First one: "When I pulled the trigger I did not hear the bang or feel of the kick--one never does when a shot goes home--but I heard the devilish roar of glee that went up from the crowd". This quote really caught our attention with its various line breaks using the dashes and overall descriptive dryness of the sentences. The line breaks gives the reader a sense of Orwell's racin thoughts as he kept still on the ground--how they all kept silence in awe. What we mean by "descriptive dryness" is how Orwell dissects his past memory with such truth but no mercy for himself. There's a polarization with the gun's silence and the crowd's "devilish roar". Using the words "devilish" and "glee" for the crowd after Orwell shot the calm elephant swiftly furthers the impact of Orwell's tone of repulsiveness for himself and perhaps his fellow humans.
Second one: "But in falling he seemed for a moment to rise, for as his hind legs collapsed beneath him he seemed to tower upward like a huge rock toppling, his trunk reaching skyward like a tree. He trumpeted, for the first and only time. And then down he came, his belly toward me, with a crash that seemed to shake the ground even where I lay. I got up. The Burmans were already racing past me across the mud". We think this quote was similar to the first in the way Orwell sends his tone across. However, Orwell contrasted the description of the elephant's fall with the simple sentences in the end: "I got up. The Burmans were already racing past me across the mud". The elephant's fall seems so important (which is to Orwell) with the lengthy sentences, descriptive words, and similes. You can envision the fall and sense the impact it had on Orwell. However, this image collapses (or rather solidifies the cruelty of humanity) with the last two sentences. The world continues to spin, life continues to pursue blindly on despite this critical point of Orwell's life. Overall, these two quotes supports Orwell's tone of solemnity, shame, and remembrance.
You guys mention how the author uses the words "devilish" and "glee" to descbibe the crowd's roar after Orwell shot the elephant, could this be an example of an oxymoron?
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of this, but I think it could apply!
DeleteIm not quite sure. Ill look it up, thanks for pointing it out.
DeleteI don't know if it was just me but the way Orwell describes the elephant made me feel attached to the innocent creature and after being shot, that made me mourn and feel like I had experienced the elephants pain with him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I love how Orwell uses such strong imagery in his work that lets people to easily connect with the characters in the short story.
DeleteI felt the same way! When reading this as a class, with ever detail being stated about the elephant experiencing a slow and painful death, Daycy and I looked at each other and sadness and we both had empathy for the creature. Also, what makes it even more horrifying is that this happened on a daily basis. Not only to elephants but to all animals.
DeleteI don't think anybody was alone in feeling an attachment to the elephant, as the the tone Orwell gave it's overall description not in a necessary bad light. Instead, he decided to write as if the town's people & himself are more "devilish" then the elephant itself. He displayed it more sympathetic light. Like what you guys said, "Orwell shot the 'calm elephant' swiftly furthers the impact of Orwell's tone of repulsiveness for himself and perhaps his fellow humans.
ReplyDeleteThis is really good. When we were reading this in class the second quote you guys picked also stood out to me too. I, however, did not think of this. I thought it showed more of the personalities of the crowd. In a way I thought in symbolized that the innocence of everyone had died along with the elephant.
ReplyDeleteThis post really helps outline the unbiased nature of Orwell's story. I think most would try to give themselves a way out or make themselves somehow the victim in a story like this, but Orwell completely owns up to what he did and describes the event as if he were a neutral observer, while at the same time allowing us to feel the shame and anguish he felt the moment he committed the act.
ReplyDelete