Middle Passage Analysis

There is the use of images to illustrate the conflicting viewpoints of slave trade. It is evident that the nature of those perpetrating the vice vary across public, private, religious, and legal establishments. The exploiter’s words are deceiving, as they are all murderous. Symbolism is evident in the poem, with the heading middle passage symbolizing the middle part of evolving consciousness in human history. There is a desire for freedom from slavery by most of the black slaves. There is suffering among those aboard the ship. There are moans from African slaves, some weak and dying, while others suffering from fever. As the ship cruises through the ocean, the occupants that are laden as cargo go through horror. The middle passage is likened to a voyage passing through death to reach the next shores.

Life in the sea is horrific, with much violence instigated towards the slaves. It is unnatural for people to rejoice when others are suffering. However, in the Middle Passage, greed overcomes humanity. There is rejoicing when three of the slaves are thrown out to the sea for sharks to visit. The emotional and psychological torture the slaves undergo is paramount. As the oppressors joyfully end the slaves’ lives at sea, they sing a hymn crying out to Jesus to guide them through the sea to and life’s tempest. They still have three weeks to get to the shore, but the blindness strikes even the captain. The fear escalates by the tales the slavers heard about other slavers drifting further from their destination through the winds and storms.

With the fear they so on to seek Jesus’ intervention. Praying that as Jesus walked on Galilee; he should help them deliver the cargo of black slaves to Florida. The torture of the slaves was beyond physical. The girls could not protest of protect themselves from the abuse. The captain and crew members use their positions of power to take advantage of the terrified girls that perhaps have lost hope with life. The conditions with which the girls live in in the cabins are inhuman. There is not dignity for the women totally, keeping them naked and violating their privacy and basic rights. The horrific scenes depicted here of the heinous acts against women further show the inhumanity in the middle passage.

We are drawn particularly to King Anthracite that used his enemies’ skulls as cups. It is also notable that the king had foreign gifts like French parasols. We find this king an enemy of his people. He prepares a feast for the slave traders and treats them with dignity and distinction. The worst part is when this king sends his warriors to attack people in the villages as they sleep. In this third part, we further see the tragedy that befalls the traders as the storm drifts them as they headed to Principe. The Amistad was attacked by African men that the under the command of Cinquez. The irony surrounding this is that the traders find the violence meted against them by the Africans as ghastly, yet they enjoyed when the violence was against the black slaves.