This work is written in American English, reflecting in grammar, vocabulary, orthography and style. It will deal with one short story "A Pipe of Mystery" by George Alfred Henty and the essay "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell. Its aims are the following: finding the texts’ elements in support of colonial rule and those that oppose it; drawing up an analysis of these elements; and evaluating each author’s position on imperialism.
The text below will be divided into three parts, the first two being the analysis of each short story, and the third containing a summary of both analyses and a comparison. Each analysis will begin with a brief synopsis of the plot, some information about the author, and a short historical abstract. The actual analysis will follow.
Henty’s text was published as part of the five-story collection Tales of Daring and Danger, published around 1890. Orwell’s essay was published in a collection with the title Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays. While actually fitting the genre, the essay is not a short story because it does contain strong autobiographic references. One could best describe Shooting an Elephant as a hybridization between a political essay, a short story and an autobiography.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. G. A. Henty’s A Pipe of Mystery
2.1 SYNOPSIS, AUTHOR AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
2.2 ANALYSIS
2.2.1 NARRATION AND FOCALIZATION
2.2.2 HENTY AND HISTORY
2.2.3 CHARACTERIZATION
3. George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant
3.1 SYNOPSIS, AUTHOR AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
3.2 ANALYSIS
3.2.1 NARRATION AND FOCALIZATION
3.2.2 ORWELL’S STANCE ON IMPERIALISM
3.2.3 CHARACTERIZATION, IMAGES AND SETTING
4. Summary and comparison
Research Objectives and Themes
This work aims to examine the representation of British imperialism in G. A. Henty’s short story "A Pipe of Mystery" and George Orwell’s essay "Shooting an Elephant" by identifying narrative elements that either support or oppose colonial rule and evaluating the authors' underlying positions.
- Analysis of colonial versus anti-imperialist perspectives in literature.
- Examination of narration, focalization, and characterization techniques.
- Evaluation of the authors' stances on British imperial policy and history.
- Comparative analysis of the symbolic significance of animal portrayals in colonial contexts.
- Investigation into the influence of biographical and historical contexts on the texts.
Excerpt from the Book
NARRATION AND FOCALIZATION
First, I will discuss narration. There are two levels; the first is Colonel Harley’s telling the story and talking to his nieces and nephews, the second is the aforementioned story he tells them about his experiences in India. Since the first level—extradiegetic narration—is restricted to only a few lines and includes no comments, it will be skipped in favor of the second level, the Colonel’s account.
Harley, as a narrator, is not exactly the archetypical figural narrator (Stanzel) because he mentions his own narration (“I am not telling you a hunting story.”, p. 150) and makes a few remarks about future actions that the young Harley within the narration could not have known about (“your aunt, then Miss Gardiner”, p. 157; “[a]s at many other stations, the mutiny broke out when we were at mess”, p. 157). The old Harley is the reflector figure and tells about the adventures of the young. In Rimmon-Kenan’s terms, the old Harley is narrator-focalizer, making the narration heterogetic. Nonetheless, the old Harley does not say enough about future events as to make the story less exciting for the readers, so the narrative situation is still not far from figural.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the scope of the work, focusing on the comparison between Henty's and Orwell's texts regarding their imperialist or anti-imperialist leanings.
G. A. Henty’s A Pipe of Mystery: Analyzes the short story as a pro-colonial narrative that uses simplistic depictions of natives to justify British authority.
George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant: Explores the essay as a semi-autobiographical, critical account that reveals the protagonist's inner conflict regarding his role as an agent of British imperialism.
Summary and comparison: Synthesizes the analysis, contrasting the "heroic" killing of a tiger in Henty's work with the "unnecessary" killing of an elephant in Orwell's to highlight their opposing views on empire.
Keywords
Imperialism, Colonialism, British Empire, George Alfred Henty, George Orwell, Narration, Focalization, Great Indian Mutiny, Orientalism, Characterization, Anti-imperialism, Burma, India, Literary analysis, Postcolonial literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
This paper examines how two distinct texts—Henty’s "A Pipe of Mystery" and Orwell’s "Shooting an Elephant"—portray the British Empire, identifying whether they serve to support or oppose colonial ideologies.
Which specific themes are central to the analysis?
The central themes include colonial power structures, the construction of the "Other," the moral legitimacy of British rule, and the use of narration and characterization to influence reader perception.
What is the main research question of the study?
The study seeks to identify which elements in the texts support or oppose colonial rule and to evaluate each author's personal stance on imperialism.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author uses narrative theory (specifically concepts of narration, focalization, and reflector figures) and postcolonial literary criticism to analyze the texts.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body is divided into individual analyses of each text, focusing on historical context, narration, character types, and specific symbolic elements like the treatment of animals.
What are the characterizing keywords of this work?
Key terms include imperialism, postcolonial literature, narrative unreliability, Orientalism, and colonial discourse.
How does Henty's portrayal of history differ from Orwell's?
Henty uses his stories to indoctrinate readers with a pro-imperialist view, simplifying historical complexities to favor British heroism, whereas Orwell provides a disillusioned, critical perspective on the internal conflicts and brutality of the colonial system.
What role does the "unreliable narrator" play in the analysis of Orwell's essay?
The author argues that Orwell’s narrator is unreliable because he acts in ways he fundamentally contradicts, which serves to highlight the moral corruption and hypocrisy inherent in the colonial officer's position.
- Citation du texte
- Fabian Schlecht (Auteur), 2011, Supporting and Opposing the Empire. Analysis of "A Pipe of Mystery" by G. A. Henty and "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/300368
