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Post by Ms. English on May 30, 2023 8:28:13 GMT -5
Post your answers to the discussion question here. Make sure to read the responses of those posted before you and respond directly to them when appropriate before posting your own.
Looking further: Research the historical situation out of which Orwell was writing. Though we are now said to be in a postcolonial age, situations like the one Orwell describes still exist in the world. Can you imagine a similar story being told from somewhere in today's' world? Where? Describe this second situation and compare it to Orwell's. Can the exact same story be told? How might it differ?
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Post by johnhawver on Jul 31, 2023 22:45:58 GMT -5
I could imagine a similar story being told from the Russia/Ukraine conflict today. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is tremendously Imperialistic, as was Orwell's British Empire, and as of now there are thousands of Ukrainians being detained and taken in Russia with no status under Russian law. This is much like Orwell's situation, in which the British Empire is taking over Burma and the Burmese having little rights. I don't know if the exact same story can be told, because I believe there are very few elephants in Russia and Ukraine, and if there happened to be an elephant loose, I'm not sure Ukrainians would have the urge for it to be killed. However, I am sure that a Russian can feel sympathy, like Orwell did to the Burmese, toward a Ukrainian in their current state.
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Post by violetkn on Aug 16, 2023 10:32:11 GMT -5
I could imagine a similar story occurring in today's world, however not necessarily involving an elephant. Orville shot the elephant because it was what was expected of him by the crowd of people, showing how crowd mentality can cause someone to act in a way they would not typically. This reminds me of modern day poaching, which is briefly mentioned when Orville discusses how much the trunks will be worth. The Burmans encourage for Orville to shoot the elephant because it will be exciting for them, similar to why modern day poachers might shoot an endangered animal, including an elephant, for the excitement of taking down such an interesting animal. Similar to the villagers and Orville, poachers do not have the animals best interest in mind, and however decide to go for the most exciting or most expected option
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Post by morganhall on Aug 21, 2023 16:05:41 GMT -5
In Orwell's story, "Shooting an Elephant" we see how he is greatly motivated by peer pressure into doing something, killing an elephant, against his personal belief. I think that can be seen by individuals all over the world on a constant basis, for example Covid-19 and the vaccine. Many countries, and businesses even, required a vaccine to come back to work. Or maybe it wasn't required and family members wanted each other to vaccinate so they could stay protected. Some people were waiting for the right vaccination, like my grandfather. Although many in my family wanted him to get the vaccination available he was waiting on NovavaX, unfortunately he went against that pressure and passed away from covid before he ever got a shot. I think everyone felt pressure from professionals, families, and friends on a constant basis in those years. And whether it was for their own greater good like Orwell or not, not all pressure has to be listened to and not all peer pressure is crisis worthy. Obviously Orwell and covid have no correlation to each other, but the similarities of external influence stays in common.
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Post by Maya Alvarez on Aug 22, 2023 10:38:15 GMT -5
From the story,"Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell, a British policeman finds himself under the pressure of Burmese locals to shoot a rampaging elephant. He himself feels it's wrong and does not want to shoot it. On the other hand, locals are eager once he calls for the elephant rifle and wants to see it killed. But due to the pressure of locals and wanting to be liked, he shoots it and it dies a slow miserable death. Acting out of character for others or for some sort of personal gain can be applied to modern day. Especially with the power imbalance in the story, the colonizers versus the colonized. In present day, politicians face pressure from their people from their districts, states and just people in general. They want to do what they believe is best but opinions and other pressures sway decisions. I think a similar story could be told just as if a representative votes differently and fails to represent their district. This can be due to influences just as in Orwell's story.
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Post by edmundocg on Aug 24, 2023 10:06:12 GMT -5
In "Shooting an Elephant," Orwell recounts his time as a British officer facing ethical dilemmas due to imperial obligations. Although we're in a different era, analogous situations persist. Consider today's Russian-Ukrainian conflict – a powerful nation asserting dominance over another. Picture a Russian soldier stationed in Ukraine, coerced into actions conflicting with their values, akin to Orwell's experience. Today's digital age amplifies this conflict. Social media ensures that the soldier's moral struggle could reverberate globally, contrasting Orwell's era of isolation. The situation between Russia and Ukraine brings in modern geopolitical complications that affect how the story unfolds. Yet, the main idea of the inner struggle between what you believe and what others want still makes sense, showing problems that people have always had. Even though the details change because of technology and how the world is changing, the basic point is similar to what Orwell wanted. So, the story might be different, but the important lesson about staying true to yourself despite outside influences is still important, just like in Orwell's writing.
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