Background on for “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell

George Orwell, press card portrait, 1933.

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During the age of Discovery, European ships sailed out across the world looking for riches and for territories to claim. Imperialism or Colonialism are the terms we use today, but by the mid 1800s, England, France, Portugal, and Spain managed to gain control of most of the world—Britain having the most far-reaching control. The saying went, “the sun never sets on the British Empire.” In 1920 this was literally true. The British Empire was the largest empire in history. Nearly ¼ of the population of the world was under British control. The areas shaded in pink show the British Empire at its height. Note the position of Burma.

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British Empire

Burma (Myanmar) was caught in the net of British imperialism. By 1900 three wars finally brought Burma under the British Flag and Britain annexed it to its Indian territory. Burma would not gain its independence from Britain until 1948.

George Orwell (Eric Blair) was born in India where his father worked as agent for the British government.

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Eric Blair (George Orwel) with his father, Richard Blair, mother, Ida, and sister Avril in 1916

Orwell returned to India in as an adult to do the same. In 1922 he joined the Indian Imperial Police and was stationed in southern Burma until 1927. It was here that much of Orwell’s disgust for the colonial system and government tyranny was born.

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George Orwell, (last row, third from left)

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By Branch of the National Union of Journalists (BNUJ). (http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 2

By The Red Hat of Pat Ferrick [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 3

Francis Hayman [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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GeorgeOrwell.org. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 9 Jul 2012.

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Storgaard, Claus B.. N.d. Photograph. Tripod.com, George Orwell – socialist, anarchist or what . . . ? Photograph. n.p. Web. 9 Jul 2012