Explain the implied assumption underlying the statement in the first sentence.

In the opening line of "Shooting an Elephant," the implied assumption relates to colonialism. Specifically, Orwell makes the assumption that because he was living and working in Burma, his reader would understand two key points. The first point is that he was "hated" because, to the Burmese people, he represented the authority of the British Empire. As a subjugated people, it is expected that the Burmese would feel some resentment toward the British Empire and, as a result, would project this onto Orwell, a police officer.

Secondly, Orwell also expects that people will understand what he means by the following phrase:

The only time in my life that I have been important enough for this to happen to me.

Orwell expects people to understand that, as an imperial officer, he had a higher status than the Burmese. In fact, he was at the very top of the social ladder because he worked on behalf of the British Empire. The native population, the Burmese, were at the very bottom.

Orwell, therefore, works on the assumption that his readers understand the power relationship between the imperial class and the native, inferior class.