Herman MelvilleBenito Cereno (1855)

Point of View

• A novella about perspective and ideology• Why must we see thru Delano’s eyes? • Why not see Babo’s point of view?• critical tendency to see BC as ironic • Blacks become masters; whites become

slavesfailure to read BC as critique of ideology

Amasa Delano

• literalist, lacks irony• vacillates between mistrust & reassurance 2721• "singularly undistrustful good nature" 2695• paternalist attitude towards Blacks • humanist understanding of slavery• belief in Providence• condescension towards Spain & Catholicism • Disability narrative

San Dominick

• microcosm of mastery/slavery• model of decadent, European aristocracy• compared to Dominican monastery• as "whitewashed monastery" or palace 2696• the figurehead (Columbus / Aranda)• "follow your leader" on side of ship 2697• the stern piece 2697• medieval quality of captain's quarters

Contrasts and Similitudes• contrasts

– black and white, master / slave– valorization of one pole over other– difference between master and slave

• similitudes• contrasts are illusions• each layer of reality like another• similarity of names• Cereno, Delano, Babo• sea / land comparisons• role reversals:• power unmasked as fiction• slaves become masters, masters become slaves

Master Slave dialectic• the shaving scene 2725• Christian imagery used to regularize strangeness• blacks as “natural” servants

– delight in colorstaging of master /slave relations

• function of inversion?• enacts Delano's attempt to normalize unreality• confuses open/closed spaces• confuses freedom/slavery•

Repetition• Repetition undermines appearance of difference • stern piece repeated in fight scene 2738• violent acts of Blacks echoed by whites• Delano wrenches knife from Babo• later Delano wrenches knife from sailor named "Barlo" 2750• deposition described as "key to fit lock"• but key to Atufal's chains is meaningless• canvas hiding skeleton of Aranda 2745• replaces Columbus (hope)• hides either "refurbishing" or "decay"• skeleton is white but could belong to Black• Delano speaks of embalming former friend• Cereno knows Aranda is already embalmed

Deposition• "the key to fit the lock" 2750

(Atufal's chains & Cereno’s key)official version "to shed light"yet problematizes truth

• clears up superficial clues• Atufal's chains, attack on Spanish boy• whispered conversations bet. Cereno/Babo• identity of sparkling object (jewel)• reasons for deckhand wearing lace• exposes Spanish ruthlessness at end• its length• reaction to by critics• gives weight to official sanction• why doesn't Melville paraphrase?

Conclusion• Conclusion• A. yes, deposition sets "all to rights"• B. yes, Delano is not changed• C. but we have seen limits of humanist tolerance• 1. Blacks as Newfoundland dogs• 2. Spaniards as despotic, effete rulers• D. we repeat AD’s experience• 1. from obscurity to clarity• 2. to understand limits of progressive myth• a. e.g. that the deposition clarifies all• 3. we must learn to see not only what Delano sees• a. but how he sees• 4. misrecognition based on self-centered world view