Uncle Tom Part I

When reading Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, it is important to keep in mind that she does have a set agenda for writing this novel. Since her audience is one that has found it easy to dehumanize slaves, she must do her best to humanize them in the eyes of a very prejudice reader. Her style of direct address to the audience in a break from the long prose and engages and directs the audience toward her topic. Even though many find themselves a part of the system, a few try to make a difference in their small way. This can be seen in Mrs. Shelby, Mas’r George, and Senator and Mrs. Bird. Mrs. Shelby treats her slaves with compassion and understanding. She is limited to what she can accomplish but asserts herself and her moral Christian values for the betterment of all. Mas’r George has a very personal connection with Uncle Tom and the slaves and will need to be more proactive in the future. This early relationship hopefully will set in motion his mother’s ideals and values. Mrs. Bird uses her influence over the Senator and convinces him to help Eliza even though politically it can be dangerous for him. The Quaker settlement is another place of refuge for Eliza and George. The Quakers show strength in their convictions and are left alone by the outside world. This allows them to help the slaves in need that come their way. Stowe highlights these characters as an example on how we should view and treat slaves and hopefully allow them to be free. They show the goodness of many slaves and put a human face on them when the rest of the world wants to treat them as dogs.

As Tom travels further down south, we see the prejudice attitudes highlighted. Marie St. Clare is one of those characters that are so self-absorbed and self-indignant that the irony jumps off the pages in her words. As she indulges her “sickness,” she is the first to scold Mammy when she is sick. “ O, that’s just one of Mammy’s fidgets! Mammy is just like all the rest of them- makes such a fuss about every little head-ache or finger-ache.”(177) I can only laugh because Marie St. Clare goes on for pages about how sick she is and how Mammy should cater to her every movement. Another ironic and prejudice statement comes when Marie speaks of Mammy and her family. Marie pays little attention to Eva and certainly does not have a loving relationship with her husband, but convinces herself that she does. She is the ultimate “Queen of D’Nile” when she makes herself to be more loving. She cannot see that Mammy could possibly be missing her husband and children. Now, St. Clare pretends not to see it. And just as if Mammy could love her little dirty babies as I love Eva! Yet St. Clare once really and soberly tried to persuade me that it was my duty, with my weak health, and all suffer, to let Mammy go back, and take somebody else in her place. That was a little too much even for me to bear.” (181) Marie St. Clare reminds me of a weak Scarlet O’Hara who is so self-absorbed that she cannot look out the window and can only see her reflection in the mirror.


I have realized through this reading how terrible the oppression of the slaves were. The tearing apart of the families was especially touching. I think that Stowe’s descriptions of the pain and desperation when families were torn apart was very effective and relatable to every reader. I see many parallels in the language used to oppress the slaves and the language used to oppress the Jews during the Holocaust. In order to treat people in the manner that existed in slavery and the Holocaust, they had to be seen as non-human.

I do see a big connection with Jesus' life, and the people connected in Stowe's novel. If Tom is the Christ-like sacraficial lamb, the people who surround him could also be connected to His Biblical story. I see Mrs. Shelby as the "Mary" figure who taught Tom his faith just as Mary passed on her faith to Jesus. The transaction between Mr. Shelby and Haley was much like Judas selling out Jesus for some justified notion. Haley I see as the Pontius Pilot who participates but acts as though his hands are tied in such matters. Who is his Peter? the Sanhedrin? Who would be Mary Magdelin? John? etc.