Battle Of The Ants And Shooting An

Elephant Essay, Research Paper

Imperialistic Position

In both & # 8220 ; The Battle of the Ants & # 8221 ; by Thoreau and & # 8220 ; Shooting an Elephant & # 8221 ; by Orwell, imperialism plays a function. Both writers present, to some grade, their positions and feelings about imperialism. Orwell and Thoreau both present imperialism metaphorically through the usage of animate beings and insects. The writers therefore deliberate their self-contemplation on imperialism by either being an imperialistic force or by taking portion in imperialism.

In & # 8220 ; The Battle of the Ants & # 8221 ; by Thoreau and & # 8220 ; Shooting an Elephant & # 8221 ; by Orwell, both writers use metaphors to stand for their positions on imperialism. In & # 8220 ; Shooting an Elephant & # 8221 ; Orwell is taking portion in imperialism by turn outing his power and self-respect to the indigens. In & # 8220 ; The Battle of the Ants & # 8221 ; Thoreau acts as the imperialist, or emperor, watching over a metaphorical conflict between emmets in which he ne’er interferes or takes portion in. Thoreau represents imperialism by comparing the & # 8220 ; black imperialist & # 8220 ; emmets against the & # 8220 ; ruddy republican & # 8221 ; emmets.

In & # 8220 ; hiting an elephant & # 8221 ; the elephant in symbolic of imperialism stand foring power as an wild animate being that has control over the small town. In both narratives the writers use animate beings to stand for a important metaphor for imperialism. Orwell uses a big and really powerful animate being to stand for imperialism, while Thoreau uses a little yet strong animate being. This comparing leads to the apprehension that the power behind imperialism is merely every bit strong as its dominant swayers.

In & # 8220 ; Shooting an Elephant & # 8221 ; Orwell represents the elephant as a force greater than the storyteller has the ability to kill. It takes the storyteller several shootings to kill him, and a drawn-out period of clip for him to decease. The elephants commanding force over the storyteller is compared to that of an imperialist. Orwell is faced with a really of import determination of whether or non he should hit the elephant. If he does so, he will be a hero to his people. In bend, he would be giving in to the imperial force behind the elephant that he finds so unfair and evil. If the storyteller lets the elephant go free and unharmed the indigens will express joy at him and do him experience inferior for non being able to protect the small town. In & # 8220 ; The Battle of the Ants & # 8221 ; Thoreau ne’er expresses his feelings on imperialism, but uses the emmets to metaphorically demo how imperialism is unjust. Thoreau describes the black emmets as the imperialists who are larger and stronger compared to the ruddy emmets that represent the republicans. Thoreau describes the agonising conflict that is traveling on outside his door and tickers as the black imper

ialist emmets fight to a disking decease, or triumph, demoing how neither side is willing to give up. Orwell and Thoreau both use animate beings to stand for imperialism jointing the narrator’s positions in which they are either taking portion in imperialism, or taking on the portion of an imperialist.

In & # 8220 ; The Battle of the Ants & # 8221 ; Thoreau takes on the function of the imperialist while in & # 8220 ; Shooting an Elephant & # 8221 ; Orwell is taking portion in imperialism. In & # 8220 ; Shooting an Elephant & # 8221 ; the storyteller feels forced by the indigens to kill the elephant. The indigens take on the function of imperialists as they stand in a large crowd behind him waiting for him to hit the elephant. Imperialists use their people ( metaphorically ) as their small plastic fiqures they send out to contend. The Emporers and Queens have control over them but ne’er take portion in the existent combat, like how the indigens ne’er took portion in shot of the elephant. The storyteller speaks of how he is so against imperialism, but gives in to the indigens by hiting the elephant to turn out he is strong and to avoid humiliation. The indigens merely use the storyteller to achieve the elephants meat and ivories. The storyteller became the crowds marionette being & # 8220 ; pushed to and fro by the will of those xanthous faces behind. & # 8221 ; ( Orwell 1837 ) In & # 8220 ; The Battle of the Ants & # 8221 ; Thoreau acts as an imperialist watching the emmets do conflict over each other. As a storyteller, Thoreau has a larger more powerful stance over the emmets. At the terminal of the narrative Thoreau & # 8217 ; s ideas on imperialism are those of experience. Thoreau says: & # 8220 ; I ne’er learned which party was winning, nor the cause of the war ; but I felt for the remainder of the twenty-four hours as if I had my feelings excited and harrowed by witnessing the battle, the fierceness and slaughter of human conflict before my door. & # 8221 ; ( Thoreau 1747 ) Imperialists use their people for conflict and have no compunction for them. As Thoreau watches over them contending he realizes the battle behind human conflict and sees imperialism through the position of the fierceness that they endure. Thoreau besides comes to recognize the extent of the Internecine struggles the imperialist and Republicans have. Thoreau and Orwell both play typical functions in the parts of imperialism. In both positions each storyteller gets a true feeling of imperialism and its divest affects among the people under imperialistic control.

In both & # 8220 ; The Battle of the Ants & # 8221 ; and & # 8220 ; Shooting an Elephant & # 8221 ; the writers express their positions on imperialism metaphorically through the usage of animate beings and insects. The two different points of represented as either being an imperialistic force or by being an active portion of imperialism.