At the end of the essay, Orwell wonders whether other Europeans realized that he shot the elephant “solely to avoid looking like a fool”. Why was it so important for him to keep up appearances before the Burmans?

Orwell represents British Imperialism: the strongest military force on the planet at that time. Although Orwell doesn't like the British in Burma, he feels pressured to look the part. He feels as though he must keep the natural order of the colonizer because there is no other place for him in Burma. The natives expect this from him.