- Captain Amasa Delano, a Massachusetts commander of a sealer named The Bachelor's Delight, is near the coast of Chile.
- Delano sees a strange ship flying no colors.
- He might have been worried, but he's a naturally trusting guy. Also (though Melville is too kind to say this outright) he is as dumb as a bagful of hammers.
- The ship maneuvers oddly. But dumb old Delano still isn't suspicious because he's dumb.
- Shmoop has mentioned he's not the sharpest tack in the ocean, right? This will come up again.
- As the ship gets closer, it becomes clear the ship (the San Dominick) is in bad disrepair.
- Delano comes onboard, where there are many white and black people on the deck.
- There's been fever, there's been scurvy, they were almost shipwrecked, they were becalmed.
- Things have been rough.
- Delano looks around; there are a number of black people on deck engaged in various tasks.
- Four men are unwinding rope for the oakum, or threads.
- Most notably, six black men are sharpening hatchets.
- Now, the black people are supposed to be slaves. You might wonder what they're doing with weapons.
- You might. But Delano doesn't.
- Delano approaches the Spanish captain (Benito Cereno), but the Captain doesn't say much. Delano assumes he's ill.
- Delano brings up some fish for the people on board; he sends his men off to go back to the ship and bring water for the Spanish crew.
- Delano notices that the crew and the black slaves on board are not well disciplined, but he blames it on the Captain's illness, and general lack of energy.
- Delano is completely incapable of seeing the black people on board as actors in their own right; anything they do is attributed to Cereno (called Don Benito).
- Delano asks Don Benito what happened on the voyage. Don Benito stutters and stammers, but finally comes out with it.
- He says they ran into storms, lost many crew members, and so on.
- He coughs and his servant gives him a drink of water, and watches him closely.
- As the servant watches Don Benito, you be sure to watch that servant. He is tricky.
- The servant reassures Delano.
- Don Benito goes on; they had a bad storm, and had to toss water kegs overboard.
- The lack of water was bad news, and the crew succumbed to fever and scurvy.
- Don Benito praises the black slaves for their surprising discipline. It has indeed been surprising.
- Don Benito also tells Delano that the slaves need no fetters, which should be a big old red flag for Delano, but he remains oblivious.
- Delano is one of the most oblivious heroes in all of American fiction. Ignorant bliss fills him from his ignorant nose to his blissful toes.
- The servants name is Babo, who Don Benito praises extravagantly.
- Delano thinks cheerfully about how wonderful it is for slave and master to love each other.
- So, yes, Delano thinks slavery is a beautiful thing. He is a racist twit, as well as being oblivious.
- The two things rather go together.
- Delano offers to send three of his own officers aboard to help Don Benito get to Lima, Peru.
- Don Benito lights up, but Babo pulls him off to the side, and then Don Benito is depressed and sad again.
- It's almost like his servant scares and depresses him, rather than helps him out.
- They go to the upper deck to get some air, and pass by the guys sharpening hatchets, which makes Delano nervous for a moment, as well it might.
- Delano brushes it off though. Slaves who have every reason to hate you equipped with hatchets—what could possibly go wrong!
- Delano sees a black boy below them get in an argument with a white boy, and hit him in the head with a knife.
- Delano is shocked, but Don Benito brushes it off.
- Delano thinks, wow, this guy Don Benito is really completely passive. He is the Bartleby of the sea.
- Benito and Delano talk about what on earth the slaves are doing sharpening hatchets; Don Benito says that the damage to the ship was such that lots of things need sharpening.
- He also explains that the slaves belonged to Alexandro Aranda, who he says died of fever.
- Don Benito is really upset, but Delano burbles on about death at sea because (again) he's really oblivious.
- Don Benito is so upset he seems to think for a moment that Aranda is in fact onboard the ship still.
- Hint: that is foreshadowing.
- Then a black man in chains comes up to Don Benito.
- Babo seems to be running the proceedings, and tells the man in chains, Atufal, to ask forgiveness of Don Benito.
