Unit 6: A Time of Rapid Change (1901–Present)
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“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
Build Vocabulary
Spelling Strategy Adding the suffix -ity changes a word into a noun. For example, the adjective senile becomes the noun senility. Remember to drop the silent e before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.
Using Related Words About Politics
A. DIRECTIONS: In a few sentences, describe Orwell’s experiences as a British police officer in Burma. Use the following words: imperialism, despotic, dominion.
Using the Word Bank
prostrate squalid imperialism dominion despotic senility
B. DIRECTIONS: Match each word in the left column with its definition in the right column. Write the letter of the definition on the line next to the word it defines. ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 1. prostrate 2. imperialism 3. despotic 4. squalid 5. dominion 6. senility a. miserably poor; wretched b. defenseless; in a prone or lying position c. mental or physical decay due to old age d. rule or power to rule; a governed territory e. tyrannical f. policy and practice of forming and maintaining an empire in order to control raw materials and world markets by the conquest of other countries and the establishment of colonies Shooting an Elephant 223
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The Essay on Imperialism Representation In Conrad And Kipling
Imperialism sprung from an altruistic and unselfish aim to take up the white mans burden and wean [the] ignorant millions from their horrid ways. These two citations are, of course, from Kiplings White Mans Burden and Conrads Heart of Darkness, respectively, and they splendidly encompass what British and European imperialism was about at least seen from the late-nineteenth century point of view. ...
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
Grammar and Style: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Participial Phrases
Participial phrases, or groups of words with a participle, modify nouns and pronouns. A restrictive participial phrase is essential to the meaning of the word it modifies and is not separated by commas. A nonrestrictive participial phrase is not essential to the meaning and can be separated by commas. Note the differences in the following examples: Restrictive: I . . . saw a man’s dead body sprawling in the mud. Nonrestrictive: Some more women followed, clicking their tongues and exclaiming . . . A. Practice: For each sentence, underline the participial phrase. On the line, indicate whether it is restrictive or nonrestrictive, and write the word it modifies. 1. “. . . the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance got badly on my nerves.”
2. “It was a very poor quarter, a labyrinth of squalid bamboo huts, . . . winding all over a steep hillside.”
3. “An old woman with a switch in her hand came round the corner of a hut, violently shooing away a crowd of naked children.”
4. “He was lying on his belly with arms crucified and head sharply twisted to one side.”
5. “Here was I, the white man with his gun, standing in front of the unarmed native crowd . . .”
B. Writing Application: In a few sentences, describe a situation in which you felt uncomfortable in front of an audience or crowd. Use at least one restrictive participial phrase and one nonrestrictive participial phrase in your description.
224 Selection Support
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Unit 6: A Time of Rapid Change (1901–Present)
Name _____________________________________________________
Date ___________________
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
Reading Strategy: Recognizing the Writer’s Attitudes
Orwell reveals in his essay that his attitudes toward British rule in Burma are not always clear cut. At times, he expresses conflicting attitudes. When you recognize the writer’s attitudes, you uncover clues to the meaning in a literary work. DIRECTIONS: Complete each cluster diagram by writing words and phrases, including quotations from the essay, that reflect Orwell’s conflicting attitudes. Add branches to the diagram as needed. On the lines following each diagram, write your conclusion about Orwell’s attitudes. 1.
The Essay on Shooting An Elephant Orwell Animal Knew
Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell is a story how a young Orwell, while stationed in Colonial Burma, became disillusioned with Imperialism. On one occasion he was faced with the dilemma of having to destroy a wild elephant that had gotten loose in the town he was stationed in. Throughout the story the reader will be able to see two alternating voices of Orwell. The first voice is a ...
attitudes toward Burmese
2.
attitudes toward killing elephant
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Shooting an Elephant 225
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“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
Literary Analysis: Irony
Irony is a literary device that brings out contradictions between appearance and reality, or between expectation and reality, or between words and reality. In verbal irony, the intended meaning of words clashes with their usual meaning, as when Orwell describes the dangerous elephant as “grandmotherly.” In irony of situation, events contradict what you expect to happen, as when the young Buddhist priests are revealed to be the most insulting toward the British. DIRECTIONS: Explain what is ironic about the following facts, events, or descriptions. 1. Orwell’s attitude toward Buddhist priests
2. Burmese population’s lack of weapons
3. “Grinning” mouth of man trampled by elephant
4. Crowd gathering to watch shooting of elephant
5. Value of a living elephant compared to a dead one
6. Orwell’s assessment that it was “perfectly clear” what he should do about killing the elephant
7. Comparison of rifle to something “beautiful”
8. Orwell’s gladness that the coolie had been killed by the elephant
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