The short story, "Shooting An Elephant," is so named because the plot revolves around a working elephant that breaks free from its master and rampages through a market, killing a man, a slave.
The authorities are called, and a Colonial Policeman arrives to discover that the elephant has moved away from the market and is now in a field, quietly grazing. Because the crowd that observed the elephant's wild behavior demands that the animal be shot, the Colonial Policeman has no choice but to shoot the now calm working elephant.
The Colonial Policeman feels very uncomfortable with his job in Burma, he knows that the people resent him because he represents the British government who is ruling their country at this time. Even though he does not want to shoot the elephant, to satisfy the crowd and the keep a measure of respect with the people he shoots the elephant because the local culture demands its destruction.
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