Shooting-an-Elephant

TextIIUnit3ShootinganElephant(1936)GeorgeOrwellAdvancedEnglishThemeExplorationTextComprehensionStylisticAnalysisDiscussion&DebateSetting,plot,mentalprocessesLoanwords,pointofview,figuresofspeechConflicts,characters,symbols,themessageEthicalissue(tokillornottokill?)GeorgeOrwell(1903-1950)•ServedIndianimperialpoliceinBurmaforabout5years(1922-27).•bestknownforthedystopiannovelNineteenEighty-Four(1949)andtheallegoricalnovellaAnimalFarm(1945),whichtogether(asof2009)havesoldmorecopiesthananytwobooksbyanyother20thCauthor.•Orwell'sworkcontinuestoinfluencepopularandpoliticalculture,andthetermOrwellian—descriptiveoftotalitarianorauthoritariansocialpractices—hasenteredthelanguagetogetherwithseveralofhisneologisms,includingColdWar,BigBrother,thoughtpolice,Room101,doublethink,andthoughtcrime.•diedoftuberculosisinJanuary1950.Backgroundinformation•Englishnovelist,essayist,&critic.Hisworkismarkedbylucidprose,awarenessofsocialinjustice,oppositiontototalitarianism,andcommitmenttodemocraticsocialism.Setting•Burma(present-dayMyanmar['mjænma:(r)])inthe1920s,thenaprovinceofBritish-controlledIndia•TheactiontakesplaceinthetownofMoulmein([mu:l'mein]毛淡棉)inthesouthernpartoftheprovince,calledLowerBurma,arice-growingregionontheBayofBengal(孟加拉湾)andtheAndamanSea(安达曼海).BackgroundinformationWhatisthegenreof“ShootingtheElephant”?A.amemoir.B.anessay.C.Ashortstory.D.Alloftheabove.TextComprehensionStructure(Omitted5para.)Para.1-4Para.5-6(Omitted3para.)Prelude:Anelephantrunsrampantinestrusthroughoutavillage.Beginning&Development:Thenarratordecidestoshootafterfierceinnerstruggle.Climax:Theactualshootingoftheelephant.Ending:Theelephant’slongagonizingdeathandpeople’sdiscussionsonthekilling.TextComprehensionQuestionsforunderstanding&appreciation1.Didthenarratorinitiallyintendtokilltheelephant?2.Whatconfirmedhisconvictionthatheoughtnottoshoottheelephant?3.Whatmakeshimchangehismind?(OrwhydoesOrwellshoottheelephant?)4.WhydoesOrwellbelieve“whenthewhitemanturnstyrantitishisownfreedomthathedestroys”?5.Howdidtheelephantreactwhenitgotshot?Whatdoesthatindicate?TextComprehensionQ1Didthenarratorinitiallyintendtokilltheelephant?No.“AssoonasIsawtheelephantIknewwithperfectcertaintythatIoughtnottoshoothim.”(line3-4,para.1)PartI(Para.1-4)TextComprehensionQ2Whatconfirmedhisconvictionthatheoughtnottoshoottheelephant?1.Theelephantwascalmandwaspeacefullyeating,andlookednomoredangerousthanacow.(line1-3,para.1)2.Thegrandmotherlyair.(line1-3,para.3)3.Theeconomicvalueoftheelephant.(line5-7,para.3)PartI(Para.1-4)TextComprehensionQ3Whatmakeshimchangehismind?Orwellshootstheelephantwhenitisinheatbecauseitisdestroyingpropertyandalsotooksomeone’slife.Orwelldidn'treallywanttokillitbutthepeoplefollowinghimmadehimfeelpushedforwardtodoit.Itwasawhiteman’svanitythatchangedhismind.Hethoughthemustnotlookfrightenedinfrontofthe“natives”.PartI(Para.1-4)Q4WhydoesOrwellbelieve“whenthewhitemanturnstyrantitishisownfreedomthathedestroys”?AccordingtoOrwell,thewhitemanconstantlymustimpressthenativesanddowhatthenativesexpectofhim.Thenativeshavethecontrolofthewhiteman.ThusOrwellmustcompletehisroleanddodefinitethings.OrwellrealizesthatthroughouthisentireruleinBurmaheisactuallythevictimoftheBurmese,anditistheirexpectationsofwhatheshoulddowithhispowerthatforcehimtodowhattheywant.(Par.2)PartI(Para.1-4)TextComprehensionTextComprehensionQ5“…amysterious,terriblechangehadcomeovertheelephant…withacrashthatseemedtoshakethegroundevenwhereIlay.”(Par.6)Theelephant’sunwillingnesstodieandtheshockandsufferingofthewriter.PartII(Para.5-6)TextComprehensionHowdidtheelephantreactwhenitgotshot?Whatdoesthatreactionindicate?ThemeExplorationTextComprehensionStylisticAnalysisDiscussion&DebateSetting,plot,mentalprocessesLoanwords,pointofview,figuresofspeechConflicts,characters,symbols,themessageEthicalissue(tokillornottokill?)QuestionsforProbingthetheme1.Whataretheconflictsinthisstory?2.Whatkindofpersonisthenarrator?3.Howistheelephantsymbolicintheessay?4.Whatisthemainmessagethathasbeenconveyedinthistextthroughthenarrator?ThemeExplorationQ1Whataretheconflictsinthisstory?Conflict:thestrugglebtwopposingforcesinastoryThenarratorexperiencesthreeconflicts:—onewiththeBritishEmpirebecauseofitsunjustoccupationofBurma,—onewiththeBurmesebecauseoftheirmockeryofhimasarepresentativeoftheBritishEmpire,and—onewithhimselfinhisstrugglewithhisconscienceandself-image.Allthreeconflictscomplicatehisabilitytomakeobjective,clear-headeddecisions.PartI(Para.1-4)externalconflictsinternalconflictThemeExplorationQ2Whatkindofpersonisthenarrator?WhatishisattitudetowardstheBritishEmpireandtheBurmesepeople?•AnEnglishpoliceofficerworkinginBurmainthe1920s,whenBurmawaspartofBritish-controlledIndia.•HestronglyopposestheoppressiveBritishruleofBurma.Atthesametime,heresentstheridiculehereceivesfromthenatives,whoareunawarethatheisontheirsidepolitically.“IwasstuckbetweenmyhatredoftheempireIservedandmyrageagainsttheevil-spiritedlittlebeastswhotriedtomakemyjobimpossible.”•Heisavictimofimperialism,acaptiveofitsby-products,ofisolationandmoralcorruption,andofitscodeofbe