Setting is an essential element of any story, and nowhere is this more evident than in Herman Melville's short story "Benito Cereno," a bizarre mystery story , curious suspense and ultimately surprise. In composing his story, the author emphasizes setting in order to add breadth to the text, using foreshadowing and a series of symbols to develop the climax of the story. The historical setting serves as the social context of the short story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay Initially, the author gives the story an enigmatic tone: "everything was silent and calm; everything was gray.. .the sky seemed mostly gray” (131). Not only does the depiction of gray conditions give the physical impression of a dull and foreboding day, but it is also a commentary on impending ambiguity. If black and white represent absolute truth, the gray intermediate between these two colors represents uncertainty and vagueness. This precursor to mystery becomes increasingly apparent as the author describes the shadows present that day as “foreshadowing deeper shadows to come” (131). The uncertain setting and the foreshadowing are further underlined by the appearance of San Dominick and the detail, loaded with symbols. description of his appearance given by Captain Delano. This paragraph is used by the author to foreshadow the events taking place on board the ship, through a series of symbols and allusions. The tops of the ship are described by Delano as "ruined aviaries" (133) containing a "white yea-yea" (133). This image of a caged white bird recalls the white captain of the San Dominick, Don Benito Cereno, who is held captive on his own ship by Babo and the rest of the slave cargo. The bird's “lethargic somnambulistic character” (133) further reinforces this comparison with Benito, himself described as a “pale invalid” (151) and directly described as a “sleepwalker” (140). Additionally, the description of the bird as being "frequently captured at sea" (133) refers to the ease with which Cereno was taken prisoner by Babo. The comparison of the ship's forecastle to "an ancient turret, stormed long ago, then left abandoned" (133) signifies the manner in which the ship was conquered by force and left to fall into a “sloppy negligence” (131). Melville introduces the historical setting and context of the novel by continuing the American description of the Spanish ship as a colonial relic, drawing attention to its decrepit appearance: "in her time, a very fine ship" (133). Set in 1799, a period when colonial empires were in slow decline, Melville draws attention to the "faded grandeur...of the shield-shaped rear piece, finely carved with the arms of Castile and Leon" (134 ). . Castile and Leon, a Spanish region whose castle and Lion Standard appear on the flag of Spain, are Melville's representation of autocracy and imperial power. The once grandiose and currently faded state of the weapons is a commentary on the eve of the Age of Empires. This premise is reinforced by the author's comparison of Cereno's manners with "those of his imperial compatriot, Charles V, just before that monarch's anachronistic retirement from the throne" (137). Charles V, 16th-century king of Castile and once powerful Habsburg emperor who saw his power decline to the point of abdicating, draws a poignant parallel with events unfolding in the European Empire. Don Benito and his ship represent the decline of the Spanish Empire. As a Spaniard, the erosion of powerof Don Benito as captain of the San Dominick can be compared to the decline of Charles V. The depiction of the crippled empire introduces Melville's commentary on the slave trade, a lucrative trade in the European Empire, made possible by the European division and domination of Africa. As "Benito Cereno" was written in 1855 in Massachusetts, the epicenter of the pre-Civil War abolitionist movement, Melville was certainly aware of this hotly debated national issue. By depicting San Dominick as a structure that collapsed alongside the growing autonomy of slaves, Melville draws an analogy between the abolition of slavery and the fall of the European Empire. However, by setting the story on a Spanish ship stationed off the coast of Chile 56 years earlier, Melville distances himself from his observations on slavery. Additionally, by portraying Delano as an American, Melville reinforces the colonial context of the story, setting it at a time when America was only 23 years removed from its British colonial roots. By portraying the American ship as a self-sufficient provider of abundance, Melville affirms his belief that America enjoys its independence. The name "Bachelors Delight" suggests that the upstart nation-state is asserting its superiority over the antiquated and outclassed Empire, represented by the San Dominick. With the description of the "symbolic devices" (134) on the ship's stern, the author alludes to the uncertain power structure of the ship: Melville refers to "a dark masked satyr, holding his foot on the prostrate neck of 'a writhing figure, also masked' (134). Hints as to who actually controls the ship are interspersed throughout the narrative. However, it is established early on that Delano possesses "a singularly suspicious good nature, which is not likely, except under extraordinary and repeated inducements..., to indulge in personal alarms involving in any way or manner on the other, the imputation of a malignant disease in man” (131). This trait ensures that Melville can expand the uncertainty of the setting for readers while leaving Delano unconscious. Initially, the power dynamic aboard the ship appears to Delano to be that of the Spanish master and the "faithful servant" (138) Babo tending to his captain's every need. However, when Delano questions Cereno about his ill-fated journey, “Don Benito hesitated, then… stared fixedly at his visitor” (140). To the unassuming American, Cereno is simply affected by his illnesses, when in reality the nervous captive is incapable of remembering his artificial history. The diligent Babo said to Cereno: “His mind wanders. He was thinking of the plague that followed the gales” (141). Remaining on the ship, Delano is intrigued by the “instances of insubordination” (145) among the slave population; when a black boy hits a white boy, Cereno calls the incident "just a boy's sport" (145). Later, Delano encounters “two blacks, apparently accidentally embarrassed by one of the sailors, [who] violently pushed him aside” (157). Benito fakes a coughing fit to hide the fact that he witnessed this incident. His lack of discipline would have aroused Delano's suspicions and exposed the ruse. Delano is also suspicious of the strange behavior of the sailors, who glance at him with “a hidden meaning” (153) and with a “kind of meaning” (158). All of these factors combine to propagate a backdrop of uncertainty and mystery. This confusing setting continues when a sailor tying “Gordian knots” (163) throws a knot at Delano, urging him to “undo it, cut it, quickly” (163). The sailor refers to the knot of Gordia, the cutting of which gave Alexander the Great the power to build an empire. The sailor tells Delano that he has the potential to take over the.