Uncle Tom's Cabin
This powerful novel was written by a young lady, Harriet Beecher Stowe, a northerner native from an abolitionist family, in the year of 1852. After witnessing some of the harsh realities of slavery, Harriet felt she was meant "to write 'something that will make this whole nation feel what an accursed thing slavery is'." In her novel, Stowe narrates many events through the view of a slave named Tom's life. When the story begins, Tom lives with owners who are gracious and kind towards their slaves (the Shelby's) but when money becomes tight for the slave owners, Tom must be sold into a plantation. This means Tom must leave his familiar life behind, including his wife and kids. She writes about Tom befriending a young white girl (Eva) and how is taken to live with them, while other slaves try to escape and take cover in the North (the Harris's) . Soon Eva passes away and Stowe goes on to describe the saddening events many slaves go through after being sold to a mean-spirited owner. Sadly, Tom is whipped to death at this plantation. Uncle Tom's Cabin does ends in a bittersweet way when George, the caring son of the first owners, allows the slaves to be freed as a tribute to Tom. This story also has many religious themes, being that Tom, the main character, was portrayed to have strong faith.
Instantly becoming a bestseller, Stowe's book attracted a lot of different reactions. In the North, citizens were shocked by the horrors accounted in the story. They felt the treatment of slaves was immoral, and that no one deserved these cruel living environments. Since northerners lived lives centered around religion, they began to feel slavery was strongly against their Christian beliefs.
On the other hand, the South viewed it as a propaganda technique created by anti-slavery workers. Southerners were offended by the way their lifestyles were portrayed. They also felt this story gave them an unfair reputation. This claims made in this book were so vastly despised that owning a copy could be considered illegal for the citizens in the South. As you see, Harriet Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin received an array of reviews that varied from region to region through our country.
Instantly becoming a bestseller, Stowe's book attracted a lot of different reactions. In the North, citizens were shocked by the horrors accounted in the story. They felt the treatment of slaves was immoral, and that no one deserved these cruel living environments. Since northerners lived lives centered around religion, they began to feel slavery was strongly against their Christian beliefs.
On the other hand, the South viewed it as a propaganda technique created by anti-slavery workers. Southerners were offended by the way their lifestyles were portrayed. They also felt this story gave them an unfair reputation. This claims made in this book were so vastly despised that owning a copy could be considered illegal for the citizens in the South. As you see, Harriet Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin received an array of reviews that varied from region to region through our country.