Benito Cereno

Delano finds the ship’s captain, Don Benito Cereno: a young, gentlemanly, and reserved man dressed in rich clothes. Cereno stands passively by the crowd, wearing an unhappy expression as he looks at Delano. At his side is Babo, his servant, “a black of small stature” with a “rude face” (16), whom the narrator compares to a shepherd’s dog. Captain Delano instructs his men to bring up the basket of fish and fetch more water from the Bachelor’s Delight. Left alone on the ship, he engages in conversation with Benito Cereno in Spanish and notices that the captain is acting strangely; he appears distressed, drained of energy, and unfriendly. Cereno delegates the issuing of orders to Babo and remains uninvolved during episodes of unruliness, relying on the intervention of the old oakum-pickers. Delano persuades himself that the captain’s strange conduct is a consequence of the hardships both he and his ship have endured and feels pity for him. Babo’s conduct and caring attitude toward the captain pleasantly surprise him.

Delano asks Cereno for more details about the San Dominick’s troubled voyage. Cereno hesitates, gazing vacantly at the deck. When he finally begins recounting the journey, he reveals that the ship set sail from Buenos Aires destined for Lima, carrying 300 enslaved passengers and various goods. Stormy weather near Cape Horn led to the loss of numerous officers and sailors. Midway through his account, Cereno begins coughing heavily. Babo supports him physically, offering a cordial to alleviate Cereno’s distress. Delano interprets Cereno’s illness as a sign of mental anguish. As Cereno starts to speak again, Babo interrupts him, explaining that his master is unwell and grappling with haunting memories of their ordeal. Cereno then resumes his narrative, detailing the outbreak of scurvy and fever that claimed the lives of all the ship’s officers and many Black passengers. Adrift with little water after the suddenly wind died, the ship has since struggled to reach land, drifting aimlessly. Cereno concludes by praising the Black passengers for their commendable conduct, singling out Babo. In response, Babo humbly asserts that he has merely fulfilled his duty. Delano tells Cereno that he envies him “such a friend” (25), who Delano says transcends the label of “slave.”

Feeling guilty for hastily passing judgment on Benito Cereno, Captain Delano resolves to approach the situation with compassion. He assures Cereno he will help him and his crew as best he can, offering water, materials to repair the ship, and even three of his best seamen who might serve as deck officers. Hearing these words, Cereno’s face lights up. However, Babo intervenes, claiming that “the excitement is bad for [his] master” (28); he then takes Cereno aside to talk in private. When Cereno returns, Delano can’t help but feel disappointed as he observes that the captain is gloomy and somber once again.

Cereno invites Delano to accompany him to the poop deck, an elevated area at the rear of the ship. There, Delano witnesses a distressing scene: an enslaved boy hitting a white boy on the head with a knife. Cereno dismisses the episode as a jest, leaving Delano frustrated by this nonchalant response. He tells Cereno that he himself would have responded with immediate punishment. Perplexed, Delano inquires about the identity of the Black passengers’ enslaver. Cereno explains they were once the property of Alexander Aranda, a friend of his who succumbed to the fever. Merely mentioning Aranda’s name visibly upsets Cereno; his knees start to shake, prompting Babo to step in and offer support. Delano shares his own experience of losing a friend at sea, expressing regret for throwing the body to the sharks. He states that given another chance, he would keep the body onboard for a proper burial on land. This shocks Cereno, who cries out and collapses into Babo’s arms. Once again, Delano pities him.

Atufal, a towering Black man in chains, approaches the group. Prompted by Babo, Cereno asks Atufal whether he is ready to ask for pardon, but Atufal refuses. Cereno explains to Delano that Atufal has committed an egregious act and that for 60 days, every two hours, he must come ask for forgiveness. Delano is perplexed by the sight of a seemingly noble and well-behaved man in chains and suggests that Cereno free him. He then notices and comments on the key hanging around Cereno’s neck, which he assumes unlocks Atufal’s chains. This comment disturbs the captain. He and Babo engage in hushed conversation, a behavior Delano deems impolite. He starts to suspect Delano might be impostor—an ordinary sailor, or “low-born adventurer” (36), masquerading as a captain. However, a closer examination of Cereno’s features convinces him that the man has the distinct profile of nobility and must indeed belong to the Cerenos, an important mercantile family. With this observation, Delano dismisses his initial suspicions.