Uncle Tom’s Cabin
The primary focus of this book is to show that African Americans, just like other humans, have souls and feelings. The white plantation owners viewed black people as cattle or simply a tainted human species. The motive behind writing the book was to show that African Americans are normal humans just like whites and they also suffer the way whites do hence should not be subject to mistreatment. Harriet Stowe approaches the idea of slavery from a firm Christian perspective throughout the book. This does not come as a surprise to many since she was from a religious family with her father being a well-known minister.
Uncle Tom’s cabin forms part of Americas inherited culture. The most important character is Uncle Tom, a middle aged black man who is very honest and intelligent. Harriet Stowe narrates Tom’s ordeal in the hands of his master Mr. Shelby. Shelby entrusts him with several of his dealings including trusting him to take huge sums of money of business trips for his master. Eliza, the house cleaner overhears the discussion between Mr. Shelby and his wife to sell Tom and her son Harry to slavery. Having lost two children through miscarriage, Eliza is not ready to lose another child. Therefore, she escapes with her son. She later reunites with her husband and then escape to Canada. Along the way, slave traders hunt for them, but after saving the life of one of them, freedom follows and he leads them to Canada. On the other hand, Tom who is a stanch Christian serves two homes before he dies the death only comparable to that of a martyr at Legrees farm.
The book presents hope for many blacks who for many years have fallen victims of racial abuse and discrimination. It therefore gives lifeline and the startling opportunity for the whole perception to change by breaking down the genesis of racism in the history of the United States. She stands her ground and criticizes slavery through her novel. She has reservations about torture and the overworking of slaves. The separation of families pains her as she illustrates their effect through Eliza and Cassy. She shows the extent to which a mother can go to have her child by her side and the extra mile she is ready to go to help the situation. Cassy kills her last child to avoid separation while Eliza crosses Ohio River by jumping over chunks of ice.
Christianity and its values remain to be an issue the author holds close to her heart. She illustrates the faithfulness of Tom and Eva that has changed lives as well as touching hearts of many even at their points of death. She points out the partial application of Christianity by both preachers and their congregation. They seem to apply what favors them and corrupt the rest. Equality is a value emphasized in the bible though it has always been overlooked by slave traders and owners. The escape of Eliza, Cassy, Gorge and Emmeline was a source of motivation as it encouraged slaves to try escaping and even fight for their fundamental rights.
Harriet wrote this book at that point in life due to the issues at hand by then. Slavery and anti-slavery were pertinent hence debated upon frequently and vigorously. She authored the book in those days when a proposed law against fugitive slaves was in the horizon. The basic rights of slave fugitives were grossly violated. Besides, people who abated the escapes were penalized. Such issues inspired Harriet to put pen on paper at that time. After the publication of her book in 1852, those against slavery and slaves themselves got motivation to fight the vice. In the meantime, those who supported and practiced slavery criticized the book and claimed that the image portrayed of them was false and misleading. The book stirred the civil war that followed and favored election of Abraham Lincoln who was anti-slavery activist as president in 1860.
References
Stowe Harriet, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Volume 1, Apple wood Books, 2008
Stowe Beecher Harriet, Uncle Tom’s Cabin: or, Life among the lowly, Forgotten Books, 1981
A Woodward, A Review of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Biblio Bazaar, 2008
Harold Bloom, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, InfoBase Publishing, 2008
