Executive Summary Shooting an Elephant Shooting an Elephant, written by George Orwell, is a short autobiographical essay about an incident that occurred during his service as a policeman in Burma. The essay centers on an event in which Orwell was forced to shoot an elephant against his own will. By using this episode that resulted in a conflict between his own personal beliefs and the expectations of those around him, Orwell sends the message that imperialism is a lose-lose game that hurts the oppressed as well as the oppressor. Moreover, he indirectly advises readers to act according to their personal wishes, not those of others. The essay begins with the description that the narrator, Orwell, is a sub-division police officer in Burma. Orwell is hated by the natives due to anti-European sentiment, and he faces constant mockery and insults from the Burmese people. This is quite unfortunate, because internally he sympathizes with them and declares that imperialism is bad. Indeed, during his many years of service, he witnessed the inhumane treatment of prisoners and many other dirty jobs carried out by the British Empire. But like all Eastern Englishmen, he can do nothing since he is stuck between the empire he hates and the natives who hate him. One day, an incident disrupts his monotonous life. Orwell receives a desperate call from a Burmese sub-inspector across town, asking for immediate help in dealing with a maddened elephant. Orwell picks up an old Winchester .44 rifle and heads to the area where the elephant was last reported. Along the way, he hears that the middle of the paper is a puppet devoid of will and self-confidence. Even though he appears to be the one in power in Burma, he has simply become a puppet of power itself. Overall, Orwell's essay is a remarkable piece of writing that combines personal anecdote and political opinion. Using the death of the elephant as a metaphor, he conveys the message that excessive power ruins a person's judgment and morale by making him a puppet easily manipulated by others. In life, we will face dilemmas in which our personal beliefs conflict with the expectations of others. Using this essay as a constant reminder, we must ensure that we make the decision that we will not regret by following our heart and conscience. After all, as Ralph Emerson once said, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest achievement.". ».”