The paradox of "Benito Cereno"

The second part of "Benito Cereno" continues to build upon the previous events of part one with more revelations and the conclusion. As Delano continues to observe the questionable conditions aboard the San Dominick, the events that follow shows the paradox that Delano is placed into through his own denial or lack of attention to the facts.

One aspect of Delano's paradox is how his benign racism versus his admiration for the slaves is portrayed. When you consider that Delano views the woman and child in comparison with a doe and fawn, his racism becomes clearly defined as he views them as animals. At the same time, he views the relationship between Cereno and Babo as more than just loyalty between the two men. However, Delano crosses the line of benign racism by going so far as to offer to buy Babo as his own slave. Since Babo cannot be bought at any price, the illusion of him being viewed as an equal is presented.

Another major factor is the consistent theme that Delano misinterprets symbolism presented in the narrative. Delano misses the obvious signs of mutiny from the very beginning as he sees the slaves above decks, when they would have been detained in the cargo hold. Further events in the second part are shown in the interaction with the few remaining crew members of the San Dominick, as one appears to make obscure signals to him while another hands him a very complicated knot, saying, "Cut it" after Delano's comparison to the Gordian Knot.

The conclusion that finally reveals the mystery also demonstrated that Melville had an underlying message embedded in the story. When considering the fact that there was a clear division on the issue of slavery between the North and South, there was a shared opinion between the two that was obvious. The opinion, as shown by the racism of Delano, was that blacks were inferior to whites. How does one say they are opposed to slavery while viewing slaves as inferior at the same time? This is the paradox that ultimately leads to a unnecessary war four years after "Benito Cereno" was written and subsequently published.

Michael