Why everyone should read Uncle Tom's Cabin.
I know, you think you know all about that book. It has been called racist, and Tom has been denounced as servile and weak.
That's not how it is. Those complaints apply to movies and plays based (loosely) on the book. The story that people are familiar with is only a small part of the book, and Uncle Tom is a strong character. Tom was debased for popular consumption in the plays and movies.
It's not racist, it's about racism. This book is nothing less than a top-to-bottom, wall-to-wall expose of the institution of slavery in the US.
To understand the motives behind this book, it's important to understand some things about the time. Citizens were not divided sharply into Pro-slavery and Abolitionist. Most people were ambivalent about it. Slavery had been a part of their lives since birth. It was the basis of large sections of the economy. It had the glaze of normalcy that familiarity brings.
Abolishing slavery was an intimidating prospect. Even some slaves were anxious about such a large change. There was a possibility that "freedom" meant starving to death, because there would be no work, and no place to live.
The closest thing in the US today to the slavery debate is animal rights. On one extreme, we have people who see animals only as a resource. On the other extreme, we have vegans, who think we should not use animals at all. Most people are somewhere in between, having varying views along the lines of, "At least we should treat them well."
This is similar to how many people felt about slavery at the time. There was much discussion about laws to protect the welfare of slaves. Many apologists insisted that the cruelties described by Abolitionists were rare exceptions, and most slaves were well treated.
Harriet Beecher Stowe got fed up with it, and wrote this book.
She starts with Uncle Tom, who is in the situation apologists consider "ideal" for a slave. His position is more that of "old family retainer", than "property". He has been treated well all his life, and has had religious teaching. (This is the Victorian Era, remember, and Ms. Stowe, as a Christian, is concerned about the soul) Tom has helped raise the family's children, and has fatherly feelings toward them. They return this familial affection. Even though they are grown now, they still go to Tom for advice, as though he really were their Uncle.
At one point, the master of the house sends Tom into town to conduct a business transaction. He gives Tom a large sum of cash, and a pass. Tom does the business and returns. Other slaves ask him why he didn't run away. Tom, while he is intelligent, is not given to deep introspection, so all he can reply is, "It wouldn't be right."
This scene is what detractors of the book use to make "Uncle Tom" an insult. They claim that Tom is saying that slavery is "right", and he knows his place. Stowe makes it quite clear that this is not the case. Tom is an honorable man. He was entrusted with a task, and did not betray this trust. Besides, running away would mean abandoning his lifelong home and his family, to go somewhere strange, where he may or may not be able to find a place. These strong emotional ties were important to him.
The trouble starts when Tom's master gets into a financial bind, and sells him. Oh, he has every intention of buying him back, once he has straightened things out, and has sold Tom to a friend who promises to take good care of him. But, the reader knows this is not going to happen.
This is the beginning of a spiritual journey for Tom, who, while a good man, has never been tried.
Stowe uses this journey to carry us through every aspect of the institution of slavery. She even touches, in a coded Victorian way, upon sexual abuses. Through many stories, she methodically demolishes each argument apologists used to say slavery could be made "ok" through protective laws. She points out that, no matter how much affection or respect there may be between people, the simple fact that one has a financial value to the other poisons the relationship.
Step by step, Stowe exposes all the hidden workings of the industry of slavery. The cruelties are more emotional and spiritual than physical, and there are plenty of them. She keeps the story interesting, but includes a lot of sentimental Victorian tropes, such as the "child too good to live". If you like Victorian writing, you'll love these parts.
She gets in a dig at Northern Abolitionists who are terribly racist, and makes some rather pointed feminist remarks along the way. She shoots down the idea that slaves are somehow less than human, and don't suffer the way "real people" do, with the story of Eliza stealing her son and escaping with her husband to Canada.
Eventually, Tom winds up in the deepest pits of slavery, a cotton plantation. Here slaves are literally worked to death. After all the hidden cruelties heaped upon each other, it's almost a relief to get to someplace where it's out in the open, and easy to see. Then Stowe slams her readers with the ultimate horror.
These poor souls have had no religious teaching at all. When they die, their suffering will not be over, because they will be condemned to Hell.
(I know most of you aren't Christian, but remember that, to Harriet Beecher Stowe, and her culture, this was all very real, and a genuine horror.)
I highly recommend reading this book. It became a best seller for good reasons.
