Colony 1936

Historical Overview: Burma British government took advantage of Burma’s instability Colonized in 1866 Burmese protests in 1920s -- Buddhist monks & Students’ Union at Rangoon University January 1947—granted independence from Great Britain

British Empire—1920s India Burma

Civil Disobedience: The Struggle for Indian Independence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW9MqIb9vZo

Gandhi: The Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oWqlb_TlLQ

Gandhi: Indian Congress Creation of Indian Congress--1919 Legislative body with limited control over Indian affairs Indian Nationalist—Mohandas Gandhi—”father of India”—became congressional leader

Gandhi: Protest Used fasting as a form of protest—repeatedly Principles of Satyagraha: nonviolence and civil disobedience Assassinated by a Hindi radical enroute to a prayer meeting in 1948 (age 78)

Oppression of the Indian People: 1919 Britain passed the Rowlatt Act Stripped Indian protestors of civil liberties Eliminated right to trial by a jury British soldiers killed hundreds of nationalist agitators

Gandhi’s Response Gandhi pushed for Indian independence Promoted nonviolent protest methods Influenced future movements

George Orwell 1903-1950 Best Known Writing Novels Nonfiction 1934 – Burmese Days 1935 – A Clergyman's Daughter 1936 – Keep the Aspidistra Flying 1939 – Coming Up for Air 1945 – Animal Farm 1949 – Nineteen Eighty-Four Nonfiction 1933 – Down and Out in Paris and London 1937 – The Road to Wigan Pier 1938 – Homage to Catalonia

Orwell’s Moral Dilemma Orwell joined the Indian Imperial Police Stationed in Burma—1922 Orwell's moral conflict stemmed from his position as the despised Imperialist in a colonized country

Moral Conflict "I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better. Theoretically - and secretly, of course - I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British.”

Burmese Reaction Despite his support for the Burmese, Orwell endured their overwhelming bitterness and hatred because of his British heritage: “The sneering faces . . . of young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me . . got badly on my nerves."

Orwell’s Guilt and Reaction Orwell sums up his feelings of guilt, coupled with his reaction against being hated: "All I knew was that I was stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible."

Orwell’s Emotional Response Although part of him saw the British Raj as tyrannical, “With another part I thought that the greatest joy in the world would be to drive a bayonet into a Buddhist priest's guts."

Orwell’s Rationalization Orwell rationalized his rage saying, "Feelings like these are the normal by-products of imperialism." Orwell realized that tyrannical imperialism works against both the imperialists and the natives.

Elephants: Timber Harvest Myanmar timber elephants and trainers (of Mandalay division (1923-24 - Bombay Burma Timber Company) Bombay Burma is the company which started the extraction of Myanmar forest products in large scale in the time of British rule.

Timber Elephants Timber elephants at work Harvesting teakwood