Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel has been described as one of the most influential books in the history of America, as hundreds of thousands of copies were sold the first year it was published. When Abraham Lincoln met Stowe, he said to her,"So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!" While he may have been exaggerating in this statement, Stowe's book was (and is) an extremely powerful picture of all aspects of slavery.
Though the main story revolves around Uncle Tom, an honest, hardworking slave, who is also a loving husband and father, there are several other stories that unfold as well. When plantation owner Mr. Shelby finds himself in a great amount of debt, he believes his only choice is to sell some of his slaves, or he will lose other valuable property, such as land. The slave trader who is collecting Mr. Shelby's money decides on 2 slaves that will settle the debts. The first is Tom, who is not only tall and strong, but also trustworthy and submissive, and the second is a good-looking child named Harry, who will fetch a good price in the slave market. Harry's mother Eliza overhears this deal and decides to make a run for Canada, rather than give up her beloved son. Her husband George recently ran away from his master as well, after undeserved harsh treatment. Eliza and Harry have been treated very well in the Shelby household, but Eliza would rather risk her life than live comfortably without her son. The reader follows Eliza and Harry through their frightening journey to try to find freedom.
Tom does not run away, though he hears of Mr. Shelby's decision to sell him. He says goodbye to his wife and children, and tells them to trust in the Lord as he does, and he hopes to see them again one day. Mrs. Shelby makes a promise to Uncle Tom that she will do everything in her power to buy him back. Tom has strong faith in God, that no matter what happens to him, no matter where he ends up, he will always be kind, loving, and do as he is told. He knows his time on earth is short, compared to the eternity he will spend in heaven. Tom goes through both happy times, and extremely wretched times, but he never loses his faith.
St. Clare and Evangeline, Ophelia and Topsy, and Cassy and Emmeline are other characters the reader meets. They all have different stories, and all of their lives are touched and changed by Uncle Tom and his love and faith. Through this cast of characters created by Stowe, the appalling institution of slavery is demonstrated. During this time period, many argued that slaves were better off being slaves, because they were given food and a roof over their heads. Some slaves had kind masters, who took very good care of them. However, no matter how rose-colored the situation can be painted, slavery at its best is still believing humans to be property and not worthy of freedom. America was founded on the very principle of freedom. "Is there anything in it glorious and dear for a nation, that is not also glorious and dear for a man? What is freedom to a nation, but freedom to the individuals in it...To your fathers, freedom was the right of a nation to be a nation. To him, it is the right of a man to be a man, and not a brute; the right to call the wife of his bosom his wife, and to protect her from lawless violence; the right to protect and educate his child; the right to have a home of his own, a religion of his own, a character of his own, unsubject to the will of another" (398). How could a nation founded on these principles, say it is OK to own, trade, sell and treat humans as if they are animals?
Not only are Southern slave owners depicted, but Northerners as well. Though some considered themselves abolitionists, they still looked down upon those with darker skin. As said by the southern St. Clare to his northern cousin, "We are the more obvious oppressors of the negro, but the unchristian prejudice of the north is an oppressor almost equally severe" (324). Stowe points out that if one despises the institution of slavery, but does absolutely nothing about it, they are no better than those who own slaves.
Reading Uncle Tom's Cabin brought tears to my eyes more than once. Stowe did not just write a powerful story, but she brought to light the evils of slavery, and through her book, appealed to Americans to do something to stop allowing it to happen.
Date completed: August 24, 2008
# of pages: 464
