Performing Empire: Spectacle
and Psychological Coercion in Orwell’s “Shooting an
Elephant”
Dr. Kavya Shree P
ABSTRACT
This paper examines George Orwell’s “Shooting an
Elephant” by critically analysing colonial authority as performance
rather than inherent power. Although the essay is often interpreted
as an examination of imperial power structures, this study deviates
from that view and presents the British Empire as weak and unstable,
dependent on spectacle and psychological coercion. Using Michel
Foucault’s concept of power as performance and Frantz Fanon’s theory
of colonial psychology, the analysis shows how authority is shaped
through public scrutiny, societal expectations, and the fear of
ridicule. The presence of the Burmese crowd forces the narrator to
act against his own will, resulting in a loss of personal agency.
The narrator’s conscience is internally fragmented—on one hand, he
does not want to shoot the elephant; on the other, his fear of being
laughed at by the Burmese crowd compels him to do so. The slow and
painful death of the elephant symbolizes the moral decay,
inefficiency, and gradual decline of the British Empire. Ultimately,
the paper demonstrates that imperial power is dependent, unstable,
and sustained through the continuous performance of dominance before
the collective gaze of the crowd.
Keywords: Colonial Authority, Spectacle, Psychological Coercion,
Imperial Power.
