Before Reading
Identify a Purpose
Read the About the Selection paragraph. What conflict does Orwell face? Why do you think he shoots the elephant? As you read the essay, see if you are right.
During Reading
Read with This Purpose in Mind
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first paragraph of the essay aloud. Pay attention to the relationship between the narrator as a British officer and the native people of Burma.
2. Continue reading the selection on your own. Examine how the relationship between the narrator and the people of Lower Burma develops. What expectations are put on him because of this relationship? When you get to page 1015, focus on the speaker's choices. Why does he make the choice he does? Keep reading the selection to see how the speaker feels about his decision.
Fix-Up Idea: Write Things Down
As you read, make a timeline of events that shows what happens to the narrator. List events in the order in which they happen.
After Reading
Discuss the Purpose
With two or three of your classmates, discuss whether the narrator acts the way you expect him to. Then discuss the Respond to the Selection question.