In the Midst of Pressures - Essay Example

Full In the Midst of Pressures “Shooting an Elephant” and “Salvation” are two short stories that show how a person couldreact in times of pressure. The main character in the first story did not really like to shoot the elephant but because of the two thousand Burmese who were expecting him to shoot it, he was driven to do what was against his will. He was concerned about how the people would react. He was already a hated man, being a white man and a police officer in a foreign land. He has become, as the storyteller reveals, a tyrant who has lost his freedom; being pushed by the people to do things against his will.

He knows that as an officer, he should follow protocol, get near the elephant and test if it is still harmful or it is already safe for it to be left alone. However, the area where the elephant was eating is muddy and it would be dangerous for the officer to get near the elephant because there is the possibility that he would be trampled upon like the Indian killed by the beast. Although he was not concerned about his safety, he was thinking what a laughing stock he would become in his time of death when he gets killed by the elephant.

Therefore, in this certain circumstance, he decided to kill the elephant even though that was not really his intention. Similarly, in the second story, the main character gave in to pressure. When Langston was left all alone in his seat, with his friend looking down at him from the platform and the older members of the congregation and the priest wanting him to move forward and receive his salvation, the young man went to the podium. He did not receive the salvation the way he expected it to be but stood up to receive his salvation because he was feeling ashamed and pressured by the other people.

The main character was waiting for him to see the light as he was told by his aunt and for something to happen inside of him so he tried to wait on that moment, wanting to be saved. However, when nothing happened to him, women cried for him and the preacher urged him to receive his savior. However, he did not like to be like his friend who took the name of the Lord in vain and then stood up to be saved only because he was tired staying in his seat. Therefore, he waited for that moment which never came, until he was forced to stand up.

The results of the two characters giving in to pressure were different. In “Shooting an Elephant”, the Englishman consequently felt relieved and happy to have killed the elephant. He was relieved because he was hailed a hero by the people who were watching him and he was happy because he soon realized that he did the legal action. Although the owner of the elephant was furious, he was a single voice compared to the two thousand Burmese. The older European men said the officer was right in killing the beast but the younger generation said otherwise because the beast was more valuable than the man that the elephant killed.

With the differing opinions, the officer was generally glad that he killed the elephant reasoning that he did the right fully legal thing. However, he was also followed by the thought that he killed the elephant only to escape looking a fool. On the other hand, Langston felt miserable for having stood up in the church because he knew he cheated the people. Although the people were very happy when he stood up with the other teenagers, the main character knew in his heart and mind that there was no “saving” that happened to him.

His faith in Jesus was reduced to nothing because, as the author says, “I didn’t believe there was a Jesus anymore, since he didn’t come to help me” (Langston). The authors of both stories reveal the presence of emotional stress through narration. They both use the main characters’ contemplations to express more effectively what is going on inside them and what they are thinking about. They both use descriptions and explanations as well. As the storytellers recount the situations, they use vivid descriptions and reasons that make the readers “feel and see” the emotional stress they have gone through.

For instance, George Orwell uses his character to explain what he was feeling and what is going on in his mind, how he perceived the Burmese and how he expected them to treat him. Moreover, he describes the setting of the story in order to make sense of the reasons the character uses. For example, the Englishman explains how soft the muddy ground around the elephant is so that it is impossible for him to go near the elephant ensuring his safety. This technique makes the reader see and understand his point.

Langston on the other hand describes the gleeful spirit of the people around him in contrast to his miserable feelings to emphasize his emotional stress. He also explains the situation he is going through by commenting on how his aunt perceives his crying and goes on to explain how he was really feeling. The contradictions Langston used in describing the circumstances in the story are effective in magnifying and understanding the emotional situations of the protagonist. References Langston, Hughes.

Salvation. USA. 1940. Web. October 10, 2012. Orwell, George. Shooting an Elephant. USA. 1936. Web. October 10, 2012.