While there is evidence to support that the novel is mocking the middle passage I think in a way it is trying to make the reader understand what it was like. While the African Americans waited in the dark with little food and water for months in poor conditions, after Arthur, Augustus and the other members of the crew, cant handle the lack of food after they have killed the other men on the ship. They have control over the ship and still cannot deal with the lack of resources or provide the resources for themselves.
However, ultimately I feel this novel is more about human nature. You really see what they go through as they realize they don’t have the resources. While Arthur tries to make everyone think about the decision, they do decide to kill one of the men on board the ship in order to sustain themselves. While we may be shocked to hear about this, it is a very real situation and a definite outcome. They all probably would’ve died if they didn’t make that decision. While Arthur could’ve have just simply gone along with this being that he might’ve been more malnourished considering they drank all the wine, he tried to object. I think he probably has the most moral character of all the men. You really begin to understand how starvation can turn someone away from what they were completely when survival is at stake.
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