Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe is a classic novel that some people claimed evoked the American Civil War. Stowe motivated people to take sides over the issue of slavery by discussing the issue and showing the cruel aspects of it. The main focus of the novel was to show whites that African American’s have souls and feelings like any other human; it was common for whites at the time to view blacks as cattle. Families were separated, and the white people’s reasoning was that blacks did not feel the loss the same way a white person would. Stowe’s basic argument is that it is wrong to mistreat blacks because they suffer just as much as whites. The most important character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin is Uncle Tom himself. Uncle Tom is a middle aged black man who is very honest and intelligent. Uncle Tom is entrusted with many important dealings of the house, even large sums of money, by his master Mr. Shelby. Uncle Tom has many opportunities to escape, but he always returns, feeling that he cannot violate his master’s trust by running away with his money. Uncle Tom’s story resembles the biblical story of Joseph and his enslavement in Egypt. Joseph’s master Potiphar entrusts Joseph with all his belongings just as Mr. Shelby does with Uncle Tom. The turning point in the novel is when Mr. Shelby finds himself in debt to a slave trader by the name of Haley, and the only solution to give Uncle Tom and Harry, the son of Eliza, one of Mr. Shelby’s maids, to Haley. This is the split point in the novel, with the plot going in two different directions, one following the story of Eliza and Harry and the other following the story of Uncle Tom. Eliza runs away with Harry and meets up with her husband, George, who ran away from a cruel s... ... middle of paper ... ...ecause he himself hates the Christian values. He tries to force Uncle Tom to look out for himself and flog a woman. Uncle Tom blatantly refuses. Legree is outraged, and yells that he owns Uncle Tom, body and soul, to which Uncle Tom replies that Jesus owns his soul, not Legree. The ultimate reward of living a Christian life is worth any amount of pain Legree will inflict on him. Legree orders Uncle Tom to be beaten until he obeys, but he dies. According to Stowe, Uncle Tom wins because he was able to go to heaven while Legree lost because he will ultimately go to hell. In the nineteenth century, it was a novel idea that blacks also had a soul like the whites. The idea was the first step for making the white people responsible for their actions of the black people, be it good or bad; slave owners were forced to view their black slaves as humans instead of animals.
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.
For example, Eliza was legally separated from her son, Harry, because selling the slaves was vital to paying off of debts for the Shelby family (Stowe, 1852, p. 51). This exemplifies the similarities between Uncle Tom’s Cabin and large plantations after the 1830s in that both slave owners would sell slaves for their financial benefit, which makes Uncle Tom’s Cabin a significantly accurate portrayal of large plantations after the 1830s. Along with the separation of Eliza and Harry, Uncle Tom and and Aunt Chloe were also separated due to the Shelby’s financial issues. Furthermore, Lucy’s baby was taken and sold by Haley without her knowledge. Lucy was lured away from her child, and when she returned the child was gone (Stowe, 1852, p. 208) This incident highlights the similarities of the methods in which slave traders would take to be able to conveniently sell slaves. Lastly, George Harris and Eliza Harris were separated, despite the fact that they were married (Stowe, 1852, p. 57) This instance shows how white landowners in Uncle Tom’s Cabin did not acknowledge their slaves as people and would sell their slaves like commodities for their own profit, which is also correct for large plantations after the 1830s. This commonality represents Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a significantly accurate portrayal of slaves lives on large
Nineteenth century America was in need of a courageous man or woman who would stand up for those who did not have a voice. Slavery was ruining the lives of thousands, yet nobody cared to do anything about it. Harriet Beecher Stowe rose up to meet this need by writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book that clearly outlined its intended audience, the reason it was needed, the faults of slavery, and the effect of this information on the reader.
