Shooting an Elephant

What analogy does Orwell use in paragraph 10 to describe his feelings about the crowd gathered to see him kill the elephant? Is this an appropriate analogy? Explain.

In reply to #1:

I think the analogy Orwell uses is when the crowd of people "grew very still, and a deep, low, happy sigh, as of people who see the theatre curtain go up"-- It's like Orwell is the performer and wants to impress the audience, like any performer would do. He is the center of attention.

Very appropriate indeed. He feels all eyes on him as is he is performing, but as a reader you get the sense that he is none too happy about it because it means he will have to shoot the elephant. He thinks about the show he feels he is being forced to put on for the people and considers ways in which to give them what they want without actually hurting the elephant or how to get the elephant quickly. He wishes he had had the knowledge that "in shooting an elephant one would shoot to cut an imaginary bar running from ear-hole to ear-hole" prior to firing his shot, but he aimed for what he believed to be the brain and in doing so left the animal to suffer greatly. He shot the elephant to please his "theatre crowd". He felt that no matter how reluctant he felt about it, he had to give the people what they wanted because they hated him anyway, but at that moment while he was holding the elephant rifle he was their savior and he didn't want to let that go.