Ranjit Kripal Singh

Ranjit Kripal Singh is the narrator and main character of the novel. Singh’s background is heavily based on that of the author. Singh’s parents are originally from India, but Singh was born on the fictional Caribbean island of Isabella. Singh is a British citizen because Isabella is a part of the British Empire. As a boy, Singh attended a British imperial school on Isabella before going to London for university. Singh attended an unnamed London university that he refers to only as “the School.” There, he met and London native named Sandra, whom he later married. He then moved back to Isabella with Sandra. Back on Isabella, Singh became a wealthy landowner and businessman thanks to an inheritance from his maternal grandmother, and he eventually entered politics on the island. A series of political and economic misfortunes eventually led to him being ousted from...