George Sand wrote of Stowe's style in Uncle Tom's Cabin, "We should feel that genius is heart, that power is faith, that talent is sincerity, and finally, success is sympathy" (Fields, Ed., 154). Faith, sincerity, and sympathy are indeed the overarching narrative tones Stowe strikes in the novel and are the feelings she wishes to awaken in her readers. Sympathy is likewise what Eliot wishes to stir in her readers in relating Maggie Tulliver's tragic life. Both Uncle Tom's Cabin and The Mill on the Floss utilize religious themes to accomplish these aims. Each points out the hypocrisy of conventional religious sentiments, highlights sincere religious sentiments within a few select individuals, and compares its suffering hero/heroine to Christ the martyr. By casting their narratives in familiar religious paradigms, the authors ably strike deepest into the hearts of their readers, impressing them with the tragedy of the situations they describe.
Regarding Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I collected sources about the critical controversy about the novel. In my findings, there is Norton Critical Edition, A Routledge Literary Sourcebook on the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet B. Stowe, lastly “The Little Cabin of Uncle Tom” by Egbert Oliver. I classified each source from best to worse base upon author credentials, origin, amount of detail/reading level, and purpose. The best source was the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin by H.B. Stowe. By reading the novel first, I was able to freely criticize it without the involvement of any other critic’s view to influence my interpretation. The author of the novel is reputable H.B. Stowe. As the author she has the best credentials of anyone because she had firsthand experience since she lived during the time of slavery. The novel, by itself, is a primary source of criticism regarding the public recognition to the horrific circumstances of slavery in the Southern states. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was first published weekly in an abolitionist newspaper called National Era then was published in a two volume book set published by John P. Jewett and Company (Rosenthal 9). The novel was wr...
The first method in which Uncle Tom's faith allows him to cope with the hardships of slavery is socially. One must understand that Uncle Tom is constantly paralleled to Christ during the course of events in the novel. Tom is the social leader of the slaves on the Shelby plantation. Uncle Tom's cabin is the focal point of fellowship for the slaves. This is because everybody perceives Tom as a mentor, and also because Aunt Chloe, his wife, is a fantastic cook. His charismatic personality allows him to lead and organize their religious meetings which are held in his home as well. One can see how Tom's faith allows him to be a social leader among the slaves. Stowe says on page 35 that, Uncle Tom was a sort of patriarch in religious matters, in the neighborhood. Having, naturally, an organization in which morale was strongly predominant together with a greater breadth and cultivation of mind that obtained among his companions, he was looked up to with great respect, as a sort of minister among them.
Throughout the course of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, numerous characters stand out for their complexity in character. However, only a fraction of those can contend with the memorability and intricacy of Evangeline and Ophelia St. Clare. In the chapters the two become included in, they possess influence over the other characters, including Uncle Tom, the lead protagonist. The individuals obtain stark contrasts between each other, from their personalities to their personal convictions. Additionally, they also vary in the level of character development they undergo in the story.
Much like the purpose of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet titled Common Sense, the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was written for the purpose of spreading the message that racism against the blacks and slavery had to stop. This book, based on real people and factual evidence is considered by many to be the event that started the Civil War in America between the North and the South. This was the piece of information that opened the eyes of a nation who claimed that they did not know that the racism and slavery issue went so far.
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.
William Arthur Ward once said, "Real religion is a way of life, not a white cloak to be wrapped around us on the Sabbath and then cast aside into the six-day closet of unconcern." Religion is the one thing that people can usually tolerate but never agree upon. Each faith seems to have an ordained assumption that they have the correct thoughts on how to life one's life or how to think about things or the way to act in certain situations. Still, each religion has its own "sub-religions." If someone refers to Christianity, there are several different religions that are blanketed under that umbrella: Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, and Presbyterian are just a handful. The inconsistencies that are associated with everyone's belief about religion run into deeper ruts of confusion. This confusion leads people to have distorted views as to what they believe and what their religion is all about. This is no different from the feelings about slavery by Christians in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Throughout the novel, Christianity presents itself in a few different lights; as a twisted and deformed glimmer of what religion is supposed to be with undertones of bigotry and prejudice, an innocent yet naive child that brings joy to everyone he or she meets, and as Uncle Tom himself, the standard for what a Christian is supposed to be. These different portrayals of Christian living come from Stowe's own beliefs about Christians and brings them into the light.
