Uncle Tom's Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe
ABOUT THE STORY
Uncle Tom's Cabin is an anti-slavery novel that was published in 1852. It's taken place in Brunswick, Maine in 1850-185. The story is mainly told in the third person but is also told in the second person. Foreshadowing contributes in this book when Eva states that she will soon join the angels, foreshadowing her death. Symbolism is used quite a bit, here are some examples:
- Uncle Tom's Cabin portrays the toll slavery took on the cabin and how it even destroyed his Christianity.
- Geography is a very important one. It shows that the North represents freedom and the South represents slavery and oppression
- When Eliza leaps gets over the Ohio River it's a visual representation of escaping slavery and having freedom.
THEMES
There are many themes in this novel such as slavery, race, religion, women and femininity, love, suffering, violence, and contrasting regions. Slaves illustrates not only the suffering and misery of slaves, but also the way slavery harms everyone involved in it. Race is displayed as immoral, and the domination of one group of people by another group based on race is unacceptable. Harriet Beecher Stowe was a very committed Christian and believed that religious faith would be a very large part in the abolition of slavery. The novel suggests that Christianity is not meant to be legalistic.
The picture to the right is an example of slavery back in the 1850's
WHATS UP WITH THE TITLE?
Uncle Tom's Cabin refers to the small home Tom and his wife, Chloe, created on their masters land in Knetucky, before Tom got sold to the south. The little house also represents freedom although they were slaves. Once Tom got sold to the south, he lost his wife, kids,cans freedom of movement that his first master gave him.
CHARACTERS
- Uncle Tom
- Evangeline St. Clare
- Marie St. Clare
- Augustine St. Clare
- Alfred St. Clare
- Henrique St. Clare
- Simon Legree
- Topsy
- George Harris
- Eliza Harris
- Miss Ophelia
- Cassy
- Emily Shelby
- Arthur Shelby
- George Shelby
- Aunt Chloe
- Mr. Haley
- Emmeline
- Senate and Mrs. Bird
- Tom Loker
- The Quakers
- Phineas Fletcher
- Madame de Thous
- Mr. Wilson
Event Information
West Prairie Homecoming
When?
Saturday, Oct 17, 2015, 07:00 PM
Where?
Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, United States
NARRATORS POINT OF VIEW
Stowe presents the inner thoughts off all the characters, some in the third person and some in the second person.
INITIAL SITUATION
Mr. Shelby sells his faithful slaves, Tom, and Eliza's son, Harry, clearing his debt. Eliza overhears Mr. Shelby talking about selling them and fears for her son. So Eliza goes to Mrs. Shelby and asks if she really thinks the master will sell her boy and she tells her not to worry. Although, Mr. Shelby did sell Tom and Harry to Mr. Haley, but made him promise to sell them to good people.
CONFLICT
Eliza's hears Mr. Shelby explain to his wife that he sold Tom. Eliza runs away in the night with her son heading to Canada, after she tells Tom that he is being sold and she is trying to save her child.
The picture to the right is a visual representation of Eliza going to tell Tom that he has been sold and that she is running away to try to save her child.
COMPLICATION
Eliza makes it over the Ohio River but then Mr. Haley sends slave catchers with dogs to find them. While Eliza is worrying about being caught, Tom's life with the St. Clare's is ruined when Eva and Augustine St. Clare both die.
CLIMAX
Tom is sold to bad slaveowner, Simon Legree, which brings the novel to its highest point. This shows that slavery can leave good people in the path of evil.
SUSPENSE
This story contains several situations which have suspense. One of these situations is when Cassy and Emmeline escape with the help of Tom. Legree finds out that Tom helped Cassy and Emmeline escape and tortures him to the point that he dies because he wouldn't tell Legree where they were going.
CONCLUSION
Eliza and George Harris make it to Canada safely. George Harris is reunited with his sister, Madame de Thoux, and Cassy is reunited with her daughter Eliza. Mr. Shelby ends up freeing his slaves after seeing what terrible things happened to Tom.
The picture to the right is an example of a slave family being reunited after having been away from each other for a considerable amount of time.
Event Information
West Prairie Powderpuff Game
When?
Wednesday, Oct 14, 2015, 06:45 PM
Where?