In 1936, George Orwell wrote a short story called “Shooting an Elephant”. In it, he discusses the fictional story of a man who kills an elephant and the implications that arise from it. He connects it to British imperialism and uses individual experiences as a reference to larger experiences that we all face. The morality of the killing arises from the death of the elephant as well as the way in which the narrator's identity has been altered by his environment. Although it appears to be the story of a euthanized crawling elephant, George Orwell uses the story as an analogy to describe man's inner struggle. between acceptance, morality and the pursuit of power. The narrator of "Shooting an Elephant" grows to fit an invisible mask, intended to keep himself from appearing stupid to those around him. Molded to fit the demands of others and their needs and not. his. When the Burmese stand behind the narrator, he knows that if he does not do what they want him to do, it will make him look like a fool in their eyes. He takes care not to lose any respect for them. could have had for him. The narrator makes a valid point about the people he is there to protect by saying, "They didn't like me, but with the magic gun in my hands I was momentarily worth watching" (Orwell) . This shows how much he craves respect from others and is more than willing to do what it takes to achieve it, even if he was not yet thinking about what others might think of him, At the time he only asked for the rifle for his own protection. He adorns his mask of shame to gain the admiration of others at the expense of his humanity. Orwell describes how the narrator is secretly on the side of the Burmese as opposed to the British, and how the middle of the paper reveals the sacrifices we make when we make a moral choice. With the sacrifice of his humanity, the narrator undergoes an identity transition, going from a morally motivated person to someone whose will bends easily to serve those around him, someone who does so and does not ask never why. George Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant" describes the turmoil that follows after an elephant runs amok in a village and the narrator makes the choice to kill the elephant. Evaluating the options available to him, deciding whether to do good for man or good for himself. Orwell extrapolates the meaning of a fictional story using the story as a whole as an analogy. With this analogy, he is able to provide deeper insight into the decisions we make and their effects on our morality, as well as the consequences of valuing acceptance and power more than what we believe we are fair..