January 29 2007 Reading Response #1 Dr. Sun Hee Teresa Lee
Rutherfords Middle Passage
Charles Johnsons novel, entitled Middle Passage, is an epic tale about a freedslave from Southern Illinois. This mans name is Rutherfod and the narrative is about his journeys on the slave ship, the Republic. One is left to wonder why did Johnson title the novel Middle Passage? Middle Passage was written in 1990 and the novel is a work of fiction, arranged thematically. Johnson is writing about a moment in history circa 1820. Two prevailing themes are that of power and of theological undertones. Both themes contribute to the topic of slavery in the novel with respect to the roles of power in men and the binary opposition of good and evil. Rutherford lies somewhere in the middle of both classes and between good and evil. He is a freed slave, but he remains in limbo between the oppressive nature of society and wanting to be a good and just man with a criminal background. Rutherford is a thief and in debt to many of the men around the city that he lived in. Isadora is his girlfriend that tries to help him out by erasing his debts with a gangster on the condition that he marries Isadora. Rutherford enjoys Isadoras company, but at the same time he said, Her goodness shamed me (p.18). One interesting topic discussed in class is whether Isadora is really a good person because she went to speak to a gangster. Another problematic part of Isadoras life is her past with her father, but she remains a
good Christian even though she was abused as a child. Rutherford is defenseless to Isadora and she takes the upper hand and the power in the relationship. So, Rutherford joins the crew of The Republic by impersonating Joseph Squibb, the cook. By the benevolence of Captain Falcon, he is allowed to board the ship without pay. When Rutherford is at sea, the first mate, Cringle, articulates the sea as a different world, Down there reality fits more the dreams slugs of and snakes than men(p.42). Rutherford meets Falcon, the captain of the ship who likes to have sex with boys and this act can be interpreted as a form of power control over another. Falcon discusses power with Rutherford saying that nothing is equal and people will always try to exert power over another. The reason-the irrefragable truth is each person in his heart believes his beliefs is best. Fact is, down deep no mans democratic(p.97). It is apparent that captain Falcon truly believes that every man has power over another. That could contribute to the fact that he is the captain of a slave ship and a racist. Another power struggle of Rutherfords is that with his brother Jackson who gave his share of the plantation he worked and was released from to all of the people that worked on the plantation. The man who entitled his plot to the boys was dying and found his solace in religion. Master Chandler read the Bible and this eased his pilgrimage through a broken world(p.111) according to Rutherford. Rutherford was enraged his brother would do such a thing and he was jealous of Jacksons piety and goodness. After all of Rutherfords trials and tribulations with good and evil and what is right in this world, when a torrential storm attacks The Republic, Rutherford finds himself crying for repentance and for God to cleanse his broken soul.
Only an inexplicable calm, as if I were the sea now, and the dam of my tears-the poisons built up since I left southern Illinois-burst, and I cried for all the sewage I carried in my
spirit, my failures and crimes, foolish hopes and vanities, the very faults and structural flaws in the blueprint of my brain (as falcon put it) in a cleansing nigh as good as prayer itself, for it washed away not only my hurt after hurling the dead boy overboard but yes, the hunger for mercy as well (p.127).
This was Rutherfords transformation and his realization amidst his struggle with power and with God.