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Harriet ann jacobs incidents in life of a slave girl analysis essay
Harriet ann jacobs incidents in life of a slave girl analysis essay
Harriet ann jacobs incidents in life of a slave girl analysis essay
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In the year 1852, nine short years before the civil war began in 1861, Harriet Stowe published arguably the most influential, groundbreaking, and controversial books in American history, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The novel drew widespread criticism for the depiction of African Americans and slaves in a time when the United States of America was teetering on civil unrest due to the strength of the opposing views between the North and the South. The rapid expansion and growth the United States throughout the 19th century had led to an increase in labor demands, and slavery was not only viable but also essential to the economic prosperity of the southern states. The argument over slavery was wrestled with for the entire history of the young nation, and the late mid-1800’s brought the country to a crossroads. The publishing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin stirred the emotions of the country over whether or not African Americans are equal, if they should be free, and what should be done about slavery. At the one of the earliest points in American history, the roots of slavery began to take hold in Jamestown, Virginia in the year 1619 (“Slavery in America”). The reasoning behind owning slaves was selfish, and simple; slavery provided cheap, dispensable laborers that could survive tremendous amounts of abuse, and needed very little to survive. Before the use of slaves, Europeans relied heavily on indentured servants, individuals who owed a debt and thus traveled to the new world to work off the debt for a certain number of years until they would be freed. This left wealthy individuals who held the servants in a constant struggle of bringing in more workers, but slavery provided a remedy for this issue. For decades, slavery spread and grew throughout the... ... middle of paper ... ...of a Great American Anecdote." Lincoln, Stowe, and the "Little Woman/Great War" Story: The Making, and Breaking, of a Great American Anecdote. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. Reynolds, David S. "Introduction." Introduction. Mightier than the Sword: Uncle Tom's Cabin and the Battle for America. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2011. Xii. Print. "Slavery in America." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin, Or, Life among the Lowly. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest, 1991. Print. "Today in History: Uncle Tom's Cabin." : June 5. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. Uncle Tom’s Cabin and American Culture by Thomas F. Gossett; Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Mid-Nineteenth Century United States: Pen and Conscience by Moira Davison Reynolds Review by: Bryan F. Le Beau American Quarterly, Vol. 38, No. 4(Autumn, 1986), pp. 668-674
Tom's Cabin: A Norton Critical Edition by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Ed. Elizabeth Ammons. New York: Norton, 1994.
[2] Herman Melville, Benito Cereno. In: Nina Baym (ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Fifth edition (New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999), p.1166 [3] Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin. In: Nina Baym (ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Fifth edition (New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999), p. 803
Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in 1852. This anti-slavery book was the most popular book of the 19th century, and the 2nd most sold book in the century, following only the Bible. It was said that this novel “led to the civil war”, or “the straw that broke the camel’s back”. After one year, 300,000 copies were sold in the U.S., and over 1 million were sold in Britain.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. "Uncle Tomâs Cabin." 1852. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lauter et al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998. 2325, 2326.
Uncle Tom’s cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852. It is an anti-slavery book that shows the reader the many sufferings endured by slaves in the period before the civil war. To the people of the modern day generation, these acts of slavery are unbelievable but the reader has to realize the fact that in those years, people suffered, to the point where they were just treated as property, where owners can do whatever they like and be disposed of or traded as if they were just material possessions and not even human. The book talks about the relationship between slaves and their masters as well as the role of women. As slavery was practiced during such times, Stowe tries to expose the difficult life people had in the past and how their faith in God helped them to endure all there hardships.
Jehlen, Myra. "The Family Militant: Domesticity Versus Politics in Uncle Tom's Cabin." Criticism 31 (Fall 1989): 383-400.
"The Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin." University of Virginia Library. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/StoKeyu.html (accessed April 9, 2012).
