Book Analysis: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
A. Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in 1811 in Litchfield, Connecticut, which surprises many of her readers. Stowe writes so passionately about slavery that it seems that she must have been raised in the South. Stowe was born into a strong Christian family, which explains why her novels have a strong Christian basis.
Stowe first learned of the horrors of slavery when she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Kentucky, a slave state, was right next to Cincinnati. She married and lived there for 18 years. All the while, she stored images and thoughts in her mind about slavery. Many times, she would talk to slaves and retain their memories and thoughts.
After her husband accepted a job in Maine, Stowe began writing a novel using the information and visions she had brought with her from Ohio. After some time, she submitted it to the National Era, which published the novel as a serial. When it was published, Uncle Tom’s Cabin reached immediate success. Many publishing companies from around the world published her novel in 20 different languages. Stowe found herself speaking around the world, especially in England. A play blossomed from the novel, which also was successful.
Stowe did not stop writing after Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but her other novels never had quite the impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin . The novel Lady Byron Vindicated almost buried Stowe because many critics believed that Stowe’s purpose of this novel was to trash a good name. Poganuc People, a story about a Yankee Town, is another Stowe novel that still carries merit today.
B. Uncle Tom’s Cabin reveals the life and horrors of slaves in the 19th century. It opens with a scene where a “kind’; slave owner and a slave trader are dealing. Shelby, the kind slave owner, has fallen into debt, and must sell his favorite slaves. Eliza, overhearing the conversation, run away with her child seeking shelter in Canada. Eliza, after almost dying while crossing a frozen river, is taken in by a Senators family. She is then transported to a Quaker community, where she is reunited with her husband. Tom’s fate is quite different. While on a ship, he befriends a girl name Eva St. Clare. Her father buys him …
…bsp;Slavery is an evil that haunts our past and still carries an affect in today’s world. A majority of people believe that the north was innocent of slavery. While most did not own slaves, most did not oppose it. They swept the issue under the carpet. Some Northerners took part in dealing slaves, so the North was not slave free. Also, a numerous amount of Northerners came down south to own slaves. Simon Legree is a perfect example in Stowe’s novel. Secondly, slavery existed in many forms. Some slave owners were kind to their slaves, others were outrageously cruel. Stowe clearly points out that to no matter what degree, it is evil. This is true. The slave owners, as kind as they could be and as Christian as they thought they were, still viewed the blacks as an inferior race. Stowe presented that point very well with Mr. Shelby. The South was programmed to view blacks in this way, and for years they did. The evil of slavery still haunts America today. By some, blacks are still viewed as inferior to whites. Stowe did an excellent job of presenting her theme. Slavery is a cruel institution, and America’s past reveals this through Stowe’s novel.