- But Atufal doesn't and heads off again.
- Don Benito explains somewhat confusedly that Atufal offended him and he's put him in chains till he asks pardon.
- Babo draws Don Benito off to have a private discussion, which seems pretty rude.
- Delano starts to think that Don Benito is an imposter of some sort, plotting against him.
- Nice try, Delano, but not quite.
- But then he stops being suspicious, because that's our dumb Delano.
- Don Benito comes back with Babo and starts asking a lot of questions about Delano's ship; how many men are onboard, what their supplies are like, what guns and weapons they have, and so forth.
- Don Benito and Babo go back to whispering. Delano is still not really suspicious.
- If there were a zombie attack, Delano would be the first one dead.
- Don Benito goes down from the poop deck and exchanges significant glances with a Spanish sailor (who you later find out is named Luys Galgo) who Delano's seen looking at him before.
- Nothing comes of that, though, and Delano wonders again back and forth if something suspicious is going on.
- How many times can Delano think the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over.
- And over.
- Without figuring anything out?
- Answer: Lots of times.
- The boat is coming with more provisions, but the San Dominick is drifting, and so it's taking a long time.
- Otherwise the story would come to a quick end, and Melville isn't done stringing you along.
- Delano decides to try to talk to one of the Spaniards, though Don Benito said the crew was not very good or trustworthy.
- Then the American captain sees a Spaniard (later you learn his name is Hermenegildo Gandix) sticking his hands in a tar barrel under what appears to be the supervision of the blacks.
- Delano has no success talking to him, and looks around for somebody else.
- He sees some black women and their children. He admires them because he thinks they are natural and unconscious in their love for their children.
- If they love their children so, though, why are they happy that their kids are on a slaver? Hmm.
- That's Shmoop wondering that, not Delano. Delano doesn't think of black people as human, so these sorts of questions wouldn't occur to him.
- Instead he entertains this suspicion and that, worrying again that Don Benito is out to get him.
- He thinks for a moment that maybe Don Benito is in league with the black slaves, but then decides the slaves are too dumb.
- Who's the dumb one again here?
- Delano finally goes up to the Spanish sailor, Galgo, that he's been playing footsie with around the ship; the guy gives him a knot.
- The Spaniard tells him in English to cut the knot quick.
- Hurry, Delano! Hurry! Save yourself!
- But he doesn't.
- Instead, one of the black watchers comes up, says the Spaniard is nutty but harmless, and takes the knot away from Delano.
- Then he throws it overboard.
- Delano's fears evaporate out of his largely empty skull, poof.
- Then they come back.
- That's the way of this story: worry, don't worry, worry, don't worry.
- It does go on.
- The boat finally comes up with the water, and Don Benito serves it out.
- While doing so, he gestures for the black people crowding around to back off.
- There's some disturbance and Delano thinks he's going to be killed at the order of Don Benito…but then the oakum pickers jump down and push everybody back.
- All is well.
- Or not really, but Delano doesn't know that.
- He notices that there are no small boats to help bring aboard supplies, and asks Don Benito what happened to them.
- Benito says that they were bashed in during the gales.
- Delano asks him if the gales were around Cape Horn, as he said before. Benito says no, Delano is surprised that the story seems to have changed.
- But…before this interesting line of inquiry can be pursued, Babo says its time to shave Don Benito.
- Which again seems odd. How can shaving be that important?
- But anyway, they go down to the shaving area all together.
- Babo punches Delano in the face over and over. Delano wonders absently if something could possibly be wrong onboard ship. Babo hits him in the face with a pie and explains that hitting people in the face with a pie and hitting them in the nose is an old Spanish custom, and nothing is amiss. "Okeydoke," says Delano.
- Shmoop made that up. But it could have happened that way.
- Anyway, shaving.
- Delano thinks absently that black people are naturally suited to be body servants.
- Right, buddy, Babo thinks.
- They use a Spanish flag for a bib. Delano thinks this is funny and odd.
- Maybe it's a sign that the Spanish guy didn't choose the bib? Maybe?
