Sources from race-based African slavery, racial stereotypes have plagued American history. Antebellum stereotypes characterized African Americans as inferior and unevolved, which perpetuated the view of most white Americans that African Americans were suited to servitude, as they were seen as incapable of learning and being civilized. Stereotypes propagated by slavery, the Minstrel Shows, and later books and films found their place in a variety of popular pieces, including Bishop Whipple's Southern, which retained repugnant stereotypes. However, pre-war author Herman Melville used these racial stereotypes in Benito Cereno in a seemingly innovative way; uses stereotypes of African Americans to critique 19th-century racial discourse by questioning the validity of rigid racial boundaries and suggesting the danger of seeing a race as a monolithic body. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Benito Cereno, a short story set in 1799, at the height of the slavery era, details the thoughts and feelings of Massachusetts captain Amasa Delano amid a shocking encounter on a slave ship. Often referred to as "the American" (Melville 121), Delano is the captain of a whaling ship, the Bachelor's Delight. While his ship is docked off the coast of Chile, Delano comes into contact with a "strange sail" (Melville 109), which readers soon learn is a Spanish slave ship in the midst of a rebellion. Once on board, Delano begins to witness events that he considers strange and inexplicable due to his acceptance of racial stereotypes. For example, he observes a group of six slaves striking their axes with a “barbarous racket” (Melville 119), which he describes as “unsophisticated Africans” (Melville 120). In addition to calling their behavior unorthodox, Delano describes these men as barbarians. This description paints a picture of lazy, ignorant, and uncivilized Africans, all considered the opposite of what it means to be American. Ultimately, Delano's perception of slaves as uncivilized brings to light early Americans' belief that slaves and minority ethnic groups were "the other." From this point on one might begin to see Delano as having an American lens or point of view, as he is starting to show views consistent with most of his contemporary Americans. Furthermore, Delano continues to judge situations based on his acceptance of racial stereotypes. As she observes a group of slave mothers nursing their children on the ship's deck, she observes, “like most uncivilized women, they seemed…[not] as sophisticated as leopardesses; [as] loving as doves” (Melville 175). The undertones of racism become clear when Delano compares these women to undomesticated animals. Furthermore, the juxtaposition enunciates Delano's paradoxical view of African women. Indeed, various sources on antebellum culture, such as Gettysburg College's digital archive on slave communities, suggest that white men were attracted to the "exotic allure" of female slaves and their perceived lack of opportunity. of modesty seemed to signal a compromised sense of morality, as well as a heightened sexual desire, which white men often felt entitled to exploit. (Slave community) These stereotypes are evident in Benito Cereno, as Delano observes them while exposing their breasts, all while describing them as comparable to wildlife. Indeed, his view that womenAfrican women are exotic and picturesque, but still subordinated due to their race, shows an extremely disconcerting view of these women, suggesting that they are seductive and attractive, but unworthy of respect, due to their race. Ultimately, Delano's contrasting account reveals his contradictory interpretation of enslaved women, from which the text begins to question the importance of race as a means of judging character by considering their femininity in addition to race. Alongside Captain Benito Cereno and behind the events of the whole day is Babo, a slave who understands and manipulates the stereotypes that many people apply to him to hide the ongoing slave revolt. Described by Delano as "less a servant than a devoted companion" (Melville 124), Babo initially appears to be Don Benito Cereno's devoted African slave assistant. Delano senses the intimacy of their relationship when Babo goes so far as to speak for Cereno, claiming that "his mind wanders. He was thinking of the plague that followed the storms" (Melville 132). Later, Delano sees Babo shaving the captain's face. As he watches Babo serve Cereno, Delano postulates that “there is something in the negro which, in a peculiar way, makes him suited to occupations concerning his own person” (Melville 200). This phrase clearly illustrates Delano's belief that African Americans are inferior to whites and specifically suited to serve the master race. Furthermore, he goes on to state that African Americans possess “a certain casual cheerfulness, harmonious in every look and gesture; as if God had put all the negro to a pleasant tune” (Melville 200). Delano's statement not only reveals his racist attitude, but also his insensitivity to Babo's feelings. This statement reinforces the idea that an entire ethnic group not only has an innate purpose to serve, but also that they enjoy serving. Without a doubt, this racial stereotype denies a large group of people free will, implying that their natural position on Earth is to please not themselves, but the men who have captured, tortured, and exploited them for centuries. Ultimately, by revealing Delano's unawareness of the reality of the situation, the text asks the reader not only to consider people as more than their race, but also begins to suggest the danger of believing that an entire race is " harmonious" (Melville 200) and incapable of independent thought. Interestingly, Melville's choice to include variations of stereotypes characterizing slaves as ignorant, lazy, and uncivilized contrasts sharply with the reality of the story; slaves are capable of doing much more than pleasing the white man. Ironically, Babo played into these racial stereotypes and acted accordingly to avoid suspicion from Delano. In fact, Babo has been running a clandestine operation, in which he cunningly forces Delano to believe that Cereno controls the ship, when in reality the slaves have taken over. Because Cereno must be supervised by his captor, Babo, and pretend to control the ship without wielding any real power, the day's increasingly strange events begin to make sense once a "flash of revelation" (Melville 238) crosses the mind of Delano, and he finally understands the situation. One could argue that Delano fails to understand the farce due to his “distrustful goodness” (Melville 110), but given the explicit racial stereotypes included throughout the story, it is clear that Delano would never consider an African to be capable of control a ship, especially since this job usually fell to an educated white man, like himself. In other words, Delano cannot understand the idea of ​​a so-called inferior race. 109-271.