Joseph A. Montagna
Refer once again to the definition of imperialism, engage students in discussion.
Who benefits from imperialism? Make a chart to which students contribute their ideas on this question. Seek to identify advantages and disadvantages from the point of view of the dominating and the dominated people. (Develop a vocabulary list for students to learn)
Obtain copies of George Orwell’s short story,
Shooting An Elephant
. After students have developed the chart described above this five page story will be food for further thought.
Who is the narrator?
Why does he dislike his job?
What is his job? nationality?
Where is he? What does he think of the indigent?
Why do the natives laugh at him and others like him?
What does the narrator tell us in the following?
“Here was I, the white man with his gun, standing in front of the native crowd—seemingly the leading actor of the piece; but in reality I was only a puppet pushed to and fro by the will of these yellow faces behind . . . when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom he destroys.”
Can the captor become the captive?
Brief history of British involvement in India (see Spear’s book, pp 61-69, pp 81-105)
The Indian Mutiny 1857 (see narrative and Spear’s book, pp 141-145)
India 1857-1921 (see narrative and Spear’s book, pp 158-193)
There are many ways to teach the topics mentioned above, which is the reason for providing an outline of the course and readings. There are also many more ways than those mentioned where the two disciplines come together and reinforce one another. Further, there are many opportunities for the teacher to use the material for improving student writing. Through their study of excellent writing, I hope that their own writing will be improved.
As a culminating activity have the students view the movie version
“The Man Who Would Be King”. It would be interesting to have them
compare their impression of the movies version as opposed to the written.
