- 1
What contradictions exist in Orwell's views of imperialism?
Orwell rejects imperialism as an abusive system, but he also plays a direct role in its enforcement and finds himself beholden to its patterns: he feels contempt for "the natives" and anger at them for making fun of him; he seems to wish that they had the courage for an uprising; he's willing to kill a large creature rather than risk feeling humiliated in front of a group of Burmese people. Orwell can't help being an instrument of imperialism and caught up in the system, even if it's a system he doesn't want to support.
- 2
Orwell explains his early conversations about the elephant as follows: "We began questioning...
Join Now to View Premium Content
GradeSaver provides access to 2419 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11057 literature essays, 2808 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.
