Read this passage from “shooting an elephant” by george orwell. what is ironic about what the narrator is saying? in moulmein, in lower burma, i was hated by large numbers of people – the only time in my life that i have been important enough for this to happen to me. the narrator cannot understand why he was hated by so many people. the narrator says he was hated, but he was actually well-liked by the people in burma. the narrator is complaining that he has never really been an important person. the narrator implies that being considered important does not necessarily lead to good things.