...away slaves. Harriet Beecher Stowe published a book called Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was the most influential document of the abolitionist literature. The book showed emotions of slaves that were treated cruelly by Uncle Tom. Although abolitionism was dividing both sides knew the amount of damage slavery was doing by dividing America. They knew slavery had to be extinguished.
He includes various books of the era Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written, including those who criticized Stowe’s work. Charles Chesnutt claimed his novel “The Marrow of Tradition” would be embedded into “the popular mind as the legitimate successor of Uncle Tom’s Cabin” (Reynolds, 2011, p.205). Chesnutt’s work serves to verify the author’s argument of Uncle Tom’s influence on the nation. Reynolds also includes an excerpt of President Lincoln to support the fact that black slaves were more valuable as women because she “who brings a child every two years as more profitable” (Reynolds, 2011, p.60). Uncle Tom Mania by Sarah Meer is a novel that agrees with Reynolds’ argument of the cultural importance of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Meer’s novel “Tom-Mania” is named after a British newspaper that gave light to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This novel looks upon the songs, plays, and imitations inspired by Uncle Tom’s Cabin, creating common ground on which Britain and the United States could debate slavery upon. Burning Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Carl Walters is a novel that in ways both supports and contrasts Reynolds’ argument. Walters believes that Stowe’s novel was influential, but that the characters she has created are unrealistic. Walters’ novel revolves around Eliza and George Harris, creating and providing the reader with a much more realistic
Many African American 19th Century critics saw Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin as a ray of hope and a means out of oppression. Critics praised the dialogue, the interjected sentimental stories, as well as the characterization. In fact, many considered the novel to be a gift from God. Uncle Tom's Cabin was the only popularized writing at the time that touched upon slavery as negative. The novel was popular in general but more importantly to African Americans. However, the response to the book was limited considering the scarcity of African American newspapers and writers. Much of the African American population at the time was held down by slavery, illiteracy, and/or a lack of places to publish.
It also teaches Christian values as well as family values. At the time of its publication, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an immediate success and one of biggest sellers of all time. Despite the fact that Stowe induces her own personal opinions, with the very little experience she has had with slaves, she delivers a magnificent novel which is still enjoyed by many modern readers today. The time of her novel’s publication was very important. It was published at the peak of the abolitionist movement, in the 1850’s.
She is often remembered for her famous literary work “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, a novel that featured the tragedy of African slaves, and how simple actions of love, compassion and care for one another could bring about reconciliation and forgiveness between the exploited and their exploiters (Wolseley 34). In this novel, Tom stands out as an exemplary character, which at the point of his death, is compassionate to forgive those responsible for his death, an act that makes his killers turn to devout Christians. This novel resolves around family love, and goes ahead to depict that indeed, individual kindness of whatever sort can never go waste, even in the most hopeless situations. As a result of the major themes in this novel, the Northerners apparently became aware of the plight of the Southerners and in initiated reconciliation procedures. Consequently, this novel portrays slavery as a universal inhuman practice and traumatizing to the affected societies. Tom Loker, the protagonist and major character in the novel eventually becomes an inspiration and an awakening to most Americans who take the initiative upon themselves to end slavery and build a harmonious society where all people co-exist freely regardless of their affiliations of any
Even today, with literature constantly crossing more lines and becoming more shocking, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin remains one of the most scandalous, controversial, and powerful literary works ever spilled onto a set of blank pages. Not only does this novel examine the attitudes of white nineteenth-century society toward slavery, but it introduces us to the hearts, minds and souls of several remarkable and unprecedented characters.
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, has had a tremendous impact on American culture, both then and now. It is still considered a controversial novel, and many secondary schools have banned it from their libraries. What makes it such a controversial novel? One reason would have been that the novel is full of melodrama, and many people considered it a caricature of the truth. Others said that she did not show the horror of slavery enough, that she showed the softer side of it throughout most of her novel. Regardless of the varying opinions of its readers, it is obvious that its impact was large.
Works Cited “American Literature 1865-1914.” Baym 1271. Baym, Nina et al. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature.