Benito Cereno was quite difficult to get through. Melville's writing is just so dense that I often found myself lost in his words...reading a couple pages and realizing I could not remember anything that actually happened. I felt like Melville's style took away more from the story rather than make the story work. I recognize his detail and ability to create scenes, but I mostly found it more confusing with all of the similes and extremely slow action.
I also found this work to be incredibly predictable. Not only was it predictable, there was a lack of build in suspense up to the point of finding out what was actually happening. I think there was intention to build suspense with the continuous change of trust and distrust Delano has for Cereno, but it was just too much flip-flop and so long, drawn out, wordy, and boring that instead of suspense, I was just annoyed. I feel like the idea of the story wasn't so bad, I just don't think it was executed well. I could barely keep interest and focus, so barely even cared to keep reading because I knew what was going to happen. I really was just impatient for it to be over.
I feel like we will discuss our opinions on Melville's stance in slavery in class, and I would like to say that I think Melville was a supporter of slavery, or at least tolerant. I think this because I felt that he projected to slaves of the ship as savage, violent, blood thirsty criminals and the white people as victims who were admirable because they were known to treat their slaves well. The slaves who revolted did the same thing that so many whites and so many slave catchers and owners did to slaves, and the slaves on the ship really just wanted to be returned to land where other black people lived. But Melville makes them seem violent and in the wrong.