1. Shooting an Elephant
George Orwell
DAY 1

2. Journal
After your initial reading of “Shooting an Elephant,” what do you learn about Orwell as the speaker? Provide evidence.
Who do you assume Orwell intended his audience to be? Provide evidence.
What does Orwell communicate is his purpose in writing this piece? Do you think he is rhetorically successful? Provide evidence.

3. Getting Started
Choose five words of particular importance in the first paragraph.

4. Digging Further
In the second paragraph, identify words and phrases that illustrate Orwell’s feelings about Imperialism and words and phrases that indicate how he feels about the Burmese.
Examine how those words are similar or different from the first paragraph.

5. Overall Voice What do we learn from Orwell’s diction?
What is the voice of this writer?

6. Shooting an Elephant
George Orwell
DAY 2

7. Journal
Write about a situation that you’ve had that could relate to Orwell’s.
What kind of internal struggle did you feel? What kind of opposing emotions were at work? What kind of outside forces influenced you?
How was your situation similar to or different from Orwell’s?

8. Examining the Conflict
Shoot the elephant?
Recreate Orwell’s decision to shoot the elephant by using direct quotations to illustrate his thoughts about “yes” kill the elephant and “no” don’t kill the elephant.
Use phrases or parts of sentences from the text.

9. Final Words Reread the final paragraph.
Choose five words of particular importance within the paragraph.

10. The Thing “A good story is about the thing, and the other thing…”
What’s the thing?

11. The Other Thing
…The second thing looks like the first thing, but it’s something else.”
What’s the other thing?

12. Shooting an Elephant
George Orwell
DAY 3

13. Narrative Effect
Where does Orwell provide internal analysis? Is it effective? WHY?
Where does Orwell slow down/speed up the story? Is it effective? WHY?
What descriptions enhance and continue the tone/voice of the story?