Benito Cereno - analisi + commento

Benito Cereno by Herman Melville

uno dei più grandi scrittori della letteratura in lingua inglese e dell'America.

biografia:

• 1819: nasce a New York, in New England.
  • Melville era il figlio di un ricco commerciante che lo spronò a studiare, tuttavia, la fortuna economica del padre fu destinata ad esaurirsi.
• 1830: l’azienda del padre fallì e questo portò il capofamiglia a un grave tracollo nervoso.
  • Melville, quindi, lascia la scuola a 12 anni e inizia a lavorare per mantenersi e mantenere la propria famiglia, per questo possiamo dire essere un autore autodidatta (ha appreso da un maestro solo i rudimenti dell’alfabetizzazione).
• 1838 (19 anni): si imbarca su una nave mercantile verso Liverpool; questo fu il primo di una lunga serie di viaggi.
  • Infatti, lungo il corso della sua vita compirà numerosi spostamenti a bordo di navi da guerra o baleniere, in modo particolare dall’altra parte dell’emisfero: in Polinesia...(luoghi in cui si praticava quotidianamente la caccia alle balene, mentre sulla costa Atlantica era una pratica scarsa).
• Questi grandi viaggi implicavano moltissimo tempo (dai 2 ai 3 anni) e consistevano nella circumnavigazione del globo.
• Melville, durante queste esperienze decide di raccontare per iscritto le sue avventure sconosciute alla comunità americana, creando delle opere che gli regalano un grandissimo successo.
• 1844: rientra in Europa
• 1846: pubblica “Type”: racconti di esperienze geografiche, antropologiche e scoperte di mondi nuovi.
• 1847: pubblica “Omoo” racconti di esperienze geografiche, antropologiche e scoperte di mondi nuovi.
• 1849: pubblica “Mardi” racconti di esperienze geografiche, antropologiche e scoperte di mondi nuovi.
• “Redburn”, con questo racconto però il suo successo comincia a scemare
• 1850: pubblica “White Jacket”

1851: pubblicazione di “Moby Dick”, il successo sparisce perché è un

romanzo complesso, biblico, somma sulle teorie delle scienze

naturali e sulle teologie del mondo.

Inoltre, è un romanzo che si conclude tragicamente.

1852: pubblica “Pierre”, ma il successo non aumenta, anzi peggiora ulteriormente.

1853:

Questo tragico insuccesso, quindi lo costringe a vivere in una condizione in miseria e lo porta a decidere di cominciare a scrivere e pubblicare racconti su riviste famose ed importanti dell’epoca, così da provare a ricostruirsi una fama e uscire dalla povertà.

Pubblica i suoi racconti a 5 dollari a pagine.

Sul “Harper’s New Monthly Magazine” pubblica 7 racconti, mentre su “Putnam's Monthly Magazine” pubblica:

• un romanzo a puntate: “Israel Potter”
• 7 racconti:
• “Bartleby, the scrivener”
• “The encantadas” le isole delle Galapagos sono le protagoniste del romanzo
• “Benito Cereno”

Questo pubblicare di continuo, dà la possibilità a Melville di far comparire il suo nome più e più volte, inoltre, visto che i suoi racconti hanno successo, lui riesce a ricrearsi una buona reputazione.

1856:

Melville riesce a pubblicare su “Piazza Tales” una raccolta di 5 racconti pubblicati precedenti sulla rivista “Putnam’s Monthly Magazine”

Questi racconti vengono giudicati di analogo livello ai quelli di Irving, di Poe e di Hawthorne.

Quindi, insieme ai racconti di Poe e di Hawthorne essi diventano degli esemplari importantissimi per la letteratura americana.

Le sue opere:

• Genere: fa riferimento a forme e generi già consolidati nel tempo.
• Protagonisti: schizzi di personaggi
• urbani
• rurali
• Argomenti:
• viaggi che affrontavano la vita in mare e sulle navi
• problematiche riguardo alla schiavitù

personaggi

• Delano
• Benito: malconcio
  • gravi problemi di salute (sviene spesso)
• Bobò: (servitore di Benito - da cui c’è non si separa mai)

San DominiK = Santo Domingo

• 1798 rivolta di schiavi guidata da un "giacobino nero" ad Haiti
• 1831 Rivolta di Nat Turner

Herman Melville

Benito Cereno

this undemonstrative invalid gliding about, apathetic and mute, no landsman could have dreamed that in him was lodged a dictatorship beyond which, while at sea, there was no earthly appeal.

Thus, the Spaniard, regarded in his reserve, seemed the involuntary victim of mental disorder. But, in fact, his reserve might, in some degree, have proceeded from design. If so, then here was evinced the unhealthy climax of that icy though conscientious policy, more or less adopted by all commanders of large ships, which, except in signal emergencies, obliterates alike the manifestation of sway with every trace of sociality; transforming the man into a block, or rather into a loaded cannon, which, until there is call for thunder, has nothing to say.

Viewing him in this light, it seemed but a natural token of the perverse habit induced by a long course of such hard self-restraint, that, notwithstanding the present condition of his ship, the Spaniard should still persist in a demeanor, which, however harmless, or, it may be, appropriate, in a well-appointed vessel, such as the San Dominick might have been at the outset of the voyage, was anything but judicious now. But the Spaniard, perhaps, thought that it was with captains as with gods: reserve, under all events, must still be their cue. But probably this appearance of slumbering dominion might have been but an attempted disguise to conscious imbecility—not deep policy, but shallow device. But be all this as it might, whether Don Benito's manner was designed or not, the more Captain Delano noted its pervading reserve, the less he felt uneasiness at any particular manifestation of that reserve towards himself.

Neither were his thoughts taken up by the captain alone. Wonted to the quiet orderliness of the sealer’s comfortable family of a crew, the noisy confusion of the San Dominick’s suffering host repeatedly challenged his eye. Some prominent breaches, not only of discipline but of decency, were observed. These Captain Delano could not but ascribe, in the main, to the absence of those subordinate deck-officers to whom, along with higher duties, is intrusted what may be styled the police department of a populous ship. True, the old oakum-pickers appeared at times to act the part of monitorial constables to their countrymen, the blacks; but though occasionally succeeding in allaying trifling outbreaks now and then between man and man, they could do little or nothing toward establishing general quiet. The San Dominick was in the condition of a transatlantic emigrant ship, among whose multitude of living freight are some individuals, doubtless, as little troublesome as crates and bales; but the friendly remonstrances of such with their ruder companions are of not so much avail as the unfriendly arm of the mate. What the San Dominick wanted was, what the emigrant ship has, stern super-

Herman Melville

Benito Cereno

him there, for the benefit of what little breath of wind might be stirring.

As, during the telling of the story, Captain Delano had once or twice started at the occasional cymballing of the hatchet-poliehers, wondering why such an interruption should be allowed, especially in that part of the ship, and in the ears of an invalid; and moreover, as the hatchets had anything but an attractive look, and the handlers of them still less so, it was, therefore, to tell the truth, not without some lurking reluctance, or even shrinking, it may be, that Captain Delano, with apparent complaisance, acquiesced in his host's invitation. The more so, since, with an untimely caprice of punctilio, rendered distressing by his cadaverous aspect, Don Benito, with Castilian bows, solemnly insisted upon his guest's preceding him up the ladder leading to the elevation; where, one on each side of the last step, sat four armorial supporters and sentries two of the ominous file. Gingerly enough stepped good Captain Delano between them, and in the instant of leaving them behind, like one running the gauntlet, he felt an apprehensive twitch in the calves of his legs.

But when, facing about, he saw the whole file, like so many organ-grinders, still stupidly intent on their work, unmindful of everything beside, he could not but smile at his late fidgety panic.

Presently, while standing with his host, looking forward upon the decks below, he was struck by one of those instances of insubordination previously alluded to. Three black boys, with two Spanish boys, were sitting together on the hatches, scraping a rude wooden platter, in which some scanty mess had recently been cooked. Suddenly, one of the black boys, enraged at a word dropped by one of his white companions, seized a knife, and, though called to forbear by one of the oakum-pickers, struck the lad over the head, inflicting a gash from which blood flowed.

In amazement, Captain Delano inquired what this meant. To which the pale Don Benito dully muttered, that it was merely the sport of the lad.

"Pretty serious sport, truly," rejoined Captain Delano. "Had such a thing happened on board the Bachelor's Delight, instant punishment would have followed."

At these words the Spaniard turned upon the American one of his sudden, staring, half-lunatic looks; then, relapsing into his torpor, answered, "Doubtless, doubtless, Señor."

Is it, thought Captain Delano, that this hapless man is one of those paper captains I've known, who by policy wink at what by power they cannot put down? I know no sadder sight than a commander who has little of command but the name.

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