"Benito Cereno" and the Influence of Background

Paper Summary:

This paper shows how the author's mind both reflects the cultural preconceptions of his day regarding race and attempts to challenge these preconceptions. In Melville's writings about a slave rebellion - a fictional dramatization of the Amistad mutiny, the way in which the author perceives race and the issues of slavery are examined.

From the Paper:

"The way in which Melville's tale unfolds at first seems like an example of realistic storytelling. It unfolds in a highly detailed, matter-of-fact fashion through a third person limited narration, then switches to a first person deposition. This initial technique of third-person narration is initially used create a sense of authorial and factual objectivity. However, quite early in the story, the idea that this omniscient narrator is still limited by notions of race becomes clear. "Negresses, of whom there were not a few, exceeded the others in their dolorous vehemence," observes the narrator. The reference to "Negresses" suggests women defined primarily by their race, and confirms the common cultural preconception of black women as vehement in a fashion that neither white women nor white men are."

More papers on "Benito Cereno" and the Influence of Background:

• Argumentative Essay # 131094 : "Beethoven and the Influence of the French Revolution"
• Essay # 38234 : "The Fall of Rome and the Influence of the Roman Empire"
• Persuasive Essay # 146954 : "Race Relations and the Influence of Modern Hollywood"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: