Uncle Tom’s Cabin: A Well Famous Novel
What is the novel Uncle Tom’s cabin about? It is one of the most and best-selling books of Harriet Beecher Stowe, was written in 1852 as a reaction against the Fugitive slave act in 1850 that raises voice about the injustices of the slave law and reflects a strong believe on the power of Christianity.
Why the novel Uncle Tom’s cabin is so famous?
This English novel is considered as an important step towards anti-slavery that encouraged the people of southern and northern areas to advance towards Civil War for the abolishment of slavery that was prevalent there. Through the character of Uncle Tom, who was a slave, she had portrayed a strong believe on Christianity and humanity that Uncle Tom shows by giving his life for the sake of another slave.
She points out that violence is not the way of living life instead we should try to help everyone even if the price is our life. The book highlights the important issues like human rights, abolishment of slavery and belief on Christianity, in this article we will delve deep into these issues and explore the consequences of slave trade on human beings.
Main theme or message of Uncle Tom’s cabin
The major issue that is discussed in this book and actually the main motive of this book is evil of slavery. The author portrayed how American considered the African slave as their possession and did not give them any right even treated them worse than animals.
Plot of Uncle Tom’s cabin
This book advocates the emancipation of the slave law that gives many rights to slave owners and mocks on those instructions who protect it. She wants to mention to her audience that slavery is intolerant and against Christianity by presenting those slave masters who were very kind to their slaves but in spite of this they had faced difficulties.
Summary of the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin
The novel Uncle Tom’s cabin indeed the greatest work of Harriet Stowe in which she highlights the miserable condition of slave community after the declaration of Fugitive slave law in 1850.Through the character of Tom she has showed how slave masters used to treat their slave. Although she has presented both cruel and kind hearted slave master but in spite of this the condition of black people worse and they had no freedom and even basic human rights. Tom and Eliza, two powerful characters tried to end slavery by presenting two different ways.
Eliza showed great courage and escaped from their master’s house and crossed the river that was covered with ice. On the other hand, Uncle Tom who had deep faith in God did not escape from their and at the end died with deep faith on Christianity. His death shows that only love and humanity can save this world.
Mr. Shelby and St. Clare were very kind but at the end they were forced to sell them to a cruel master. This shows their hypocrisy and how they were morally weak. Stove argues that slave have contained feeling just as their master but they do not take care of their emotion and relation.
Although Uncle Tom was happy at Mr. Shelby’s house but when their family had faced financial problems Mr. Shelby decided to sell Uncle Tom to Simon Legree, a cruel slave master. Uncle Tom was shocked but did not say any word. All his attachments towards the family were disregarded. At the Legree plantation he was abused and treated inhumanly and finally died.
Moreover, many slave were separated from their children. When Eliza was forced to separate herself from her child she resisted against this cruelness and escaped from Mr. Shelby’s house and crossed the Ohio River with courage and bravery. It highlights the radical force of black woman which Stove has presented in this book.
Significance of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Actually, Stowe wrote this novel for her protestant audience in order to illustrate the moral codes of Christianity and the oppression of slavery. She is of the view that these two are fully oppose to each other and there is no place of any kind of slavery in Christianity.
It obvious in the novel that Tom who had deep faith to God was tasted again and again, at one time his faith was shaken but at the end he showed great belief on God and died at the death if Christian martyr.
She marked the point that love and humanity is the only thing that can create this world peaceful and can be a strong tool to overcome slavery. Stowe points out that the war against slavery cannot be won without the aid of Christianity and the act of slavery is totally opposite to this view.
Important characters of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Simon Legree, who was a non-Christian slave master, was a sadistic, heartless man and inhuman to his slave especially those who had deep faith in Christianity. Stove insists that the evil of slavery can be closedown with the victory of Christianity and every character in this novel who persuade Christianity marked the victory of Christianity and defeat of slavery.
Stowe had also presented the role of women, how they can overcome slavery with their strong belief and courage. Eliza, a black slave was morally more committed and courageous than many men. Stowe had portrayed how Eliza overcome with the oppression of white woman and protected his song against the cruel master by escaping.
The author mentioned these kinds of characters in order to show that slavery is an injustice act and the only solution is to find freedom of all human beings regardless of their cast, color and race. When Stowe wrote this novel it became a sensational work and because of strong criticism on the salve law it was banned but in spite of this it is regarded a first step for the abolishment of slavery and became a part of public and political speeches of activists.
Conclusion
Stowe wrote the novel on the morality of Christianity and according to her the enemy of Christianity will be the enemy of freedom, presenting slavery and Christianity two opposing view. Her novel is a landmark in its approach and considered as a strong tool against the slave law which led the Civil War in America.
