Symbolism in 'Shooting an Elephant' George Orwell writes dramatically about his time in Burma as an Imperial officer in his essay 'Shooting an Elephant' . He explains in detail how he disagrees with the concept of imperialism, but also dislikes the Burmese community who mock it. Orwell goes on to recount the time an elephant ransacked the village and how enriching that experience was. Symbolism is an important orchestrator in this essay, with Orwell connecting the concept of imperialism to several events such as the rampage of the elephant, the death of the coolie, and the shooting of the elephant. One of the first representatives of imperialism takes place with the unleashing of the elephant. This happens when a chained elephant is attacked. Immediately after seeing the elephant, Orwell makes it clear that it would be wrong to shoot. However, at this point a large crowd of Burmese people are ostensibly watching and waiting for action to be taken. When Orwell shoots the elephant, it is simply because of this expectation. Orwell emphasizes this by writing: "And it was at that moment, as I stood there with the rifle in my hand, that I first understood the emptiness and futility of the domination of the white man in the East. There I was, the white man with his rifle, standing before the unarmed native crowd – ostensibly the main actor in the play but in reality I was just an absurd puppet being pushed back and forth by will. of those yellow faces behind” (Orwell, 327). After shooting the elephant, it dies slowly and in torturous conditions, mainly due to Orwell's lack of experience in killing large animals. Orwell clearly intends to make the death of the elephant difficult to read in an attempt to force the reader to understand the barbarity of the situation. This barbarity is a symbol of the brutality of the British imperialist takeover of Burma. Subsequently, the Burmese population appropriates the elephant using all the materials they can provide. It is also an example of how an oppressed state can lead to