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Maggie McCune
English 465
11/4/09
“The Racialized Other” in Benito Cereno
Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin/White Masks explores the psychology and alienation of the
black man through racism and the concept of the “racialized other.” From the beginning of
colonial times, Fanon explains how black males were always viewed as inferior by the colonizer
and looked at through the gaze of the white man. The gaze of the white man views the black
man always as a spectacle, whose inferiority is linked with impurity and savagery. Fanon also
explains that ontology will never permit us to understand the being of a black man because
ontology takes on the white identity. The inability for the white man to understand the being of a
black man is shown through the character of Captain Delano in Herman Melville’s Benito
Cereno. Captain Delano is clouded by his perception of the Negros as the racialized other and as
a result becomes vulnerable to the deception of Babo; a rebellious and intelligent slave who
plays to this identity of the inferior, simple-minded Negro in order to deceive Captain Delano of
the horrific truth of the massacre he led aboard the San Dominick.
Fanon explains how the black man has always been subjected to the gaze of the white
man and has been forced “to experience his being through others […] For not only must the
black man be black; he must be black in relation to the white man” (87). The black man is
trapped under the white man’s perception of the Negro as inferior and is subject to the white
man’s interpretation of their race as the “other.” Therefore, the idea that the Negro must be
black in relation to the white man refers to the Negro’s inability to develop their own definition
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of being outside of their otherness. In Benito Cereno, Captain Delano portrays the racism of the
white man and provides a lens that reflects the “white gaze” and shows how the black man is
burdened by the white’s understanding of their being. For instance, Delano views the Negro
slaves as objects and refers to them simply as “valuable freight” (Melville 165). Delano’s
ignorant comparison of the Negros value to nothing more than cargo is dehumanizing.
Additionally, Delano objectifies the Negros by defining them in terms of “oakum-pickers” or
“hatchet-polishers” (Melville, 168). Delano’s categorization of the Negros reduces their human
qualities and degrades them to merely their actions and responsibilities.
Fanon’s concept that the black man is viewed always as a spectacle is another burden of
the white gaze. Fanon says, “I discovered my blackness, my ethnic characteristics; and I was
battered down by tom-toms, cannibalism, intellectual deficiency, fetichism, racial defects, slaveships and above all else, above all: ‘sho’ good eatin’” (89). These characteristics of blackness
are all negatively weighed with inferiority and a sense of contamination. The beating of tom-tom
drums and cannibalism suggests images of savagery or a lack of sophistication and having
“intellectual deficiency” implies the innate simple-mindedness of the black man. The portrayal
of the black man as a spectacle is also implied through the Negro’s association of “racial defects”
and the stereotypically poor and distinct dialect of the black slave as shown through the phrase
“sho’ good eatin.”
Delano views the Negros’ blackness as a spectacle in many instances; one instance
Delano is particularly intrigued with is the animalistic nature of a Negress nursing her child. The
description of the Negress’ baby is compared to a wild fawn with hands like paws that are
grappling for the Mother’s breast, a nose that guides its way to its food and all the while is
making grunting noises (Melville 195). In reaction to witnessing this scene, Delano “was
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gratified with their manners: like most uncivilized women, they seemed at once tender of heart
and tough of constitution, equally ready to die for their infants or fight for them. Unsophisticated
as leopardesses, loving as doves” (Melville 195). Delano is appreciative of the unique motherly
nature of an uncivilized woman; he is fascinated with the juxtaposition of their fiercely
protective instincts like that of a leopardess and their gentle, loving nature like that of a dove.
Another example of Delano’s view of the black man’s lack of civilization and barbaric nature as
a spectacle is when he is watching the six hatchet-polishers. Delano observes and notes, “…the
peculiar love in Negroes of uniting industry with pastime, two and two they sideways clashed
their hatchets together, like cymbals, with a barbarous din. All six, unlike the generality, had the
raw aspect of unsophisticated Africans” (Melville 168). The joy that Negroes find in combining
work with their pastime of music or singing is shown through the clamoring of hatchets to create
a “barbarous din” which Delano finds strange and amusing. The clashing of their hatchets seems
barbaric and foreign to him and therefore he concludes that their actions must simply be induced
by the nature of the raw, unsophisticated Negro.
In addition to Delano’s fascination with the Negros as uncivilized or animalistic, he also
views the relationship between Benito Cereno and his slave, Babo, as a truly peculiar
relationship. For instance, as Delano observes the image of “the black upholding the white,
Captain Delano could not but bethink him of the beauty of that relationship which could present
such a spectacle of fidelity on the one hand and confidence on the other” (Melville 176). The
affectionate and loyal relationship between the two is strange because Babo is Cereno’s inferior
and yet their apparent closeness seems out of context to the traditional master and slave
relationship. However, the reality of this relationship is that it is a complete facade. Babo is
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holding Cereno up as his puppet while he plays to the identity of the racialized other and wears
the “black face” to deceive Delano of the slave rebellion he has led on the ship.
Babo is a rebellious, cunning slave who hides behind the concept of the racialized other
to prevent Delano from discovering his act of mutiny. Therefore, Babo appeals to the white
man’s gaze and feigns the appearance of a humble slave. For instance, Delano describes his
appearance as having a “rude face, as occasionally, like a shepherd’s dog, he mutely turned it up
into the Spaniard’s, sorrow and affection were equally blended” (Melville 168). This description
reflects the white man’s view of Negros as faithful dogs; inferior animals with a “rude face,” a
rough, unsophisticated countenance, but who worship their masters fully. Babo simulates a
faithful and subservient relationship through small acts of kindness like taking hold of his
master’s arm to support him, dutifully providing a handkerchief when needed for one of his
attacks of sickness or simply offering the appearance of a kind eye “…to refresh his spirit by the
silent sight of fidelity” (Melville 217). Yet, if Delano could have seen beyond the stifling
perception of the white man’s gaze he may have been able to interpret Babo’s eyes locked on
Cereno as a threat to remain quite rather than as a deceiving look of comfort.
Babo continues to feed to Delano’s interpellation of the racialized other by emphasizing
his role as the inferior, simple-minded slave. While Babo is shaving Cereno’s beard, he
successfully portrays Delano’s perception of the Negro as “natural valets and hairdressers” who
exert “a certain easy cheerfulness, harmonious in every glance and gesture, as though God had
set the whole Negro to some pleasant tune” (Melville 207).
The fitting placement of Negros in
simple positions like valets and hairdressers suggests the attainment of an innate simplemindedness and helps to mask the reality of Babo’s intelligence and depth of character.
Additionally, his portrayal of attaining an “easy cheerfulness” and living every glance and
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gesture to a pleasant tune implies the docility of the slave and deflects any suspicion that Babo
embodies feelings of hostility.
Throughout the story, Captain Delano dismisses his misgivings about the ship and crew
because of his confidence in the being of the racialized other. Delano’s vulnerability to be
deceived by Babo stems from his assurance that the Negro is inferior and submissive. Perhaps if
Delano’s judgment had not been so clouded by the white man’s gaze, Babo would not have
passed as easily under the guise of the racialized other.
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Works Cited
Fanon, Frantz. “Frantz Fanon, from Black Skin/White Masks (1952).” A Critical and Cultural
Theory Reader. 2nd ed. Toronto, CAN: University of Toronto Press, 2004. Print.
Melville, Herman. Billy Budd and Other Tales. New York, New York: Signet Classics, 2009.
163-249. Print.