What strikes the reader from the very beginning is the author's unrelenting honesty about himself. Instead of describing himself as a hero, he says he was "hated" -- but usually he wasn't even important enough to be hated. He is scared and resentful. He is guilty. He is "ill educated." Because of Orwell's almost painful honesty and willingness to look at his own faults, we know that we'll probably learn some truths in this essay, not just some cliche version of reality.

The author's actions cause pain on both the executioner and the elephant, who dies a painful death. This duality highlights the pain that imperialism brought to both parties involved. Orwell clearly writes this essay as an attack on imperialism, showing that imperialism benefits nobody.

Some common words found in the essay are:
George Orwell, kill elephant, , shooting elephant, elephant orwell,
Approximate Word count = 514
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)