Points of View

The novel is written in the third person point of view, which gives the reader insight into many different characters in the besieged community. The author uses omniscient narration, which means that the story includes the thoughts and perspective of multiple characters. The Siege of Krishnapur narrates the struggle of an entire settlement of people who take shelter in the Residency and the surrounding buildings. The third person point of view is essential to showing how different characters react to the deteriorating situation. We see the Collector deal with the first signs of trouble, and we get a strong sense of the scorn and ridicule pointed at him from other members of the British community in Calcutta. Similarly, we see how Fleury changes throughout the novel and how relationships are forged between many of the main characters.

The author does not only give us insight into...