George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” (45 point assignment)
Before reading the essay, discuss, consider, or answer the following questions:
1. Orwell’s essay, which has elements of all four modes of writing (narrative, expository,
descriptive, and persuasive), is set in Burma, which is now Myanmar. Find Myanmar on a map.
What do you know about this part of the world?
2. Knowing the meanings of the following vocabulary words will help you understand the essay, so look
up the meaning of these words before reading the essay, and write out a description or definition:
a. Betel juice
b. imperialism
c. British Raj
d. in saecula saeculorum (Latin)
e. despotic
f. mahout
g. coolie
h. sahib
After reading the essay, please answer the following questions, which are due on Tuesday, March 17.
Use direct textual evidence, preferably quotes, from the essay in support of your answers.
1. How does Orwell characterize himself at the time of the events he describes? Provide evidence
in support of your answer. (b) What evidence in the essay suggests that he wrote this essay
some years after the incident occurred? (4 points)
2. Orwell claims that the incident he describes in the essay was “enlightening.” What does he
mean? Picking up this clue, state in a sentence or two the main point of the essay. Then explain
how Orwell illustrates this theme/makes this point in his essay. (Note: You’re welcome to quote
Orwell when you state the main point of the essay. One could argue that Orwell explicitly states his
theme in the paragraph that begins “But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd …”) (4 points)
3. Compare and contrast Orwell’s description of the dead coolie with his description of the death
of the elephant. Point out a similarity and two differences between the two descriptions. Then
make an inference: why does Orwell devote more space to the death of the elephant? (4 points)
4. (a) How would you describe the tone of the last paragraph, particularly of the last two
sentences? Explain your answer and provide textual evidence. (b) Do you find the final
paragraph to be an effective conclusion? Why or why not? (4 points)
5. List five colorful adjectives, five vivid action verbs, three creative figures of speech (label what type
of figure of speech each one is), and three vivid concrete images from Orwell’s essay. (11 points)
6. Write out and label two simple (one independent clause; no dependent clauses), two compound
(two independent clauses; no dependent clauses), two complex (one independent clause and
one or more dependent clauses), and two compound-complex (two or more independent
clauses and one or more dependent clauses) sentences from Orwell’s essay. (8 points)
7. Explain how Orwell uses all four modes of writing in this essay. In other words, in what ways is
the essay narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive? Provide quotes from the essay to
support each of your explanations. (10 points)