In George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant,” there are several layers or categories of power. For one, Orwell describes the British Empire as evil and tyrannical. Imperialism, to him, is the greatest malevolent force. However, this is all theoretical. In real life, in Orwell’s lived experience, the Burmese are the real nefarious forces. Orwell’s mind is split between these two forces: the theoretical evil and the experienced one. But there are several other units at play that also appear in the story Lisa Wedeen shares. The Burmese people, discontent with the British people’s presence, exert influence on the European officers by yelling at them, insulting them, and even physically effecting them (through tripping during games, for example). All of these acts serve as a type of transgression. However, I think that even with such overt expressions of discontent the Burmese people still partly play into the system that the British government has set in place (although I do believe the Burmese transgress more often than they submit for even Orwell admits the power they have over him). When Orwell is moving towards the scene in which the elephant was last seen, “Various Burmans stopped [him] on the way and told [him] about the elephant’s doing” (para. 3). It’s clear that there is somewhat of an expectation that Orwell (and other European officers) will resolve the issue. The Burmese, not having any weapons, are relatively powerless. They then look to the ones in “power”–those who they resent–as important entities during certain situations. By doing so, they recognize their influence and thus play into the system they (the British) have created. They’ve developed their power over Europeans yet at times (although they hold the power to decide what times) step slightly into the sphere they wish to undermine.