Shooting An Elephant

Exemplary British author, poet, and “… prophet of British Imperialism”, Rudyard Kipling had taken a fascination to Burma. His interest, as a reflection of the aforementioned title, “prophet”, had seemed to have stemmed from British colonization in present day Myanmar. A personification of the colonial mindset, he was arrogant, better than most, pompous, so naturally the experience he had gained from his travel amplified his Weltanschauung, the comprehensive wide world perception from German philosophy that is pertinent to Epistemology. This was the epitome that which was opposite of George Orwell’s in a written recollection of his tour in Burma through his essay, Shooting an Elephant.
On the opposite end of the spectrum from Kipling, embodying colonialists traits,

The essay appears to be written eight years after his resignation from the Imperial Police Force in 1928. This time gap appears evident as it appears that this is not only a recount of a first hand experience, but in addition to that, his commentary of that former self at the time of publication. As the younger man pondered about when the elephant appeared no harmful than a cow there’s a shift in narration that can be noticed, “…I thought then and I think now that his attack of "must" was already passing off…”(Orwell). It’s that in order for the essay to be thoughtful and analytical, that it was pertinent for Orwell to narrate his account years later. As it appears in good timing, it’s effectiveness is shone through as an older, more experienced man provides better insight upon his experiences, providing the reader with an explanation for what had happened and how it had changed him as opposed to an immediate account that may, more than likely, be far more passionate from a young man versus a thoughtful