From the very beginning of Benito Cereno, Herman Melville uses an extensive amount of detail to describe the setting of the uninhabited St. Maria harbor. Throughout the story, Melville maintains the readers’ attention by leading them through the mystery of the curious circumstances surrounding Benito Cereno however, in the very beginning of the story, before Cereno is even introduced, Melville uses the details of the surrounding to convey the same sense of mystery and intrigue.
The broadest aspect Melville employs to create a sense of mystery is the day itself. Melville states that this specific day is “peculiar.” Everything seems to possess an abnormal amount of calm. Here, by creating a lack of all action, the day is perfectly set for the coming of something dramatic in order to fill the void caused by the “mute and calm” of the morning. Throughout literature, the presence of an ominous brooding storm is constantly seen as a symbol for approaching trouble. Though Melville does not directly incorporate an approaching storm in Benito Cereno the reader is told that the birds flying over the water are behaving “ as swallows over meadows before storms.” In fact, the birds themselves provide yet another aspect of a forthcoming mystery. Melville repeatedly describes the different birds as “grey,” a color without real definition. It is neither black nor white. It lies between these two colors and cannot be clearly defined as going one way or the other. These unclassifiable birds as well as the unclassifiable, “peculiar” day mimic the mystery that will come with the San Dominick.
Once the San Dominick arrives, Melville continues to create a mysterious tone for the story using Delano’s description of the ship. Primarily, suspense and mystery is created because the ship is stationed a fair distance away from Delano’s Batchelor’s Delight. Because the ship is so far away, Delano is forced to conjecture about its purpose or motives. Just as Delano cannot mentally grasp the circumstances of the ship it is also physically out of his reach. Another interesting way Melville creates mystery regarding the San Dominick can be seen in his word choice describing it. Before Delano reaches the boat is constantly referred to as “the stranger.” In fact the first word used to describe the boat is “strange.” The reader desires clarity; Melville’s vagueness creates a need in the reader to clear up the situation, essentially to solve the mystery. Delano feels this same need. In a way of further prodding the desires of the reader, Melville has Delano begin to unravel this puzzle by forming two contrasting theories about the identity of the strange ship. Delano observes that the boat is either “peaceful” or “lawless” and then remembers “the sort of stories…associated with [these] seas.” The reader is left wondering how to classify the San Dominick. As with the day, Melville also uses color in creating intrigue in the San Dominick. Delano notes that the ship “flew no colors.” Having no color at all creates an effect very similar to the grey of the birds or the two possible motives Delano posits about the ship—the reader cannot clearly define the situation so a mystery ensues.
Melville both satisfies as well as irks the reader by moving Delano on board the San Dominick. Though one step is taken towards understanding the ship, many more confusing atmospheric traits are added. Delano observes that the ship is damaged but offers no observation as to a motive. Melville creates a condition but refuses to explain this condition. This ambiguity is heightened by the contrast with other aspects of the ship. Great attention is paid in describing all the parts of the ship in as complete detail as possible so when the reader is then presented with an incomplete description of the damage (incomplete because there is no explanation to causation) the desire for clarity and completion again takes hold of the reader, irking them onward. The reader also gets a literally incomplete view of the figure-head of the boat as it is quite literally shrouded and hidden from view. Additionally, Melville again uses color to add to the mystery. Delano notes that the balance of white men to black men is significantly skewed on the San Dominick. That is, as a combined entity, the crew of the ship is the wrong color. Delano tells the reader that the color scheme is unusual for the boat; it does not fall into existing categories. Instead the crew, like the ship itself, falls into a grey area. Rather than clear up any immediate mysteries, the details Melville adds aboard the ship serve only to further tantalize the readers’ need for understanding.
Throughout Benito Cereno Melville provides clues leading up towards the final revelation at the end but these clues are not the only attributes that make this story a mystery. Melville uses tonal description of the day, the distant San Dominick, and the deck of the San Dominick to create a mood that is exceedingly mysterious. Melville describes factors that defy categorization or simply leaves out details in order to engage the reader in trying to solve this mystery. After only a few pages of explication, the mood is completely set in order to support the rising action of Benito Cereno.
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