Reading 1001 discussion

3. How does the magistrate perceive the Empire?

Initially, he doesn't think the Empires practices are effective and he blames the Empire's influence for the behavior of the natives. In the end, he is against the empire and ashamed and sorry for what he did for the Empire.

I agree with Diane.

His views of the Empire are moderated but the reader is left wondering if a change of mind will be effective.

I think he has little regard for the empire and in the end his thoughts are about Empire and how it exists to stay alive and is not natural or a part of the natural circle of life. He wanted to influence a change but one man alone can not be "justice".

He thinks the Empire is fine when it is far away from the borders and doing what it does best however he believes it is in the wrong when it comes out to the borders and imposes its will with no understanding of the nature of the land or the people who survive there.

I think he starts out believing that the Empire is fine and he has an idyllic libertine life. He feels guilty in yielding to the barbarism of Colonel Joll, but he views himself as representative of the true values of the Empire. He ends by realizing that it is the Colonel Jolls that are the true face of Empire and he was always a lie.

I think the Magistrate supported the Empire in the beginning, though perhaps blissfully unaware of the "evil" of the Empire (maybe by choice though), until his humanity comes through and he sees the errors in his way.