This story was both pleasant and disturbing to read. I enjoyed the story and was immersed in it. However I also felt uneasy and some significants that made me think about my own experiences. Because sometimes I too feel like I don't make the decisions for my actions. I saw myself in George in the reading, helpless and unable to control the situation. George Orwell felt that he had to kill the elephant because the 'yellow faces' wanted it. In certain situations there is some kind of invisible force that is pressured on, and without words or not even a sound the situation itself makes one do things that they did not intend to do. When this happens it seems like the right thing, the only possible choice I can take. However like a panting, suffering elephant because one did not fully commit the consequences can be overwhelming. The elephant did not die because of what it did, however it made an excuse for it's death. The elephant to me was a symbol of the things we sacrifice to make an image or a statement. (Although in class I learned it was symbolized as the british imperialism.) Sometimes things or those are sacrificed even though they are not relevant. The killing the elephant was just an excuse to escape from the force that was pressured upon him. But I cannot blame him for what he did, for I think I would have done the same if I were in his shoes.
Please don`t kill an elephant if you were in his shoe. That would be a serious crime of bringing down the a great empire.
ReplyDeleteIn any situation, you must restrain yourself, or you could be a national villain
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you took the metaphor of the elephant and personalized it by relating it to your own experiences. This was one of the main reasons why I wanted to try this blog with you guys. You're free to interpret the symbolism in the story however you wish, as long as you make a convincing argument - and I think you presented your ideas very effectively here.