Question

In “Shooting an Elephant,” what is the narrator’s real reason for shooting the elephant? He accidentally discharges the weapon. He has been ordered by a superior to kill the animal. He does not want to appear foolish. He feels the elephant is a threat to people’s safety.

Answer 1

In "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell, the narrator's real reason for shooting the elephant is that he does not want to appear foolish.

Explanation: The narrator was followed by a crowd to the elephant that was rampaging. Even though it was legal, he felt that the elephant did not need to be killed because it was sleeping peacefully. He felt pressured by the crowd, who watched and urged him to kill the elephant. In the end, he says, "I often wondered whether any of the others grasped that I had done it solely to avoid  looking a fool".

Answer 2

he does not want to appear foolish.