"It is impossible to conceive of a human creature more wholly desolate and forlorn than Eliza, when she turned her footsteps from Uncle Tom's cabin. Her husband's suffering and dangers, and the danger of her child, all blended in her mind, with a confused and stunning sense of the risk she was running, in leaving the only home she had ever known, and cutting loose from the protection of a friend whom she loved and revered. "
Uncle Tom, being an avid follower of Christianity, owns this book and reads it everyday. Uncle Tom has protected this book ardently as he moves from the Shelby household to the St. Clare estate and finally to Legree’s plantation. The Bible is a source of strength and comfort for Uncle Tom who endures the harsh environment of slavery and the switching of masters. In the novel, Uncle Tom says: “[...] I will hold on to the Lord, and put his commands before all,—die or live; you may be sure on’t. Mas’r Legree, I ain’t a grain afeared to die. I’d as soon die as not. Ye may whip me, starve me, burn me, it’ll only send me sooner where I want to go” (433). Stowe shows us how much he values Christianity and how he is even willing to sacrifice his life. He also reads the Bible to many of the characters in the novel which gives hope to many who struggle with their faith like Cassy. His willingness to spread his faith to Cassy despite the circumstances on the plantation is truly remarkable, but this loyalty to Cassy also leads to his suffering. The Bible allows him to withstand the brutal treatment from Legree and this shows the strength of his Christian faith. However, when Uncle Tom is on the brink of death, he decides to forgive Legree for his wrongdoings and that he has “only opened the gate of the kingdom for [him]” (476). This shows that despite suffering, Uncle Tom still grasped onto his Christian faith. Stowe wanted to use the Bible to symbolize Uncle Tom’s suffering, strength, and love for God.
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was a woman who grew up in a time of slavery under the heavy influence of the white man. She sought to spread her powerful abolitionist message of the humanization of slaves through her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, which uses structures of parallelism and contrast with slaves as sympathetic and moral human beings. From their small remarks, to their letters and even their own feelings towards their, more often than not, villainous masters, Stowe shows the slaves are sympathetic and real humans. Stowe goes on beyond this message to also portray women as the actively moral, men as the avaricious, and Uncle Tom as the exception to both.
The foremost example of the contrast between the slaves and those portrayed as being evil rested in the character of Uncle Tom. A devout Christian, Tom never lost sight of his convictions, staying true to his Christian beliefs until his death. Even when under the harshest conditions, Tom never lost faith, while praying to God and finding ways to keep his faith. After succumbing to the wrath of Simon Legree, Tom was viewed as a martyr by withstanding his doubts and staying firm in his beliefs, ending his own life, while saving those of two others.
Rarely is one work of literature so significant that it has the ability to change a society or cascade it down a path of ruinous conflict. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is a work that provided such a catalytic occurrence. To this day, this work of fiction brilliance is considered one of the most instrumental American works to ever be published. Selling over a million copies in its first two years and being the second bestselling book next to the Bible, what makes this accomplishment even more incredible is the fact that a woman wrote this book during a period in history when women were not granted the ability to have roles of influence or leadership, in any society1. In 1852, when the book was published, women were nonetheless confined to domestic obligations. With the help of the books, Uncle Tom’s Cabin written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and Social Analysis: Linking Faith and Justice written by Joe Holland, one is able to understand how much of an impact Stowe had on America’s history with the way people viewed slavery. The percussion of Uncle Tom’s Cabin caused much conflict between the abolitionists and the antislavery citizens. This work is important to history because it created the idea of finding a place for religion in society, shone a light on how African American slaves were treated, pushed the United States to a realization with the idea of whether slavery could continue to be a cornerstone of American life and how it contributed to the beginning of the Civil War. As Abe Lincoln said of Stowe, “the little woman who started the Great War1.”