Essay for Monday, 11/17

In his essay "Shooting an Elephant," George Orwell writes, "As soon as I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that  I ought not to shoot him" (p. 305, par. 6). Think of a time when you felt yourself pressured to do something you "knew with perfect certainty" that you should not do. Write an essay modeled on Orwell's in which your speaker confesses to having "shot an elephant," so to speak. If you faced social pressure to "shoot" your "elephant," than you should describe its effects on your behavior. If the social and political contexts influenced your thoughts and actions, then you should describe them. This paper should be about three pages in length, but feel free to write more than that if you like. 

We will do a gallery critique of this essay, so bring two printed copies of this essay with you to class. Also, bring with you Advanced Composition Skills.