Not unlike other native peoples stories, The Chosen Place highlights the unfortunate reality of globalization and business enterprises. In the same way that colonialism itself misrepresented Britain's interests before practically enslaved the natives, the natives are reluctant to trust any foreigners, because likely, they wouldn't be here if they didn't have something to gain. Ultimately, the American himself realizes that it is absolutely the case they everyone who comes to the Islands seems to have an ulterior motive. Therefore, the novel is about the wisdom that the natives have to offer about human altruism. Often, trying to help is only making things worse, because everyone stands to gain by exploiting the Island.
This is not an unusual story, by the way, which is probably the point of the novel. By creating a new island instead of using one of the many, terrible case studies of the Caribbean, Marshall shows all of their stories in one fictional example. In this way, the story is allegorical, and maybe even archetypal, because it indicates a deep, deep truth about human trustworthiness. Essentially, the novel proposes that this is just the way civilized nations treat the rest of the world—as a resource to exploit. To think of an instance of colonialism that doesn't share this same fundamental mistreatment of the natives is difficult. Almost everything about colonialism is horrifying underneath the false pretenses.
This is what Dr. Armon concludes as well, ultimately deciding that no matter how well they can solve Bourne Island's infrastructural brokenness, the real problem still hasn't even been touched. Why does the rest of the world behave so hatefully against the native peoples? Is it because they think that as human beings, their souls aren't worth the same? It seems that is the case, which makes the prospect of reconciliation very unlikely. Dr. Amron is a wise, powerless person, finally wise instead of naïve, but just like the Bournehill residents insist so loudly, there is simply no changing human nature. The island will certainly be exploited, and there's nothing anyone can actually do to stop it.
