As I have seen in many of the previous posts, I too believe that both Calhoun and Toussaint are a sort of middle man in situations of conflict. However, as I believe Megan stated, they handle their situations very differently as she says “that Calhoun does not really side with or fight with either group, while Toussaint becomes passionately involved in the fighting”.
I feel that this stems from one major difference: loyalty. While Toussaint is “devoted to France,” Calhoun generally switches sides depending on convenience. He agrees to help kill Falcon and proceeds to confess the entire plan to him, he is on both the side of the Allmuseri and the crew (James 203). It is the mobility through different worlds that is responsible for Calhoun’s ultimate survival while Toussaint’s undying passion leads to his destruction. In response to these choices: loyalty or treachery, C.L.R. James appears to be more compassionate to his main character than Charles Johnson, as we briefly discussed last Thursday. Toussaint is presented as a hero while Calhoun appears feeble and defeated when we leave him.
Due to these two outcomes it becomes evident, at least for me personally, that neither character was able to successfully reconcile the dialectical situations in which they found themselves. It almost appears that each possessed what the other was lacking and, if there was a harmonious balance of double identity and passion, their situations may have turned out differently.
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