CANYON, Texas — The horns—or, perhaps, tusks—of an ethical dilemma are in the spotlight for the April edition of West Texas A&M University’s Great Books series.

Dr. Robert Fulton, adjunct professor of humanities and English at Amarillo College, will lead the discussion of George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” at 7 p.m. April 11 via Zoom.

The discussion series — sponsored by the Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities —is open to those who either have or haven’t read the book, said Dr. Daniel Bloom, Great Books organizer and associate professor of philosophy.

Though Orwell is most associated lately with his allegorical novel “Animal Farm” and the dystopian “1984,” he began his writing career as a journalist and essayist. “Shooting an Elephant” draws on his work on the Indian Imperial Police in Burma in the 1920s.

“The focus of the story puts the reader in the uncomfortable position of ‘what would you do?’ when faced whether to shoot an elephant that has killed a man. Would you shoot the elephant, or not?,” said Fulton, who also teaches with Southern Methodist University’s Continuing and Professional Education division.

“The answer, like life, is not so black and white, and with excruciating honesty Orwell describes the story and what he ultimately decided to do,” Fulton said. “However, the lingering question remains at the end of the essay of whether our ethics are as strong as we like to think, or does mob rule impact them more than personal belief?”

WT professors and guest lecturers lead the monthly Great Books discussions.

The series began in 2011 and is traditionally held on the second Tuesday of the month.

To register for the April discussion, email Bloom at [email protected].

The series is one way in which WT serves the region by offering engagement with a variety of literary and philosophical texts. Being a learner-centered university is a key principle of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $120 million.