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.
Step-by-step 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".