In the essay "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell, the narrator describes himself as “oppressed,” “a poor shot,” and “ill-educated.” This shows that he has a low self-esteem. This also tell me that he is beaten down and confused in his personal beliefs. Thus, he has killed the elephant. Instinctively, he does not want to shoot the elephant. But, he momentarily feels a sense of power and respect which is what he wanted from the villagers all along. As a result, he decides to shoot the elephant to avoid looking like a fool in front of them.
I wonder what will I do if I was in his situation. Probably I will do the same thing.
After reading this essay, I feel that respect to each other is the most important moral value which I will teach my students if I used this text in my lesson. I will ask my students to think what are the possible actions the narrator will do if he is being respected. I will also get students to understand the importance to respect each other. When people are not treated respectively, there will always be complaints and conflict between them. Confucius said, "He who respects others will be respected himself, and he who loves others will be loved by them." Equality among people can never be attained through the use of force. No matter what skin colour you are, you should be treated equally and respectively. When there is full, mutual respect among people, then we will be able to create a peaceful and harmony world.
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