Orwell describes the shooting and slow death of the elephant in excruciating detail. How does this description support his reflections in the essay?

The actual killing of the elephant is really a metaphor for colonization. Orwell describes power as being fundamentally performative; it's also illustrated as such through the heavily allegorical aspect of his act of shooting the elephant. Openly, Orwell discusses the ways that he must uphold the performance of power by not appearing to hesitate in shooting the elephant. With the crowd watching, he must appear to be in control of the situation. The performative element of power subsequently plays out as we watch him, in his role as British police officer, demonstrate his confidence in bringing a wild beast, literally, to its knees.