The Colony Analysis

The Colony is a historical fictional novel by Audrey Magee, set in 1979 on the West Coast of Ireland, a distant unnamed island with 92 people. The novel is told from a third-person perspective in an informative tone and an awe-inspiring mood. The novel's protagonist is Lloyd, an English painter visiting the small island for the first time to do his artistic work and leave behind a symbolic painting that will remind future generations of his existence. The novel's antagonist is the French professor, Jean-Peare Mason, who has visited the small island severally to conduct a thesis on the diminishing local language. Other characters in the novel include Mairéad, James, and Great grandmother Bean. Mairéad is James' mother. The primary themes explored by Magee in the novel include altruism, hostility, and culture. The small island described by Magee, in essence, is a bigger metaphor for colonization, and the greatest symbolism is the canvas, which represents Lloyd's enthusiasm and aspiration for painting.

Magee introduces the theme of altruism when Lloyd meets James on the small island for the first time. James is a young man who wants to explore something different from cultural expectations. The men on the small island are mainly anglers, which is the only economic activity they know. However, when James sees what Lloyd does, he gets interested in becoming an artist. Lloyd quickly discovers that James can be a great artist if well mentored and trained. Lloyd selflessly offers to mentor James and offer him financial support to help him achieve his goals. When Lloyd leaves for London, he goes with James and supports him until he becomes successful in art. The theme of enmity emerges when Masson discovers that Lloyd, an Englishman, is living in the neighboring cottage. According to Masson, Lloyd is a spoiler of his research because he introduces the English language, which will interfere with preserving the local language. Therefore, Masson does not like the presence of Lloyd on the island, and he tries to come up with a scheme to chase him. Culture also emerges as one of the primary issues Magee focuses on. The local people are deeply buried in their traditions, and everything they do conforms to their customs.

Lloyd's goal on the small island is to paint a canvas that symbolizes his aspirations for the local culture, people's desires, and language. The symbolism is also to remind locals of the existence and good work of Lloyd. Besides the symbolism, Magee introduces the paradox of the two incomers. Lloyd and Mason are enemies, but the locals are welcoming, and they do not see why visitors should be competing over local interests.