Abstract This paper analyzes the novel 'Middle Passage' by Charles Johnson, using Simone de Beauvoir's book 'The Second Sex' as a basis of the analysis.
From the Paper "Just as Simone de Beauvoir describes women as "the other" vis-a-vis men within The Second Sex, Charles Johnson's character Rutherford Calhoun in Middle Passage (1990) also arguably represents "the other", in much the same way: in fact vis-a-vis everyone onboard the Republic. First, for example, Rutherford Calhoun is "other" because he is a stowaway, e.g., Rutherford is not legitimately onboard. Meanwhile, since Falcon (much like Melville's Ahab) is a sadistic egomaniac, his crew (of which Rutherford is not a legitimate member) is on the verge of rebellion against Falcon's tyrannical authority. The slaves onboard (among whom Rutherford is also not a member, and therefore, "other" as well) themselves are also planning to rebel against Falcon, and to take over the ship. "
