"When the white man turns tyrant, it is his own freedom that he destroys"
My group and I came to the conclusion that having freedom meant that one has the ability to make choices without having to go through anyone else first.
The white men essentially gave up their freedom because they are constantly trying to look powerful in front of the "natives". By killing the elephant, Orwell went against his natural intuition (or will) so that he could please the mob of "natives".
"The crowd would laugh at me. And my whole life, every white man's life in the East, was one long struggle to not be laughed at"
The natives are truly the people in power because they have the most influence on the tyrants. The tyrants try so hard to not look like fools, that they don't realize that they are essentially basing all of their actions off of the emotions of the natives.
If Orwell had not shot the elephant the theme of the essay would have remained the same, but the tone would have been different.
We can empathize with Orwell because in the moment he was trying to "save face" and gave into peer-pressure. At some point in our lives we have all tried to do that.
If you haven't, imagine being the President of the U.S. (or any country, really). People are depending on you to make decisions that will help improve their lives. Now imagine that you made an incredible mistake. Would you point out your flaw and tell your nation that you messed up? Would they think that you're under-qualified, that they shouldn't have voted for you? OR would you keep it to yourself, and lie to your nation? Most people, wouldn't (in the moment) admit to their mistakes. Instead, they would try to hide it or brush it off.
So, you guys say that the theme would have remained the same even if Orwell hadn't shot the elephant: how so?
ReplyDeleteWe thought that the theme was to go with your gut feeling, or to not give into peer pressure. Had he not given in, he would have been happier and content with his decision knowing that he did the right thing. Instead he went against his own moral code and did the "wrong" (yet legal) thing.
DeleteWe extracted the theme that one should always do what is right regardless of what the outcomes may be. One shouldn't try to save face in order to look good in public because you will have a guilty conscience knowing that you could have done the right thing.
Oh okay! Regardless of choosing to kill the elephant or not, the theme would remain being to go with your gut feeling. This made me realize that even if a character in the story does not do what the theme is, it is still the theme! Orwell did not go with his gut feeling, yet the theme is going with your gut feeling. Got it!
DeleteI really liked how you guys pulled the reader personally into Orwell's situation there towards the end. It's one thing to ridicule him, but it's another to actually picture yourself in his situation. It shows a whole new perspective.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI agree with Daycy. How would the theme of the essay be the same even if he wouldn't have shot the elephant? Can you clarify?
ReplyDelete(See above, please)
DeleteI agree with you Julia. I think that people should do the right thing and not given in to what other people want you to do. Like how i had stated in the post before this one, Im surprised that an English soldier was so easily given into pressure when it is most know that soldiers have power to themselves and to take command,
ReplyDeleteI like how this post puts you into the shoes of Orwell. I think it's easy to criticize the decision he made based on peer pressure, but at the same time hindsight is twenty-twenty, and also it'd be impossible to imagine the same kind of overwhelming force the natives' will carried. I'd like to say that in the same situation I wouldn't shoot the elephant, but who can say for sure?
ReplyDeleteI like how you guys gave the image of us as the President. It really put things into perspective. I actually empathize with Orwell. Some people say that it was wrong for what he did and he should have just stuck up for the elephant. Although, in all reality, we most likely might have done the same as Orwell. Peer pressure is powerful.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement Amanda. I think we as well would commit this mistake , we would be pressured into doing it if we did not want to.
Delete