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Throughout the novel, Professor Lovell’s relationship with Robin is defined by what Robin can do for him—and, more generally, for the British Empire. His refusal to claim Robin as his son, combined with the stern detachment with which Lovell treats him throughout Robin’s childhood and beyond, underscores the idea that Lovell sees him as merely an asset, a means by which the Empire may continue to expand its colonial holdings and amass global power.

Robin’s very existence is strategic; Lovell is of the belief that Babel needs to expand beyond the Romance languages, as they are quickly growing too similar to one another to continue being as useful in silver-working as they previously were. The future, he believes, is Chinese; to “innovate,” they must look to the East. But while Lovell may extol the advantages of the Chinese language, he regularly and openly spews hateful, racist sentiments about Chinese people. Whenever Robin disappoints him, as in childhood when he misses his lesson or later when Lovell blames Robin for the destruction of the opium in Canton, Lovell unleashes the full force of his racist, eugenicist beliefs. He insists Robin is by nature lazy, untrustworthy, and foolish, and must “overcome the pollution of [his] blood” if he wants to succeed.

Lovell consistently defends the exploitative means by which Britain acquires foreign resources, as he himself exploits and dehumanizes Robin. That Lovell insists Robin should be thanking him for the "opportunities" provided to him brings to mind the “civilizing mission” inherent in European colonialism in the 19th and 20th centuries, referring to the ways in which countries such as Britain attempted to justify their violent oppression and exploitation of non-European nations by insisting it was their moral duty to "civilize" them, for which those nations should be grateful.

Lovell's reaction to Robin accidentally missing his lesson with Mr. Chester further supports the idea that Lovell is symbolic of the British Empire, evoking the violence with which Britain responds to countries it seeks to control. This scene again underscores Lovell's utter detachment; Robin reflects that Lovell is not angry as he beats him, merely deliberate in his cruelty. Later, when Robin accuses Lovell of being a monster, Lovell says he hasn’t the time for this; when Robin demands he say his mother’s name, Lovell dismisses him. A lifetime of resentment, fear, and anger overwhelms Robin then, and Lovell’s death at his hands serves as a turning point in Robin’s character development, as he finally eschews passivity in favor of action.

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