I know, you think you know all about that book. It has been called racist, and Tom has been denounced as servile and weak.
That's not how it is. Those complaints apply to movies and plays based (loosely) on the book. The story that people are familiar with is only a small part of the book, and Uncle Tom is a strong character. Tom was debased for popular consumption in the plays and movies.
It's not racist, it's about racism. This book is nothing less than a top-to-bottom, wall-to-wall expose of the institution of slavery in the US.
To understand the motives behind this book, it's important to understand some things about the time. Citizens were not divided sharply into Pro-slavery and Abolitionist. Most people were ambivalent about it. Slavery had been a part of their lives since birth. It was the basis of large sections of the economy. It had the glaze of normalcy that familiarity brings.
Abolishing slavery was an intimidating prospect. Even some slaves were anxious about such a large change. There was a possibility that "freedom" meant starving to death, because there would be no work, and no place to live.
The closest thing in the US today to the slavery debate is animal rights. On one extreme, we have people who see animals only as a resource. On the other extreme, we have vegans, who think we should not use animals at all. Most people are somewhere in between, having varying views along the lines of, "At least we should treat them well."
This is similar to how many people felt about slavery at the time. There was much discussion about laws to protect the welfare of slaves. Many apologists insisted that the cruelties described by Abolitionists were rare exceptions, and most slaves were well treated.
Harriet Beecher Stowe got fed up with it, and wrote this book.
She starts with Uncle Tom, who is in the situation apologists consider "ideal" for a slave. His position is more that of "old family retainer", than "property". He has been treated well all his life, and has had religious teaching. (This is the Victorian Era, remember, and Ms. Stowe, as a Christian, is concerned about the soul) Tom has helped raise the family's children, and has fatherly feelings toward them. They return this familial affection. Even though they are grown now, they still go to Tom for advice, as though he really were their Uncle.
At one point, the master of the house sends Tom into town to conduct a business transaction. He gives Tom a large sum of cash, and a pass. Tom does the business and returns. Other slaves ask him why he didn't run away. Tom, while he is intelligent, is not given to deep introspection, so all he can reply is, "It wouldn't be right."
This scene is what detractors of the book use to make "Uncle Tom" an insult. They claim that Tom is saying that slavery is "right", and he knows his place. Stowe makes it quite clear that this is not the case. Tom is an honorable man. He was entrusted with a task, and did not betray this trust. Besides, running away would mean abandoning his lifelong home and his family, to go somewhere strange, where he may or may not be able to find a place. These strong emotional ties were important to him.
The trouble starts when Tom's master gets into a financial bind, and sells him. Oh, he has every intention of buying him back, once he has straightened things out, and has sold Tom to a friend who promises to take good care of him. But, the reader knows this is not going to happen.
This is the beginning of a spiritual journey for Tom, who, while a good man, has never been tried.
Stowe uses this journey to carry us through every aspect of the institution of slavery. She even touches, in a coded Victorian way, upon sexual abuses. Through many stories, she methodically demolishes each argument apologists used to say slavery could be made "ok" through protective laws. She points out that, no matter how much affection or respect there may be between people, the simple fact that one has a financial value to the other poisons the relationship.
Step by step, Stowe exposes all the hidden workings of the industry of slavery. The cruelties are more emotional and spiritual than physical, and there are plenty of them. She keeps the story interesting, but includes a lot of sentimental Victorian tropes, such as the "child too good to live". If you like Victorian writing, you'll love these parts.
She gets in a dig at Northern Abolitionists who are terribly racist, and makes some rather pointed feminist remarks along the way. She shoots down the idea that slaves are somehow less than human, and don't suffer the way "real people" do, with the story of Eliza stealing her son and escaping with her husband to Canada.
Eventually, Tom winds up in the deepest pits of slavery, a cotton plantation. Here slaves are literally worked to death. After all the hidden cruelties heaped upon each other, it's almost a relief to get to someplace where it's out in the open, and easy to see. Then Stowe slams her readers with the ultimate horror.
These poor souls have had no religious teaching at all. When they die, their suffering will not be over, because they will be condemned to Hell.
(I know most of you aren't Christian, but remember that, to Harriet Beecher Stowe, and her culture, this was all very real, and a genuine horror.)
I highly recommend reading this book. It became a best seller for good reasons.
