73 pages • 2 hours read
Charles R. JohnsonMiddle Passage
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1990A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
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Reading Check, Multiple Choice & Short Answer Quizzes
Reading Check questions are designed for in-class review on key plot points or for quick verbal or written assessments. Multiple Choice and Short Answer Quizzes create ideal summative assessments, and collectively function to convey a sense of the work’s tone and themes.
Epigraphs-Chapter 2
Reading Check
1. Who are the three authors and/or texts quoted in the Epigraphs?
2. What is the most common thing that “drives men to sea”?
3. Where is Rutherford fleeing from?
4. Which of Isadora’s attributes draws Rutherford in the most?
5. Which phrase does Rutherford hear many times in his life, including from Isadora?
6. Why does Isadora pay Rutherford’s debts?
7. What does Rutherford steal from Josiah Squibb?
8. According to Mr. Cringle, what is better than being on a ship?
9. What are the two duties of the sailors on the Republic?
10. What does Cringle tell Rutherford the cargo will consist of?
Multiple Choice
1. Based on the description in Chapter 1, what can best be surmised about Rutherford Calhoun’s character?
A) He is pious and obedient.
B) He is hedonistic and extreme.
C) He is gentle and scholarly.
D) He is angry and aggressive.
2. In Chapter 1, Rutherford reflects upon his time in New Orleans with the following sentiment: “So it seemed those first few months to the country boy with cotton in his hair, a great whore of a city in her glory, a kind of glandular Golden Age. She was if not a town devoted to an almost religious pursuit of Sin, then at least to a steamy sexuality.” Which of the following literary terms does he use in this quote?
A) palindrome
B) paradox
C) personification
D) parable
3. Which of the following phrases best describes Rutherford’s first impression of Isadora?
A) He’s surprised by her presence in his city.
B) He’s delighted of her invitation to stay with her.
C) He’s concerned of her health and safety.
D) He’s embarrassed by her forward advances.
4. Which of the following best describes Rutherford’s reaction to his impending marriage to Isadora?
A) relief
B) distress
C) glee
D) apathy
5. Based on Rutherford’s style and lexicon, how can the reader surmise his previous education?
A) His poor grammar and syntax are evidence for a weak education in language.
B) His concise descriptions are evidence of his preference for technical writing.
C) His frequent use of allusions exemplifies his extensive education in the humanities and the arts.
D) His use of biblical references is evidence of his strong, Christian beliefs.
6. Which of the following emotions best describes how Rutherford feels when first in the presence of Captain Falcon?
A) disdain
B) discomfort
C) disgust
D) disbelief
Short-Answer Response
Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Describe the Reverend Peleg Chandler. How does he influence Rutherford’s life?
2. Summarize Rutherford’s description of Isadora. How does he feel about her?
3. Describe Captain Falcon’s appearance as well as Rutherford’s first encounter with him.
4. Who was Fortunata and what happened to him? In what context is this story told to Rutherford?
Chapters 3-5
Reading Check
1. Who is Owen Bogha?
2. Why does Rutherford enter Captain Falcon’s quarters in Chapter 3?
3. What does Captain Falcon give Rutherford and ask him to do?
4. What are the Allmuseri rumored to have?
5. How do the Allmuseri view the shipmates of the Republic?
6. What is the missing word in this quote: “[T]here are no ____ at sea, as they say”?
7. What does Captain Falcon believe is the best way to curb a slave mutiny?
8. Who is Baleka?
9. What is the mysterious cargo being transported?
10. What does Rutherford see Meadows doing with the dogs?
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following best describes Rutherford’s relationship to thievery?
A) He acknowledges its temptation and avoids it at all costs.
B) He believes he is entitled to take back what was stolen from him and his brother.
C) He concludes it is inevitable that he would eventually become a thief due to historical circumstances.
D) He is ashamed of his urges and punishes himself whenever there is a relapse.
2. Which of the following best describes how Rutherford feels after seeing the Allmuseri loaded onto the Republic?
A) relief
B) anger
C) fear
D) apathy
3. What does Rutherford compare the storm to in Chapter 4?
A) he wrath of God
B) the gates of hell
C) Poseidon’s fury
D) a magician’s trick
4. Which of the following phrases best describes Rutherford’s response to the impending mutiny on the Republic?
A) staunchly loyal to his agreement with Captain Falcon
B) hesitant to support the Allmuseri
C) eager to aid the followers of Squibb
D) disinterested to the entire cause
5. In Chapter 4, Rutherford illustrates his brother Jackson to Squibb with the following metaphor: “Do you remember that strange flower we saw in Senegambia? I forget what it’s called, but one of the chaps pointed out how lovely a scent it released when you admired it and held the petals close to your nose. And that when you didn’t notice at all and brought down your boot, it offered like a gift that same remarkable perfume.” What does this quote imply about Rutherford’s relationship with his brother?
