Although sometimes confusing, the use of a contradiction strongly establishes and emphasizes a point and often inspires an emotional response. In George Orwell's essay, "Shooting an Elephant," Orwell effectively exposes these contradictions, or paradoxes, in a way that defines human nature in political situations and illustrates the problems with such responses. These rhetorical devices add depth to Orwell's argument and better persuade the reader to consider his position on human nature in political situations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To assert that "...when the white man becomes a tyrant, it is his own liberty that he destroys", Orwell implies that, in the context of British imperialism, any leader who is rampant in his country is destined to sacrifice his own freedom in addition to pulverizing the freedom of others whom he desperately seeks to control. In the essay, Orwell describes himself as being "...stuck between [his] hatred of the empire he served and [his] rage at the evil little beasts who tried to make [his] job impossible." » His job as an Imperial Indian Police officer makes him loyal to imperialist Britain, but he wants to help oppressed Indians no matter how badly they treat him. This is an example of how the white man destroys his own freedom when he attempts to viciously control or expand into other countries, as Britain was doing at this time. Orwell would later argue with himself about shooting the elephant before realizing he must do it with the crowd. looking at him. It is about his loss of freedom based on his loyalty to the British Empire which had ruled the tyrant. It is human nature, in political situations, to consciously or unconsciously sacrifice something personal for the good of the whole. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. also proves this instinct in his description of the few white Americans, saying in "A Letter from Birmingham Jail": "I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressive race can understand the deep groans and passionate longings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be eradicated by strong, persistent and determined action. This hesitation and resistance that King faced was a result of the oppressive government that when loyal to that government, that person's freedom is erased in order to suppress that of another because their choices had to follow the strict instructions given to him. For this reason, the paradox that Orwell uses to highlight how people react to hardened and harsh government officials who impose rules and restrictions on them is effective, in that it shows how deeply he is in the human nature to follow orders and avoid being singled out for your audacity. Orwell emphasizes the issue of human instinct in times of racial and social segregation by saying that the white man "...wears a mask and his face enlarges to accommodate it", addressing the reality that, When oppressive governments or leaders, in general, push for something forcefully enough, the citizens under their leadership will adhere to their wishes and at least pretend to stick with the status quo. Citizens adopt a persona, a “mask” that does not reflect their true feelings and thoughts, for the sake of conformity. However, ultimately the fantasy.