Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)
     By Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)
    
     Last year, my interest in slavery was aroused by publicity surrounding the 200th anniversary of the British law abolishing the slave trade (passed in 1807). Somewhat hazy memories of Toni Morrison’s masterpiece “Beloved”, combined with Edward Said’s serious work of criticism “Cultural Imperialism” made me think there must be echoes of slavery in literature that would be worth examining. Where better to begin than with an openly abolitionist novel, published in 1852, by an American woman writer?
    
     Like her British contemporary, Charlotte Bronte (1816-55), Harriet Beecher Stowe was the daughter and also the wife of a Protestant clergyman. Stowe, however, was actively engaged in social causes, perhaps resembling another British Contemporary, Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-65) in this. It may have been the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act (requiring fugitive slaves to be returned to their masters) which engaged Stowe in the abolitionist struggle. Her moral indignation caused her to write in defence of the humanity of the slaves in general and to highlight the plight of runaway slaves. At all events, she was later to defend the veracity of what she wrote in “A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, relating the novel to real events.
    
     Social realism in a woman writer’s description of “Life Among the Lowly” (the novel’s subtitle), and an impassioned defence of slave rights – it is no wonder that the novel became a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic in its own age. No wonder it was less read and much satirised in the deep South of the USA, among the slave owners. But read it today and its literary merits go beyond mere campaigning for abolition. I look forward to reading your analyses…
    
     Sara Walker
    
     Click here to read the novel

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Uncle Tom's Cabin and the study of the American Socio Cultural milieu of the 19 century is extremely relevant in today's world where despite advancements in all fields ,man seems to have narrowed his mental frame .Arundhadi Roy in her book 'God of Small Things ' refers to man's narrow world where the female counterpart is looked down as a menial human being . Rights are denied here not on the basis of colour but pathetically on the grounds of sex --"the lesser mortal" is enslaved by brutish force .
    
     A psychological introspection is most welcome

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Nice choice Sara. It's many years since I read it so I'm looking forward to re-aquainting myself with the book.
    
     One thing worth noting is Harriet Beecher Stowe's contribution to the English language.
    
     When I was a child I often heard older adults using the phrase "It 'just growed' like Topsy" for anything which appeared inexplicably or without an apparent cause.
    
     My mother was fond of saying "Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits" which (she always said) comes from Uncle Tom's Cabin.
    
     I've just done a google search for this and found it attributed to Satchell Paige, the baseball player, but maybe he was quoting from the novel too.
    
     And of course the expression "Uncle Tom" is still fairly current.
    
     Anyway, HBS is one of the writers like Dickens who produced references which became known to many who never read or heard of their novel.
    
     Cheers
    
     Sarah Walker (yes, another one...but spelled with an h and based in the UAE and UK)

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Hello everyone
    
     It's been a couple of months since we opened the discussion on Uncle Tom's Cabin here. I confess that just now I was able to finish reading it and I looked for some questions that we might discuss in relation to the book.
    
     Here are some suggestions
    
     1. In what ways does Stowe present the incompatibility of slavery with the Christian ethic of love and tolerance? How do the novel's Christ figures underscore its basic Christian messages?
    
     2. How do Stowe's political objectives affect the style and formal aspects of the novel? In designing her characters to make a point, did she make them too simple? Do the noble politics of the novel justify its literary shortcomings - if you think there are some?
    
     3. In your opinion, what are the differences between the portrayals of men and women in Uncle Tom's Cabin? Does Tom fit with the rest of the men in the book? Why or why not? How does the portrayal of women reveal Stowe's feminism?
    
     Looking forward to your replies.
     Cheers - Chris

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Life among the Lowly
    
     Thanks for the opportunity you give me of reading a quite beautiful and intriguing creative work. When I started reading this novel, I was full of prejudice like asking myself why need I to read something on slavery now, the most outrageous thing men have laid over other men’s shoulders over centuries. But, when reading the novel I was surprised at the style, powerful and complex characters (with real human behaviour) imagery and the tailoring of events within it, and I got comfort on Sara’s encouragement when saying “But read it today and its literary merits go beyond mere campaigning for abolition”. All my prejudice was suppressed at the time I decided to experience reading it.
    
     Stowe’s writing tough intentional (in my point of view) in a way that I see the narration of the story and strong presence of the narrator’s partiality and political vision (abolitionism) leading the reader to understand the contrast between faith and reality, Christianity and oppression in this case, and urges the master and slave to both intuitively or by action embark on abolitionism and respect for human rights (or slaves’ rights) my own background, country history and life experience help me depict the incompatibility of slavery with Christianity the same way portrayed as in this novel (We know our parents were like Tom, and the historic settlement of Africa was through religion. My own father was one of those who went to church to ask for forgiveness for his shortcomings, and then on his way home he was tracked down and taken to “court” on the basis that God told the officer about the matters he confessed earlier before the priest at church) is not much than means of mind control of peoples. Tom’s faith and humbleness is satiric, and you see that other characters have been losing their faith after witnessing what really was happening while the same “bitter” actions and reality were a driving force to increasing Tom’s faith and belief in God (the God in the novel) – this contrast is worth looking at. I sometimes think Tom was acting like that for the sake of his wife and children (I can do the same for my children today, were it the case), like he understood it were to no avail resisting the system for it was better he than somebody else bearing the pain of it, for he could better understand and sustain the fate upon the lowly than the rest can – the pleasure of pain. In this novel the Christian messages of love and understanding might not be the true Christianity love and understanding kind of messages!
    
     I think Stowe takes advantage of her position of being the narrator of the story to bring the picture of whole a society of injustice based on race and hopelessness of “the lowly”. She’s like she designs complex characters using the narrator’s position to make them sound simple ones. She kind of agreeing with the characters when they act against slavery (you can look at how Eliza escapes; how Sam and Andy tricks delay Mas’r Haley pursue on Eliza and the celebration and pride he (Sam) gets for that. You can also look at how Mas’r George wrath urges Tom to not accept the fate upon him and do something for his right while Tom wanted younger George to learn his lessons out of it. I mean, you can look at how the society (even the smith) from high to the lowly, reacts to Tom’s fate and help slaves escape and mourn for the inhuman actions upon slaves). She brings the image of the oppressed stronger than the oppressor’s in terms of reasoning and emotion, but in the end they loose because they do not have the power.
    
     Stowe’s feminism is displayed by the show of love and strength women have to defend their children and influence their husbands’ thoughts. The way stories of women slaves escaping are told (Look at the encounter between Haley and the “savage” Tom Loker and the stories told about women reactions on Masters’ attempts to trade their children), even if you look the strength and kindness of Chloe at Tom’s departure who irons and prepare her mate sad departure; Mrs. Shelby emotive show; The Senator’s wife (Mrs. Bird) influence on making her husband look at life and slave’s plight differently, besides his work obligations and etc... Women are brought like the strength which shapes this society in the story while men come like the desperate that act out of hopelessness and are only brought to sensibility when driven by women. The narrator helps Eliza escape come as triumph and let Tom be caught like the hopeless and doomed “critur”. Women are not doomed in the novel; they can speak up and get their way through. The narrator cleverly gives a justification to every character’s actions and in this case Tom is blinded by his testament and bible reading.
    
     Still reading the novel and don’t know yet what will be the main characters last lucky.
    
     The tailoring of the novel is magnificent and you can enjoy every character like somebody you really know. And the oral speeches, the way English is written make this novel unique. Still coming…
    
     Thanks
    
     Tanguene

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