A) He is ashamed Jackson is selective with who he loves.
B) He is aware his brother shows kindness to all, even those who may not reciprocate.
C) He is elated he has such a loving and generous brother.
D) He painfully desires to be a recipient of his brother’s love.
Short-Answer Response
Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Describe what Rutherford learns about Captain Falcon’s past in Chapter 3.
2. Summarize Tommy’s experience with the Republic’s cargo. Why does he go to see and what does he discover? What is the conclusion?
3. Describe the relationship between Ngonyama and Rutherford. What do they teach each other? What are some of the things Rutherford learns from his friend?
4. What information does Rutherford share with Squibb about his past? What are Rutherford’s feelings on the matter?
Chapters 6-9
Reading Check
1. What does Rutherford conclude Captain Falcon to be?
2. Which part of the slave corpse does Captain Falcon save as proof of purchase?
3. How do the Allmuseri fight the sailors while chained?
4. What is the compromise Rutherford makes with the Allmuseri for saving Cringle’s life?
5. What does Captain Falcon ask Rutherford to write?
6. How does Ngonyama view the sickness on board the Republic?
7. Which figure steps from the cargo box when Rutherford goes to feed it?
8. Which type of meat is given to Rutherford by Squibb during his sickness?
9. What is the name of the ship that rescues Rutherford and his few companions?
10. What does Rutherford learn about Santos’s ancestors?
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following best describes the approach of the mutiny from the perspective of Rutherford?
A) organized
B) chaotic
C) quick
D) non-violent
2. Which of the following best describes Captain Falcon’s hallucination in Chapter 7?
A) a vision of an egalitarian society where sexes and races co-mingle
B) a memory of his wife and family in America
C) a prophecy foretelling the end of times, which will happen according to Aztec philosophy
D) a dream in which he is visited by his former shipmates from previous journeys
3. In Chapter 7, Rutherford laments, “Poor old ship! She was not worth a powder shot now. At times, late at night on calm waters, I almost thought I heard her weeping for herself and our pitiful skeleton crew of half-starved ex-slaves.” Which of the following literary terms is used in this quote?
A) metaphor
B) simile
C) allusion
D) personification
4. Which of the following best describes how Rutherford feels about his longing for his home while he is sick?
A) disgusted
B) hypocritical
C) exuberant
D) denial
5. Which of the following emotions best describes how Rutherford feels aboard the Juno?
A) frustrated with the lack of food
B) delighted with the accommodation
C) anxious over the death of Captain Falcon
D) guilty for being alive
Short-Answer Response
Answer each of the following questions in a complete sentence or sentences. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. What does Rutherford learn about the Republic’s financiers? Why is this information particularly interesting?
2. Describe the role that Rutherford takes with the shipmates after the mutiny on board.
3. Summarize what happens to Rutherford when it is his turn to feed the Allmuseri god.
4. Summarize the events of Chapter 9 on the Juno. In particular, which two unexpected guests does Rutherford see? What does he realize? How does he approach them, and what is the final conclusion?
Quizzes – Answer Key
Epigraphs-Chapter 2
Reading Check
1. Saint Thomas Aquinas, Robert Hayden, and the Upanishads (Epigraphs)
2. women (Chapter 1)
3. New Orleans (Chapter 1)
4. her voice (Chapter 1)
5. “Don’t be common.” (Chapter 1)
6. so he will marry her (Chapter 1)
7. an employment contract for a cook position on a ship (Chapter 1)
8. jail (Chapter 2)
9. to keep the ship afloat and to stay drunk (Chapter 2)
10. the Allmuseri tribe, which are rumored to be Sorcerers (Chapter 2)
Multiple Choice
1. B (Chapter 1)
2. C (Chapter 1)
3. A (Chapter 1)
4. B (Chapter 1)
5. C (Chapters 1-2)
6. D (Chapter 2)
Short-Answer Response
1. Reverend Peleg Chandler was Rutherford’s master. He provides Rutherford and his brother Jackson with an education that is better than many of the white men in their region. Peleg does not like slavery and received Rutherford and Jackson as slaves through an inheritance. He eventually releases both Rutherford and Jackson. (Chapter 1)
2. Isadora is a Black woman from the North, who found work as a governess for a Creole woman in New Orleans. She is bookish and quiet, so she does not fit in well with the high society family who entertains frequently and does not hold education in as high regard as Isadora does. She lives in a hotel room with stray animals that she cares for. Overall, Rutherford is “overwhelmed” by her brilliant spirit and “inner clarity,” although he cannot say he loves her. She wants Rutherford to marry her; however, he is not interested in this proposition. (Chapter 1)
3. Captain Ebenezer Falcon is an “infamous” captain. He is a very small man and is described by Rutherford as “gnarled” in the face, broad in stature, and an “empire builder.” Rutherford first encounters him when Cringle brings Rutherford to the captain’s office, and they hear the captain having sex with Tommy the cabin boy. (Chapter 2).
