How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The French and then the Americans are his successors—and they more than equal him in cruelty and injustice. But we do not bear their yoke lightly! For five hundred years they have robbed us, but for five hundred years we have defied them! (1.85)
Power to the people—there's been too much injustice. That's the gist of Aristide's speech at least. He goes on and on about the justice system, and he's absolutely right. There's a lot of injustice in Haiti. Here's the problem, though: Talking a big game doesn't bring justice to the people.
Quote #2
The philosophers agreed that liberty was a right that could not be taken away, except as punishment for criminal acts. So could they not simply rise up, with justice in their hearts, and take their freedom by force? Was it necessary that they cement their alliance with this superstitious ceremony? (2.53)
Annoyed that they have to have a lavish ceremony with a houngan, Toussaint rolls his eyes at every corner. Why can't they just get on with it? He points out that they are fighting for what is right—freedom—and that shouldn't require some fancy ceremony and magic tricks for people to support it.
Quote #3
He asked himself why he was rebelling, then, but he already knew the answer. He himself was free—as free as he needed to be, anyway. He enjoyed satisfying employment and lived with his son, Isaac, in a cottage with a vegetable garden behind it. But others were not free. Every day he saw them sold and exchanged and raped and murdered. (4.14)
For Toussaint, it's not about getting freedom for himself; he wants to fight for justice for everyone. He's not doing this for selfish reasons, since he already has a lot of power and autonomy—this is one of the ways we know he's legit. Toussaint is more interested in fighting for what is right than he is in saving his own neck.