In Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell described the local incident in Burma through the eyes of the British policeman. The officer claimed that this incident revealed to him the real nature of imperialism. He saw the futility of efforts to bring “civilization” to Burmese and considered them inferior and unable to govern their own nation. The policeman saw British foreign policies fail but did not have any better substitute for it. Thus, he thought that imperialism was a necessary evil. According to Orwell, the real motive of imperialistic despotic government is the desire to impress the natives. It is a condition of imperialist rule to prove its superiority and decisiveness while appeasing natives. Imperialism is called to rule over subject nation, but it owes to this nation to show signs of concerns for the oppressed and good that imperialism brings. Author claimed that foreign rulers have to play their role in a way that pleases the oppressed nation to avoid dissatisfactions and revolts.
Orwell’s narrative fits into history of imperialism in that it shows “behavioral” and psychological side of imperialism. Narrative summary is in that it portrays what imperialism embodies on a daily basis and the effect it has on both rulers and subjects. Imperialism has two roots. The first one is greed and desire for gain through exploiting other nations. Second, intervention into affairs of another state is possible because ruling country believes that oppressed are inherently inferior and unable to solve their issues independently. However, imperialism may use political explanation of its imperial ambitions. The US President Theodor Roosevelt’s message to Congress in 1904 stated, “Impotence which results in general loosening of the ties of civilized society require intervention by some civilized nation, and . . . exercise of an international police power”. His words support the argument that imperialism implies inability of a subject country to manage its affairs and justifies the stronger country’s intervention to remedy the situation.

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