Middle Passage/ Black Jacobins

Johnson and James shape the characters of their books based on the historical events going on around them. In Johnson's Middle Passage Calhoun's outlook is changed by the capture and torture of the Allmuseri on board. Although Toussaint was not a fictional character like Calhoun James still shapes Toussaint based on his surroundings. Both Toussaint and Calhoun are similar because they both rise to leadership positions when it is necessary. Both men are also decently well educated despite the fact that many others in their positions were not. The difference between them is that Calhoun is not proactive he does not rise to leadership because he knows it is whats best, he rises to leadership because he is almost forced to he is responding to the situation he is in.
It seems that James sympathizes more with Toussaint then Johnson does with Calhoun. Toussaint although he was a real person is made out to really be the hero from the beginning. On the other hand Johnson points out all of Calhoun's problems from the beginning. Both characters are so called "mediators" between two worlds. In the end though it is Calhoun who is able to reconcile the dialectic situation he is in. He recognizes both worlds and tries to work within them and in the end is able to survive. Toussaint on the other hand is unwilling to compromise and will only settle for what he wants and in turn ends up dying in a dungeon