"Seguid Vuestro Jefe"

Translation: Follow your leader. It seems that by the end of the story, Benito Cereno's death follows behind his leader, "the negro Babo." This conflicts with previously accepted notions of black slaves who follow the command of their white masters. Throughout the story, Melville portrays a scenario feared by whites at the time, in which the Spaniards are killed off by the slaves and the ship's command is switched and ruled by the fear invoked in Captain Delano. The concept of 'leader' is challenged as an outsider, Captain Delano, recognizes 'unjust' treatment by the slaves against the Spanish aboard the San Dominick. A white leader at the time would never have allowed such behavior by the slaves to have occured without punishment.

The significance of this text and the view Melville portrays the slaves as capable and intelligent beings who should be considered a force to be reckoned with. This is not an attempt to portray solely the evil tendencies of slaves, but rather their ability to conspire and take-over a situation in favor of their needs. In the case of Captain Cereno, he cautiously feigned sickness or mental instability in an effort to protect the life of Captain Delano, while at the ruthless hand of Babo. After reading the text, there are many indicators that Babo was in control. He never left Delano and Cereno alone; he used the razor as a tool of threat and obedience by drawing blood during Cereno’s daily shave; and he portrayed a strong character unlike other depictions of slaves, always catching the fainting Cereno. This last point draws interest in the audience since the slaves were not typically seen to be the kind of support Babo gave to Cereno. Qualities of friendship were quickly gauged by Delano though not seen to be initial indicators of a reversed role of control.

The reader is challenged by Melville's approach to the slaves. Though Babo does not hesitate to kill Aranda, the Spanish leader of the ship and take over, ordering the murder of most of the Spanish aboard, he is meant to be portrayed as a capable leader, ruthless though he may be. His intelligence far outweighs the assumed white leaders, Cereno and Delano. He is able to fool Delano into believing Cereno's tale and invokes a fear in Cereno that diminishes his ability to lead and protect the interests of the Spanish aboard the ship. Cereno is in some ways identified as the "black slave" and by the end, follows his leader of the story, Babo.