The Great Transformations
The voyage in Charles Johnson?s Middle Passage can be equated to a rite of passage that changes the lives and views of all those involved. Since the main character, Rutherford Calhoun, is the only black member of a crew on the Republic, it is only natural that he would be influenced by the rest of the group. The likelihood of change is heightened by the fact that this vessel is transporting slaves as well as cargo. These slaves, referred to as the Allmuseri, undergo the most drastic change of anyone on the ship. These changes are not only influenced by the numerous cultures on the ship, but also by the gravity of the mutiny and extreme hardships that occur from being at sea as long as they were.
The most significant change of any individual or group during this voyage is that of the Allmuseri. They were treated so horribly that one could see that it would only be a matter of time before they realized that they outnumbered the crew and decided to revolt. At the onset of the trip, they are not even treated as people as they are included on a list of cargo that would be transported
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