the inefficiency and brutality of imperialism This scene harms both the oppressors and the oppressed Peer Pressure and the Role of Authority Orwell decides to shoot the elephant His fear of losing his reputation before the local Burmese drives this decision He says A sahib has got to act like a sahib This line shows the expectations of Orwell as a colonial officer He needed to appear strong and in control Orwell admits he fired the first shot without need He did it because he felt pressured He wanted to maintain the image of colonial power This shows how imperialism values appearance over ethics The Suffering of the Elephant The actual death scene of the elephant is agonizing and symbolic Orwell shoots the elephant three times However the animal does not die instantly He describes its slow collapse and painful breathing This scene emphasizes the cruelty and futility of the act Orwell writes I fired again into the same spot he did not collapse but climbed with desperate slowness to its feet This prolonged suffering shows the failure of imperial rule It causes harm for a long time but achieves nothing meaningful The Symbolism of the Three Shots The three shots fired by Orwell can be seen as a metaphor for the three Anglo-Burmese Wars These wars led to the British colonization of Burma Like the shots the wars did not bring a quick or clean resolution Instead they caused prolonged suffering and oppression They failed to bring peace or stability to the region This comparison highlights the destructive and senseless nature of imperialism It harms everyone involved Orwell s Moral Conflict and Final Decision Orwell s decision to shoot the elephant reflects his internal conflict He recognizes the elephant s peaceful behavior Besides he acknowledges that killing it is unnecessary However his fear of looking weak in front of the crowd drives him to act Orwell confesses I had done it solely to avoid looking a fool This line shows how imperialism makes people give up their values It traps rulers in a cycle of harm and guilt In conclusion the death scene of the elephant is a poignant metaphor for the failures of imperialism Orwell s decision to shoot the elephant reflects the immense pressure of the colonial officers Through this act the author exposes the cruelty and inefficiency of imperialism The scene remains a critique of the destructive nature of colonial rule