Dougherty-Melville blog

Melville’s Benito Cereno is written almost entirely from the perspective of Amasa Delano, the white American captain of a sealer vessel. He is a caricature for the American attitude toward black people. He is a benevolent racist and sees the world in black and white without any ambiguity. He is good natured and naïve, but his ideology is one of stereotypes. Therefore, although his observations of the vessel San Dominick , its crew and cargo of blacks is at times disturbing and threatening, he has little trouble incorporating these experiences within his view of the world. Delano views blacks as childish with little intelligence, and compares them with animals. Babo is a “shepard’s dog,” a black mother as a “doe” and her child a “fawn,” and “ his little black ship.” He views blacks as not quite human and certainly inferior to white people, but admires them nonetheless. For instance, he considers Atufal as a noble savage, Babo as a faithful slave, black people as “fun- loving,” and fond of bright colors. Delano at one point theorizes that Cereno may have been in a conspiracy with the blacks, but dismisses the thought, “who ever heard of a white so far a renegade as to apostatize from his very species almost, by leaguing in against it, with Negroes?” The testimony of Cereno, however, offers a very different perspective. Babo is characterized as a prime time performer, leader, and manipulator. Atufal in actuality was Babo’s fellow conspirator. The black women fully approved of the revolt and wanted to torture the Spaniards. Eventually, when faced with the reality of the situation, Delano has no problem in changing his view of blacks from harmless inferiors to “devils.”
Melville clearly believes that racism is more complex than Delano’s view and presents ambiguities not easily resolved. He attempts to show that black people are not inferior and may be justified in escaping slavery because of its derogation and humiliating effect on both the black people and their masters. He clearly establishes that Delano’s initial black stereotype is dangerous because it does not appreciate the pent up anger and willingness to inflict violence on the part of the enslaved black people. Delano at one point states, “Ah, this slavery breeds ugly passions in man.” This was true of the slaves and of their white captors. This is demonstrated by Delano himself when he participates in the re-capture of the slaves.
Cereno and Delano in the end believe that the black slaves are evil. However, they each have very different responses. Delano does not question his current belief about black people. There is no appreciation of the implications arising from his experience on board the San Dominick, no challenge to his beliefs. He asks Cereno, “The past is passed; why moralize upon it? Delano is effectively amoral. On the other hand, Cereno’s world has been turned upside down. He has seen the horrors of slavery and their implication for society and himself. This is evident when Delano asks him, “What has cast such a shadow upon you?” and Cereno replies, “The Negro.”
The savagery of the black and the white people is documented in the deposition of Cereno. Subsequently, Babo is executed and beheaded. His head is put on a pole looking toward the monastery inhabited by Cereno who dies within months. Both the master and the slave who traded places aboard the San Dominick now are destroyed, symbolized, perhaps, by the dark satyr in a mask on the stern of the vessel, holding his foot on the prostrate neck of a writhing figure, which begs the question as to who is the satyr and who is the writhing figure.
Melville undermined the basis for Delano’s racism and establishes that racism is demeaning for both the slave and the master with far reaching implications for society. Still, one would like to have heard Babo’s version of events and motivations. Depending on your perspective, he could be considered the hero of his novella.