Middle Passage (novel)
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| Middle Passage | |
| Author | Charles R. Johnson |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical novel |
| Publication date | 1990 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-684-85588-7 |
| Preceded by | Being and Race |
| Followed by | Dreamer: A Novel |
Middle Passage is a 1990 historical novel by Charles R. Johnson is about the final voyage of an illegal American slave ship. Set in 1830, it speaks of a freed slave named Rutherford Calhoun. The novel won the National Book Award in 1990.
[edit] Plot summary
The novel shows a personal and historical perspective on the illegal slave trade in the United States. The protagonist is Rutherford Calhoun, a freed slave, who flees from New Orleans on a ship called the Republic. Calhoun does so to escape being blackmailed into marriage by Isadora Bailey, a schoolteacher who convinces Calhoun's creditor, Papa, to demand Calhoun pays him all he knows if he will not consent to marry Isadora. After meeting the drunken cook of the Republic while drinking away his sorrows, Calhoun stows away aboard the ship and is found after they have already put to sea. The ship travels to Africa to illegally pick up people from the Allmuseri tribe to take back to America to sell as slaves. Rutherford is educated but arrogantly self-absorbed and unable to grasp the difficulties of slaves. During the voyage, Rutherford becomes humbled, learning lessons that teach him to value and respect humanity which includes identification with his own country, America. Captain Falcon is mean to his crew who plan to take over the ship, but to their surprise the Allmuseri tribe mutiny before they can. A violent conflict occurs furthering hardships that were already in place before the ship's takeover. After the captain is shot Rutherford continues to write in the ship's log telling the story of the ship. Baleka, a young Allmuseri takes care of Rutherford when he is injured, and she communicates the messages from Ngonyama who is in charge after the mutiny. She tells Rutherford he must take his turn feeding a monster with unusual powers that Captain Falcon put in the hold of the ship with the intent of making money by selling him in America. A number of factors, including a storm and inability of the Allmuseri to sail the ship, cause the ship to sink, but a few of the people are rescued by a ship called the Juno. Rutherford is one of those rescued along with Baleka, whom Rutherford has come to know. Rutherford discovers that Isadora is on the Juno and about to marry Papa, who has part ownership of the Republic. Papa learns that Rutherford has the log to the Republic and he bargins with Rutherford to get possession of it. Rutherford brings up the fact that the ship was illegally dealing in slave trade and uses his influence with Santos, Papa's black servant, to get what he wants, namely Isadora in marriage. Isadora, who is knitting booties for her cats and dogs whom Papa is making her give up, is more than happy to leave Papa and marry Rutherford.
[edit] Characters in "Middle Passage"
- Captain Ebenezar Falcon: Captain of the Republic, involved in illegal slave trading.
- Rutherford Calhoun: Protagonist of the story; a freed slave who stows away aboard a ship called the Republic.
- Ngonyama: Allmuseri tribesman on the Republic, being transported to America in the illegal slave trade, who takes charge of the ship after the mutiny.
- Isadora Bailey: Schoolteacher whom Calhoun escapes being blackmailed into marrying. Nevertheless, she is married to Rutherford Calhoun by the end of the story.
- Papa: Creditor of Rutherford Calhoun. He is also part owner of the Republic.
Other characters include Peter Cringle, Josiah Squibb, and Baleka.
Luis Acosta was reading middle passage
[edit] References
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