The Collector

Mr. Hopkins, the Collector, is the official who is in charge of the British community in Krishnapur. His official duties are eclipsed by the beginning of the siege, and he becomes a leader of the small group of British colonials who are trapped in the building complex around the Residency. One of the Collector's main goals is to keep everyone's spirits up as the siege progresses. He continues to adhere to cultured habits, even when most social graces have been forgotten. For example, the Collector offers the black beetle he finds to the Magistrate before eating it himself, and he is concerned about Miriam's reputation when she stays with him during his illness.

The Collector undergoes some major changes in his beliefs during the siege. When we first meet him, he is a loyal British subject who believes in the superiority of the British culture. He believes...