What is the narrator point of view in the novel, The Colony?

The Colony adopts a shifting third-person point of view that occasionally devolves into flurries of first-person musing. The decision to maintain this revolving approach to the novel's perspective is integral to its achievement of its themes, as Magee does not inhabit merely the mind of the colonizer or merely the mind of the colonized. Indeed, in hopping from one perspective to the next—sometimes within the same section of text—Magee manages to achieve an elevated sense of empathy for each of her characters without sacrificing the novel's sharp critique of imperialism and its impact on human relations. Furthermore, this merry-go-round of perspectives allows Magee to create tension through omission where this is a necessary technique to keep the reader engaged. As James begins to realize that Lloyd has appropriated his paintings, for instance, the narration shifts away from providing the reader direct access to Lloyd's perspective. This refusal to give the reader access to Lloyd's thoughts heightens the tension, as the reader is left to question whether Lloyd will or will not make good on his promise to James to take him to England and showcase his work at a gallery.

The moments of the novel that hew closer to a first-person or close third perspective are used sparingly but effectively as a means of deepening the reader's understanding of the characters' psychologies and pasts. Masson's childhood, for instance, is a significant piece in the conversation The Colony is having with the specter of colonialism, as it allows the reader to understand not only the ways in which colonialism informs Masson's experience but also the ways in which Masson inadvertently finds himself echoing the abuses of his father in his paternalistic attitude toward the islanders. The grief and fear that Mairéad and James respectively feel about the death of Liam is also significant to understanding the cycles of poverty and disenfranchisement they find themselves in as systemic and cyclical, not merely a product of circumstance. These occasional forays into the deeper musings and psychologies of the novel's characters thus have a broadening effect on the reader's understanding.