Reversal of the role of master and slave in Benito CerenoWhite men kept one step away from death or even more tortuous destinies at the hands of black slave-mutineers, kept alive exclusively to navigate the blacks to freedom: is this concept so absurd as to be unconscionable? It depends on whose eyes the insurrection is seen. In "Benito Cereno", Captain Delano's extreme naivety and desensitization towards slavery greatly influence his perceptions while aboard the San Dominick. Delano's racial stereotypes, views of master-slave relationships, and benevolent racism mask the true reality of what was happening on board despite his constant discomfort and skepticism. In an era when slave revolts were not uncommon, the conditions of the slaves aboard the San Dominick should have had a greater impact on Delano. After boarding the mysterious vessel, Delano thought only briefly about the fact that the many blacks roamed freely under the control of very few Spaniards, such a small number, we later learn, because of scurvy, or so he was told. The menacing black men who performed the task of polishing the axes that would sound at the appropriate time were never more than a passing observation. Furthermore, the fact that there were so many slaves, all relatively healthy, lacking nothing but water, never prompted Delano to analyze further. Despite the fact that the San Dominick was not specifically a slave ship, but just a ship that transported one man's slaves, on the average slave ship the conditions on board were terrible. The maximum number of slaves was crammed into the hull, chained to prevent riots or suicides by drowning. Food, ventilation, light and sanitation... in the middle of the paper... everything in it. Melville creates a character who never sees the reality aboard the ship in his many speculations, mostly because Delano sees the slaves as too ignorant to come up with such a thing, when the great irony is that he is too blind to see it. . Melville reverses the roles of master and slave and brings them before an audience very attentive to slavery for whom he leaves open interpretation, but loaded with subtle messages about the horrible institution of slavery. Works Cited Bennett, Lerone. “Black Resistance…Slavery in the United States.” Before the Mayflower. http://www.affroam.org/history/slavery/revolts.html. 25 September 97.Melville, Herman. "Benito Cereno." Stories from the streets. Northwestern University Press. 1996. “The African Slave Trade.” Slavery. http://www.usbol.com/ctjournal/Slavery2.html. September 18th. 97.