Austen's image of the Colony in Mansfield Park.

If one is to look at the role that the colony plays in Austen’s Mansfield Park, then he/she will have to look at the picture that Austen paints of the Bertram family and their social standing as well as their attitudes towards it.

As Said says:

“Sir Thomas’s overseas possessions- … -give him his wealth, occasion his absences, fix his social status at home and abroad, and make possible his values to which Fanny Price (and Austen herself) finally subscribes.”

Given that Sir Thomas’s status is derived mostly out of his colonial possessions, and the underlying plot of the novel is Fanny Price’s social mobility to the status enjoyed by the Bertram family, the role of the colony is of utmost importance. The colony is the source of Bertram wealth and power. Moreover, as per Said, "the right to colonial possession helps directly to establish social order and moral priorities at home".Which means that the whole theme of morality that exists in MP is a direct function of the Colony possession.However,the colony only exists as a source of the said wealth and status. It is a possession to be owned, its people however do not merit any consideration. They are just there and they should have nothing to say. As Said says:

    "The universalizing discourse of modern Europe and the United States assume the silence, willing or otherwise, of the non European world. ... But there is only infrequently an acknowledgement that the colonized people should be heard from, their ideas known."

Assuming the silence of the colonized, Austen, like most of the other British writers of that time paints the Colony with a very imperialistic brush. The picture of the colony which Austen paints goes hand in hand with the British national narrative i.e.

1) its good to have a colonial plantation or two if you are willing to put up with the colonised; 

2) Colonies are a good place for fripperies like shawls and the sort; 

3) Colonies must make money and give us power otherwise what is the point.   

Given this context, what can be concluded is that a colony is a vastly important possession to have. As for the question of the colonized- there is nothing to ask or tell- they are a people “without history”. (Or in many cases they are not even a people- so don’t be impolite by asking about those sad colored things.)