An analysis of how the author gains the sympathy of the reader in "Shooting an Elephant," by George Orwell

In "Shooting an Elephant," George Orwell finds himself in a difficult situation involving an elephant. The fate of the elephant lies in his hands. Only he can make the final decision. In the end, due to Orwell's decision, the elephant lay dying in a pool of blood. Orwell wins the sympathy of readers by expressing the pressure he feels as an Anglo-Indian in Burma, struggling with his morals, and showing a sense of compassion for …

…the death leaves the impression that he actually had feelings for the animal. If it were a routine killing he would have not even considered how the elephant felt. Orwell was very detailed about his feelings about the killing through out the essay. Most readers have respect and sympathy for him because of his emotional turmoil before the shooting, his struggle with his own feelings about killing, and his feelings of sadness for the elephant.