Description
Set in British-ruled Burma, this sharply observed essay follows a young colonial officer who is drawn into a public crisis involving an elephant—one that forces him to confront the gap between imperial authority and personal conscience. As he weighs what is “expected” of him against what he believes is right, the narrative exposes how power can operate less through law than through fear, spectacle, and the pressure of an audience. With Orwell’s characteristic clarity and moral urgency, the piece becomes a penetrating study of imperialism, masculinity, and the uneasy performance of control. Ultimately, it asks what it means to act under systems that demand obedience—and what it costs when the mask of authority slips.
Available Editions
paperback
Penguin Books, Limited
Published Jan 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780241630099
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Details
First Published
1936
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell.