During the entire story every main character displays signs of idiocy. ... Melville's story is told through a narrator. ... Melville implants these thoughts and emotions into his main characters. ... By using a dim-witted central male character, Melville enables the reader to examine the way Delano's prejudices affect his judgement. ... Fortunately, in "Benito Cereno" Melville brought light on the dark subject of slavery....

• Word Count: 927
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School