Mr. Bland
AP English
Monday, September 26, 2011
Fatal Apathy
By outlying(prenominal) the most dangerous foe we have to fight is apathy-indifference from whatsoever cause, not from a lack of knowledge, but from carelessness, from absorption in other pursuits, from a contempt bred of self satisfaction (William Osler.) The novelette Benito Cereno by Herman Melville depicts an American sea chieftain who happens upon a obviously lost Spanish vessel. He boards the ship and discoers virtuallything is amiss with the sea captain; Benito Cereno, and the crew. It is not until the end of the bilgewater that he discovers that the San Dominick had been taken over by the captive slaves aboard. During his time on the ship, one of the captured Spanish sailors hands the American captian Delano a complex knot, telling him its for mortal else to solve. This is a major symbol in the story, connecting some of the largest issues in the text. The knot is representative of the ship itself and its situation, the complexness of the issue, and the complacence of the sailors that got them into trouble in the first place. Melvilles story can be related to issues with mid 19th atomic number 6 America, and the subject of slavery. Using this symbol, Melville shows he is an abolitionist and demonstrates against slavery.
Delano is wandering the San Dominick when he approaches the Spaniard secure a knot. When asked why he would be tying up such a twisted knot, the sailor responded, For someone else to undo (Melville 22.) The sailor throws the knot to Delano, and orders him to undo the knot. Before the captain can process the event, a slave comes and takes the knot and throws it overboard. That elfin situation can be reflected on to the entire ship, and in turn to 1800s America. A knot is definitely a hassle, problematical to undo and typically takes some work to create as well. The knot is the problems the Spanish face on the San Dominick, they have been overthrown and are...If you pauperism to get a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com
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