Shooting an Elephant

1.) How is this a story about two disparate major themes? How are these themes intertwined?

A British police officer in Moulmein in Lower Burma, expresses how easy it is to give into peer pressure and his dislike of imperialism in “Shooting an Elephant.” Through being an officer, he is required to support the oppressive imperial power. This is unfortunate for him because he is strongly against it, “I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing... I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British." In attempt to gain respect from the Burmese he is pressured into doing what they want him to, "I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward, irresistibly."
These themes are intertwined when a problem arises. The officer must decide whether or not to kill an elephant. The law required all unruly elephants to be shot; however, this elephant was tamed and actually very calm. The officer knew he should not have shot it, but he felt pressure from the crowd to kill it. Through killing the elephant he was hoping to avoid looking like a fool and meet the people from Burma’s expectations.
By giving into peer pressure, the police officer was unable to make his own choices. Without imperialism the officer would not have been in the position to shoot the elephant. By doing what the people wanted, the officer hoped it would demonstrate his concern for them. Killing the elephant showed the officer’s hatred of imperialism and how bad he wanted respect from the Burmese.

2.) What tactics does Orwell employ when revealing unflattering aspects of himself?

Orwell reveals the unflattering aspects of himself through describing the moral process he went through before making his decisions. He committed several of his actions knowing they were wrong. All he wanted was to be respected and admired for his actions. No one should ever worry about what others think about them, because it will change who you are, “He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it.” Orwell concludes with stating, “I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool.” Through acknowledging his mistakes and explaing his choices, Orwell was able to reveal the unflattering aspects of himself.