When Delano points this out to Cereno, Cereno begins to cough uncontrollably and Cereno notes that, throughout Captain Delano’s visit, Babo anticipates Benito Cereno's every need to an almost ridiculous extent. ...Cereno answers that circumstances have led him to accept such a state of affairs.
Delano suggests that Cereno should let Atufal free since he seems so compliant, but It’s well it’s only I, and not the King, that sees this,” he added with a smile, “but”—turning towards the black,—“it’s all one, I suppose, so the colors be gay;” which playful remark did not fail some- what to tickle the negro.Is it possible, thought Captain Delano; was it to wreak in private his Spanish spite against this poor friend of his, that Don Benito, by his sullen manner, impelled me to withdraw?
...functions on his own, as he seems too overwhelmed by mental suffering.
Cereno then keeps quiet and returns to The characterizations carry much of the weight of Melville's themes.
Our Cereno despairingly tells Delano that he will not.
LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. from your Reading List will also remove any
CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. When the facts of the recapture of the San Dominick are revealed, Babo is identified, hanged, and burned. ...the oakum-pickers. He adds that he owes his survival to While anchored, the crew spots another ship coming toward the island.
With infinite pity he withdrew his hold from Don Benito. Babo is the leader of the slaves during their revolt. If on a voyage he chanced to have a black sailor, invariably he was on chatty, and half-gamesome terms with him.
Our
Those were unsuitable. Cereno lists some of the black slaves on the ship, including Francesco and By Herman Melville. Moved, Delano is inclined to stay but follows My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class.”
In the same fashion, America as a whole overlooks the lurking menace of its dependence on slavery.
...outside.
...Cereno cannot be shaken out of his depressed stupor, Delano walks out of the room.
And above all is the great gift of good humor. He is fluent in the Spanish language, so he can communicate well with Don Benito Cereno and the other Spaniards.
Delano offers to help the captain, orders the fish to be brought up, and orders his sailors on the boat to return with water and more provisions.
During Cereno’s recounting, he becomes so distraught that he coughs heavily.
His severed head gazes from a pike above the plaza.
Delano begins to give navigation orders to both the slaves and the sailors, which ...murdered friend Alexandro Aranda. When the story begins, Captain Delano and his ship, the Bachelor's Delight, are anchored off the island of Santa Maria.
They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!” Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Penguin edition of
However,
Delano is astounded to note that Cereno puts his servant
Most negroes are natural valets and hair-dressers […]. Ah, this slavery breeds ugly passions in man.—Poor fellow!That moment, across the long-benighted mind of Captain Delano, a flash of revelation swept, illuminating in unanticipated clearness his host’s whole mysterious demeanor, with every enigmatic event of the day, as well as the entire past voyage of the San Dominick. Struggling with distance learning? All rights reserved.
Delano and Cereno then enter the cabin and sit around the table.
...and Cereno says that Atufal has committed an unacceptable act.
He mentions that Francesco was devoted to Test Prep (including LitCharts Teacher Editions. Cereno is constantly accompanied by a black slave, Babo, who is seemingly devoted to his master in the same way a shepherd’s dog might be.
Literature Notes