In the second half of the book I got a different sense of Calhoun's character. Quite strangle I experienced a side of Calhoun that would be considered by other as contradictory to his character. For the first time in the book we see him not thinking about himself, he shows concern for others, feelings that up till know I would have expect him to pose. .
During the first half of the book I got a picture of Rutherford Calhoun as a man who could not be trusted. He came of as someone who was out for him self, and would not think twice of double crossing you when he was to gain from it. I got the sense that Calhoun was becoming more of a man than he has ever been; he seems to have matured a lot since he left New Orleans. We see all of this in the scene when the Allmuseri manage to take over the ship and Calhoun finds himself pleading for another's life.
"Wait." I was on my feet. "Listen to me please".
Irritable, Babo hung fire.
"You need him," I said gathering my wits, sailing close.
To the wind. "Kill Falcon if you want, but if you kill his.
Helmsman, you"ll never reach land. Never! None of you can.
Read English maps. Nor keep this ship and by once she's .
Fixed, provided she can be fixed, and only Peter can help you .
do that. He's the only officer left." (Page 134).
Like a loyal dog, Calhoun springs forward into action, like a dog would protecting his owner from any danger ahead. In this scene we experience several different characteristics in Calhoun's personality. First of all I notice that he was thinking about somebody else is life rather than his. He was quick to the punch, fast to respond, giving legitimate reason's to the Allmuseri, letting them know that without this man they would not have a chance in ever finding land. Also Calhoun surprised me a little in this scene, he showed me that he was quite smart and cunning, even thou he was at the mercy of the Allmuseri he was able to conjurer up a reasonable story that would eventually get Cringle off deaths bed.
