The Portrayal of Slavery and Racism in Herman Melville's "Benito Cereno"
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Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Wuppertal (Anglistik/Amerikanistik), language: English, abstract: This paper analyses the depiction of slavery and racism in Herman Melville's work "Benito Cereno". The focus here is particularly on Captain Delano, who, blinded by his racist attitude, is unable to see the true conditions on board. This paper will investigate how Delano's racial prejudices shape his perspectives of the happenings in front of him and how they contribute to his failure to recognise the mutiny of the slaves, th...
Seminar paper from the year 2023 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, University of Wuppertal (Anglistik/Amerikanistik), language: English, abstract: This paper analyses the depiction of slavery and racism in Herman Melville's work "Benito Cereno". The focus here is particularly on Captain Delano, who, blinded by his racist attitude, is unable to see the true conditions on board. This paper will investigate how Delano's racial prejudices shape his perspectives of the happenings in front of him and how they contribute to his failure to recognise the mutiny of the slaves, thus exposing the nature of unconscious racism and bias that existed in society. By examining Delano's contradictory beliefs about race and power and exploring the historical context in which the novella was written in, this paper intends to shed light on the ways in which implicit prejudice can lead people to overlook injustice and perpetuate systems of oppression. Since the novella takes place in the year 1799 on the coastline of South America, I will begin by describing the historical context of slavery in the Americas, as well as the racist structures and ideals that were prevalent there, in order to gain an understanding of the social and historical environment in which the characters are situated. I will then analyse the portrayal of slavery and racism in the novella, with special focus on the thoughts and remarks of the main character, Captain Amasa Delano, from whose perspective the novella is narrated. Since there are certain authoritarian hierarchies in Western slavery and racism, I will also examine the authoritarian structures and particularly the shift of authority in the novella. Lastly, I will summarise the results I have gained from the research and analysis in the conclusion.
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