- Don Benito shakes in the chair; Babo promises that he never cuts his master.
- Delano expresses some doubt that a ship could really be becalmed for two months, and at just that moment Babo cuts Don Benito.
- Benito is terrified, which Delano chalks up to the captain's low state.
- He wonders if Benito and Babo are acting out some play for him.
- Then he thinks, nah. Couldn't be.
- The shaving is done; Delano leaves the two alone.
- Babo comes out with a cheek cut and says Benito cut him for slashing him during shaving.
- Delano is sorry for Babo, but before he can say so, Babo goes back in…
- And then Benito and Babo come out leaning on each other as if nothing has happened.
- They see a man who is of mixed ancestry, black and white—referred to as mulatto (named Francesco), and Delano wonders if he's a good sort.
- Benito says, sure he is.
- Delano has heard racial theories that mulattos are particularly mean-spirited, so he's glad to hear that's not true.
- How mean-spirited do you have to be to hate the people who enslave you, though?
- Again, not a question our buddy Delano asks himself.
- Benito and Delano have lunch together with Babo helping to serve. He's never far away, that Babo.
- In fact, Delano wants to have a private talk with Benito about expenses, and tries to get Babo sent away.
- But Benito won't do it.
- Benito becomes ever more withdrawn and unpleasant. What oh what could be the cause?
- Delano thinks Benito is depressed because there's no wind and the supplies can't come across.
- But Delano says there's enough wind, and he says he'll get the ship in motion.
- He goes out and there's Atufal and the hatchet polishers.
- And when all's well he goes back below to see Don Benito.
- And he teases Don Benito about ordering Atufal around and being a hard master.
- Benito doesn't seem to think it's funny.
- Delano wants to cheer Benito up still; he is the irritating hallmark card of ship's captains.
- Delano pops up on deck; sees his ship is getting closer, and pops down again. Pop, pop.
- He asks Benito if he will come over to Delano's ship for food and such; Benito says he can't do it.
- Pop up, pop down. (Yes, again.)
- Pop up.
- More vacillating about whether there's something wrong on ship.
- The plot of "Benito Cereno" doesn't so much go forward as it wavers back and forth around the same point till Melville gets tired of it and ends the thing.
- Finally, Delano is getting into the ship down the side of the boat to take him to his vessel.
- Benito comes rushing out, but again seems of two minds—eager to say goodbye, while being held up by Babo.
- Then, as Delano pulls away, Benito leaps overboard into the boat.
- Three other sailors leap overboard as well.
- Delano isn't sure what's going on, but things Benito is trying to make the crew think he's been kidnapped.
- Babo brandishes a knife and comes over the side; the other black people are also making threatening movements.
- Delano still thinks that the former slaves are enraged on behalf of Don Benito.
- Of all the obtuse protagonists in American fiction, Captain Delano, you are the obtuseist.
- Babo's knife comes at Delano; the Captain catches Babo and knocks him to the side; Don Benito faints; Babo tries to kill Don Benito.
- Delano suddenly says, "Oh!" A little lightbulb goes on over his head. Babo was trying to stab Benito. Babo isn't a happy servant, but a freed slave who actually would rather be free.
- Way to go, Captain Delano. You're so clever. No, really.
- He realizes now that the black people want to kill him and Don Benito both.
- The boat pulls away to The Bachelor's Delight.
- Babo is taken prisoner, they all get on the sealer, where plans are made to go back with weapons and kill all the freed slaves.
- Don Benito says they shouldn't because the black people are too desperate, but Delano decides to do it anyway (especially when he hears the black people don't have any firearms.)
- Delano wants to go himself, but he's considered too valuable, so one of his men commands the boarding and attack force.
- There's a fight; the black men hurl hatchets and do some damage, but they're overmatched.
- In the melee, Delano's men accidentally kill a couple of Spaniards as well.
- And they shoot the Spaniard at the helm deliberately, even though he was kidnapped.
- The "good guys" are kind of awful, basically.
- Atufal is killed too.
