|
Free Term
Paper - Uncle Tom's Cabin
‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ is a
masterpiece novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852.
Stowe was a 19th century writer and abolitionist and
concentrated her writing on the evils brought by slavery. The
novel largely contributed to the antislavery sentiments in the
post civil war American society.
Need research paper help? we can write a custom paper for you!
Main Character and their Roles
The story contains about two dozens of characters of which Uncle
Tom is in the central role. He is depicted as being a true
believer of Jesus, a virtuous, devout, committed, honest, loyal
and considerate human being. In the time when education was
prohibited for the slaves, Uncle Tom learned to read Bible and
teach it to fellow slaves. Arthur Shelby and his wife Emily are
Tom’s masters in Kentucky. The couple is kind and just to slaves
and Emily is blessed with high moral values. Their son George
teaches Tom to read Bible and is deeply attached to him. When
his father sell Tom and another young slave Harry to pay for his
debt, the little boy swears to get back Tom. Aunt Chloe is Tom’s
wife and a very good cook. When Tom was sold, she started
selling pastries to get money and buy him back.
Eliza is Emily’s maid and is married to George Harris, a slave
on neighboring plantations. Their son, Harry is a talented and
beautiful kid who sings and dance to amuse his master. Mr. Haley
is a cruel and brutish slave trader who buys Tom and Harry from
Shelby and sells them to Augustine and Marie St. Clare.
Augustine becomes fond of Tom after he saves his daughter Eva
from drowning. He promises to free Tom but dies before signing
the papers. His wife is a self-centered and vicious woman and
disapproves of her husband’s and daughter’s liking for the
slaves and sells them all after her husband’s death. Ophelia is
St. Clare’s cousin and Topsy is her little slave girl. Simon
Legree is Tom’s last master. He is a vindictive and malicious
person and finds pleasure in beating, humiliating and punishing
his slaves. Eliza’s mother Cassy is Legree’s mistress.
Brief Outline
Uncle Tom's Cabin, the story starts with a description of Arthur
Shelby's Kentucky plantation during the antebellum period.
Shelby is not characterized as a cruel master, but he is
compelled to sell some slaves to avoid financial ruin. Mr.
Haley, the slave trader, purchases Uncle Tom, Shelby's loyal
servant since childhood, and five-year-old Harry, a beautiful
and talented child who sings, dances and mimes. Eliza, Harry’s
mother decides to flee the plantation with her son. George, her
husband from a neighboring plantation, has already escaped for
Canada. Eliza plans to do the same, and tries to convince Uncle
Tom to save himself and come with her but he refuses. Haley
searches for Eliza in vain and she reaches Ohio. There she meets
Mr. Symmes, who hates slave traders and takes Eliza and Harry to
the house of Senator Bird who helps out Eliza until she meet her
husband and goes to Canada.
Need research paper help? we can write a custom paper for you!
Haley takes Uncle Tom and on the steamboat to New Orleans Tom
befriends an angelic little girl, Eva St. Clare. Uncle Tom saves
her from drowning, and she convinces her father to buy Tom. At
St. Clare plantation Tom is head coachman and he spends most of
his time with Little Eva. Eva soon falls ill and at deathbed she
convinces her fathers to set all the slaves free but before
doing that he dies. The cruel Mrs. Clare sells the slaves to the
brutal Simon Legree to settle her husband’s debts. In the end
Shelby’s young son comes in search of Tom but soon after his
arrival Tom dies. All the other characters also flee their
masters and get united with their families and friend in the end
of the story.
The story has numerous interesting
and unique scenes but the one that attracts me is in chapter 4
when Shelby sold Tom to Haley. The scene inside the cabin of
Uncle Tom is a very sentimental and touching when his wife begs
Tom to go, but he staunchly refuses by saying ‘"No, no--I an't
going. . . If I must be sold, or all the people on the place,
and everything go to rack, why, let me be sold. I s'pose I can
b'ar it as well as any on 'em’. Mas'r always found me on the
spot--he always will. I never have broke trust, nor used my pass
no ways contrary to my word, and I never will. It's better for
me alone to go, than to break up the place and sell all. Mas'r
an't to blame, Chloe, and he'll take care of you and the
poor--". (Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1999)
This reminds me of two great historical figures - Jesus and
Socrates. The distinguishing qualities and traits of Uncle Tom
are very similar to those possessed by Jesus. He always bear the
cruelties of his masters silently and reside himself in Bible in
hard times. He never argues or questions the authority of his
masters and obeys them and stays loyal to them in the worst
circumstances. He preaches his fellows to be good Christians and
believe in God. Like Jesus he return evil with goodness and
immorality with righteousness. Secondly, he reminds me of
Socrates who was offered an escape plan by his friends and
disciples and he refused to it. The role of Uncle Tom is
therefore, a symbol of bravery, truthfulness and courageousness.
References
Stowe, H. B. (1999) Uncle Tom’s Cabin, chapter 4, Wordsworth
Editions Ltd.
Need research paper help? we can write a custom paper for you! |
