Herman Melville 
Benito Cereno 

Benito Cereno, " a story of atmospheric Gothic horror and striking political resonance, represents Herman Melvilles most profound and unsettling engagement with the horrors of New World slavery. Narrating the story of a slave revolt using materials drawn from Amasa Delanos non-fictional account of the Tryal Rebellion from earlier in the nineteenth century, Melvilles story probes the moral complexities of the antebellum United States and its position within the Americas. Melville explores the psychology of slavery and racism and the role of violence in both the resistance to, and the perpetuation of, slavery in the Americas. The appendices to this volume illustrate how Melvilles satirical treatment of racism and his ambivalent response to violent resistance to slavery connect with antislavery literature (poetry, fiction, and non-fiction alike) in the middle of the nineteenth century, and they also consider how "Benito Cereno" functions as a central piece in Melvilles contribution to the literature of the Americas.