- During the melee, the helm is revealed, and there's a skeleton tied to it. Good old gothic chill there (Melville might have written slasher films, if he'd lived a bit later.)
- And the white people win.
- The slave-traders and racists achieve victory, and the brave rebels fighting for freedom and humanity are defeated.
- Yay?
- So, with that wonderful victory, they sail to Lima to put on trial and execute the remaining rebels.
- Don Benito is an exhausted mess.
- That's basically the end of thes story…but now you get the court deposition from Don Benito telling what happened.
- So basically again the story goes back and forth rather than forward, and flips around here at the end to back before the beginning.
- And Don Benito tells how the blacks suddenly revolted, and killed many of the Spaniards.
- Babo, the leader, demanded to be taken to Senegal; Benito said okay, but said they needed water.
- Then Benito tries to head for ports where they might meet another ship that would save them.
- Babo decides to kill Alexandro Aranda, the slave-owner, as a warning and because the former slaves can't be sure they'll stay free otherwise.
- They kill a number of other sailors too, without mercy.
- They also stove in the boats, to prevent anyone from escaping.
- And now the story gets around to the meeting with Delano.
- Cereno explains that Babo decided to deceive the American captain.
- They set everything up carefully; the hatchet cleaners, for instance, were looking out for trouble, ready to use the weapons if needed.
- Atufal, Babo's right-hand man, was chained, so he seemed harmless, though the chains could be discarded in an instant.
- After Delano came aboard, Babo made Cereno find out from him the particulars of the sealer's defense, because Babo wanted to take over the other ship.
- Then Don Benito explains how he leaped into the boat and escaped—but you already read about that Shmoopers.
- Now Don Benito goes on for a bit about how all the black people on the ship were in cahoots, including someone called José (the servant of Aranda, who got inside information), Francesco (the mulatto) and all the Ashantes (the men who sharpened the hatchets.)
- Don Benito points especially to Lebe and Yan, who put the skeleton of Aranda on the bow.
- He also says that the black women were enthusiastic about the uprising, and wanted to kill Don Benito.
- He accuses the black women of singing melancholy songs to encourage the men to battle.
- Singing songs is, apparently, an act of war.
- He goes on to say that various people on board ship tried to warn Delano, but it didn't work because Delano was too thick (he doesn't quite say that, but that's what it means, more or less.)
- Apparently the boy who was cut with a knife had said something about hoping to escape, which is why the black boy hit him.
- The sailor Luys Galgo, the guy who gave Delano the knot, was apparently killed while Delano was on board.
- The guy with his hands in the tar was a Marques forced to appear as a sailor.
- He had tar poured on his hands as a punishment.
- Then he was made to appear on the side of the ship with a hatchet when the Americans were coming, and they shot him.
- Some of the blacks were killed after their capture, but the Americans tried not to do that, because they wanted to execute everyone for the crime of trying to escape from slavery.
- Don Benito concludes that he is a mess and is going to give up seafaring for a monastery.
- And finally the last few page of the book are a deposition from Doctor Rozas.
- The doctor recounts Don Benito telling Delano how grateful he is to him.
- Don Benito says he was terrified for Delano's safety, and only had the courage to jump overboard because he knew if he didn't Delano would be killed.
- Which is all very nice, but a little undermined by the fact that Don Benito is a slaver trader. How compassionae can he be.
- Don Benito also thinks Delano was super-lucky; he kept bouncing around and making rash gestures, but the blacks didn't kill him.
- He was blessed by God, Don Benito says (though more like the Devil; at least, it's hard to imagine God blessing slavers.)
- Then they're all like, you saved my life, no you saved my life, no you're my best friend, blah blah blah.
- Theyr'e happy white supremacists together.
- Babo refuses to talk, and is eventually killed and his head placed on a pole.
- Benito tries never to see Babo again, and faints when he sees him in court. He himself dies three months later.
- Everybody's dead! Happy heroic ending!
- Oh, wait, Delano's still alive. Sometimes the stupid and evil win, appears to be the message.