George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant,

George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant, the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine, the Rights of Man. The rights of human beings over others and the morality of a person's action within the realm of a society are all dependent upon the situation. An immoral act in one society would be moral in another. When we read 'Shooting an Elephant' by George Orwell we learn about the conflict of morality within an Imperial rule. The British rule in Burma was such that it suppressed the natives and gave priority to the Europeans.

The latter were treated with disdain and ruled and remained in control through simple force. The author in the essay writes of the conflict of the protagonist, a policeman who has to shoot an elephant for no reason than to show his supremacy. As a European he has an image of violence to uphold and thus has to prove his might by killing an elephant.

The irony shown within the essay is that by some accounts the killing of an elephant is worth more than a human life, especially that of a native Burman. In the words of the author, the killing of the elephant was done by the protagonist, ' .. solely to avoid looking a fool.' [Orwell, 2003] Similarly, when reading the Declaration on Independence we see again the influence of Imperialism on the moral and legal conflicts created within society.

The Americans attempt to separate themselves from the British Imperialists and create a decentralized state. [Wills, 1979] According to the Declaration the British Monarchy had abused the rights of the citizens of the New World by imposing taxes on them that were beyond their means. This gave them the incentive to rebel and also the right to rebel. However, again when viewed from the perspective of the British the rebellion was illegal but as per rights perceived by the Americans they had a legal and moral right to rebel.

The moral issue changed as per perception and created a conflict of sorts within its purpose. Thomas Paine in his essay The Rights of Man suggests that the morality of an issue is based on the equality of an issue. For the existence of all men should be seen as equal. The Monarchy and imperial ways detracts from the equality of mankind and creates a suggestive loophole which gives the rights of man to a select few and thus creates an imbalance.

The imbalance can be religious, legal, racial or social. Paine believed that only with equality would there be any sort of justice and morality for in every other case there would be a perception of morals but in fact it would be simple injustice. His view of Monarchy can be read through the words, "What is called monarchy always appears to me a silly contemptible thing.

I compare it to something kept behind a curtain, about which there is a great deal of bustle and fuss, and a wonderful air of seeming solemnity; but, when, by any accident, the curtain happens to be open, and the company see what it is,.