Analysis Of Cereno And Babo

Throughout the novella, suspicious events that point to the Spaniards being enslaved recur, yet Delano chooses to ignore any misgivings he has from these incidents. In one scene, Cereno and Babo pull themselves aside to whisper, and after a series of suspicious questions from Cereno, Delano starts to feel apprehensive. Quickly, however, Delano feels that "the same conduct which in this instance had raised the alarm, served to dispel it" (190). Despite the highly questionable nature of this incident, Delano persuades himself that the ship and those on board have no bad intentions. As compared to being tricked into thinking that the ship is normal, Delano now forms his own opinion that there is nothing to worry about. Delano also witnesses two
These two scenes raise Delano’s suspicion, yet again he shrugs off the experiences quickly, failing to listen to his own qualms and analyze the reasons behind these incidents. Although Delano is a trustful person, his lack of concern over these violent incidents also suggests that he may not want to believe that darker problems exist on the ship. The shaving scene when Cereno gets cut by Babo is another glaring clue that suggests something is wrong with their relationship, and Delano feels that the two "were acting out, both in word and deed… some juggling play before him" (211). Despite this, Delano convinces himself again that the notion of an elaborate play being acted out is ridiculous, so he "speedily banish[es] it" (212). Even when an act of violence such as cutting someone’s throat is right in front of him, Delano chooses not to fret over it. The ignorance of such a blatant threat represents the blind eye that Americans turn towards slavery and racism. Many Americans do not wish to tackle such controversial topics, so unjust treatment of African Americans
Delano views Babo as a great servant and says, "I envy you such a friend; slave I cannot call him" (176). Delano favors Babo's seemingly friendly personality over Cereno's, which Delano feels "conveyed a sort of sour and gloomy disdain" (170). As a result of Babo’s trickery, Delano views the slaves in a more positive light while dismissing the oppressed Spaniards, portraying how many Americans turn their backs on minorities due to prejudices. Delano also admires the female slaves on board who “deepened his confidence and ease” (195), but it is later revealed that they “would have tortured to death, instead of simply killing, the Spaniards" (243). Delano's favoritism towards the slaves over the white sailors is troubling and argues that Americans sometimes take the side of the oppressors whether or not they know of their violent acts and intentions. Delano also sees the worst in Cereno and the other white sailors. After seeing Babo with a faked bloody cheek from Cereno, Delano again comments ironically, "Ah this slavery breeds ugly passions in man" (213). While Delano criticizes what seems like Cereno's evil doings, Melville argues that the oppressors can successfully trick onlookers into believing that the oppressed are the true enemies. This is encapsulated when Delano ponders about a white sailor, "if, indeed, there