4. He was a Black cabin boy on Captain Falcon’s first trip to Madagascar. After a battle with a Spanish galleon that left their ship adrift, the crew ran out of food, and they decided to eat Fortunata, who had been killed by a falling mast. This story was told in the context of a conversation about the lack of civilized law on the sea, a concept Captain Falcon prepares Rutherford for. (Chapter 2).
Chapters 3-5
Reading Check
1. the son of an African princess and an English slave trader who oversees the port where the Republic is docking (Chapter 3)
2. “to know his heart (if he had one) and to walk off, as was reasonable, with a tradable trinket or two” (Chapter 3)
3. He gives him a gun and asks him to carefully watch his shipmates once the slaves are onboard. (Chapter 3)
4. a second brain (Chapter 3)
5. savages (Chapter 3)
6. “atheists” (Chapter 4)
7. to give some responsibility (Chapter 4)
8. a child Rutherford gives food and who becomes bound to him (Chapter 4)
9. “an African God” (Chapter 5)
10. wearing the clothes of different crewmen and slaves and then beating the dogs, so the dogs will associate the treatment with the men whose clothes they wore (Chapter 5)
Multiple Choice
1. C (Chapter 3)
2. B (Chapter 3)
3. D (Chapter 4)
4. A (Chapter 4)
5. B (Chapter 5)
Short-Answer Response
1. He learns that Captain Falcon is the son of a minister and an educated woman, who spoke of travelling. Even after his mother’s death, he is eager to make a name for himself and in the process “makes enemies” and eventually becomes a “pirate” in the slave trade. He currently sells both slaves as well as precious objects from around the world. Rutherford notes that “he was, in a way, a specialist in survival,” who distrusts most of his shipmates. (Chapter 3)
2. The shipmates pull straws to determine who will go below deck to investigate Falcon’s mysterious cargo. Fate selects Tommy, and he is sent down only to return in a delirious state, speaking in foreign tongues and operating at a reduced mental capacity. It is determined that the cargo eats people’s minds, and Tommy is told to rest for the duration of the journey. (Chapter 3)
3. Ngonyama is one of the Allmuseri on the Republic, and Rutherford and Ngonyama teach each other a little of their native languages. Rutherford also learns about the history of the Allmuseri, some of their martial arts moves, details about the unique properties of their language, and that they are the most sought tribe for servitude because of their beliefs and habits that make them easy to feed and care for. (Chapter 4)
4. Rutherford’s brother over time becomes their master’s caretaker in his illness. On his deathbed, Peleg asks Jackson how they would like to split the inheritance of the property. Jackson makes the decision on their behalf to split the inheritance among the slaves as well as Oberlin College. Jackson disagrees with his brother, so he leaves for New Orleans (Chapter 5).
Chapters 6-9
Reading Check
1. the devil (Chapter 6)
2. the ears (Chapter 6)
3. capoeira (Chapter 6)
4. Cringle will be made slave (Chapter 6)
5. the story of what happened from Captain Falcon’s perspective (Chapter 7)
6. a “moral plague” (Chapter 7)
7. his father, Riley Calhoun (Chapter 7)
8. meat from the corpse of Cringle, who sacrificed himself for the sake of feeding the people (Chapter 8)
9. the Juno (Chapter 9)
10. They were Allmuseri. (Chapter 9)
Multiple Choice
1. B (Chapter 6)
2. A (Chapter 7)
3. C (Chapter 7)
4. B (Chapter 8)
5. D (Chapter 9)
Short-Answer Response
1. Rutherford learns that there are three benefactors who are financing the Republic, one of which is Papa Zeringue, the man Isadora made a deal with. Rutherford finds this information particularly shocking because he is dealing in the slave trade although he is Black himself (Chapter 7).
2. Rutherford forgets his own pains and worries during the difficult time as disease spreads rampant through the ship, and he tries to comfort others in their time of pain and improve the general atmosphere of the ship (Chapter 7).
3. Rutherford sees his father, Riley Calhoun, when he goes to feed the Allmuseri god. It is at this moment he recalls and shares memories of his father, who he explains he hates for leaving the family since he tried to escape and was killed almost immediately. He collapses and wakes several days later to Squibb taking care of him (Chapter 8).
4. Rutherford discovers both Papa Zeringue and Isadora are on the Juno, preparing for their wedding. Rutherford sees her, notices she is beautiful, and realizes he wants to marry her. Rutherford blackmails Papa by threatening to ruin his reputation by announcing his involvement in the slave trade if Papa goes through with the marriage to Isadora. Papa agrees, and Isadora and Rutherford embrace for the night.
