Reflection in the Personal Essay: George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" as Exemplar

Abstract

Abstract:Although "Shooting an Elephant" is a first-person account, I like to point out to my students that the essay is not about the author; it is about Empire or, if they prefer, imperialism…. The essay tends to be a revelation for a certain kind of student used to learning political science in a textbook. As well, students with an interest in rhetoric are drawn to Orwell's integration of storyline and polemic. Literature majors who know a little postcolonial theory are often thrilled to see it brought to life in nonfiction—and they are also the ones most likely to have read 1984 and Animal Farm, the postwar works that made Orwell a household name. However, some students, writing majors in particular, are often more interested in personal journeys than in bringing news to the world about the things it needs to fix, so they are drawn to the passages where Orwell is principal actor in an exotic locale. For such students, "Shooting an Elephant" is all about the author. They have a point, of course. To an extent, it is. That is part of what makes a personal essay personal.