Book Review: Uncle Tom's Cabin

I have recently finished the classic novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin. This book has been on my to-read list for some time now and I actually bought the book about a year ago before finally embarking on it. The timing of this read was perfect, at the tail end of my summer of classic American literaature. This book actually served as the final ribbon to my study of American Renaissance literature 0f the 1830-1850s. It also brings an end to my historical interest in American slavery. This book gave an incredible insight, from a righteous abolitionist perspective, of the cruel life of a slave in the 1850s. 

I honestly knew very little about the plot of this book, and am quite surprised there has never been a major film production. Now a-days it seems every great classic novel is turned into an epic movie. Consider Margaret Mitchell's classic Antebellum novel, Gone with the Wind. The book was published in 1936 and just three years later adapted into one of Hollywoods most iconic films. Obviously there was no Hollywood back in 1850 when Uncle Tom's Cabin was written, but it could surely have been adapted before Gone with the Wind. The film 12 Years a Slave (2013), was very critically acclaimed and demonstrated the dramatic appeal to this era. I am certain that a proper screenplay, director, and actors could win a score of Oscars for this book.

I remember learning about the significance of this book as far back as my grade school days. It was the most popular book of it's time by a landslide, and President Lincoln later credited it for starting the Civil War. Harriet Beecher Stowe succeeded on two fronts in this book. She presented a very emotionally-driven story, yet she also presented her political ideals within the writing. She was one of many prominent abolitionists such as Frederick Douglas or William Lloyd Garrison. However instead of speaking thru direct narratives she portrayed her beliefs in a powerful heartfelt story.   

The Premise

The story can be divided into three acts, which are the locations Tom resides throughout the book. He first begins on a plantation in Kentucky working for the Shelby family. He is treated well by Mr. Shelby, and works as his right-hand man. Tom lives in a cabin with his wife, Chloe, and the two are happy together with their children. Tom is taught how to read by the young son of Mr. Shelby, George who visits the cabin quite frequently. Tom and his family are grateful for their living conditions with the Shelby family however that takes a sudden turn. 

Although Mr. Shelby favors Tom greatly, his finances are in a dire situation and he must sell him off. This of course is a tough blow for Tom, however he graciously accepts his duty, with hopes that his master will later rebuy him. Meanwhile in a minor side-story another slave on the plantation named Eliza is also sold by Mr. Shelby. However Eliza refuses to be separated from her young son and thus decides to escape before the acquisition is complete. She crosses a river and is aided by a Quaker family. She is later reunited with her husband George and together they escape to Canada. 

Tom is eventually bought by a young master from New Orleans named Augustine Saint Claire. He is a kindhearted and whimsical person who treats his slaves very dearly. His daughter Evangeline is a 6 year old sweetheart, who instantly takes a liking to Tom. Eva is endearing to all the slaves on her father's plantation and treats them with the utmost sincerity. Augustine's wife Marie is a rather pessimist figure, not sharing with her husband's carefree approach to the slaves. In order to establish some better routine on the plantation, Augustine's cousin Miss Ophelia travels from New England to help them out. 

Tom quickly takes a liking to his new family and serves as the de-facto religious minister to the family and slaves alike. This especially grows favor with the young Eva who enjoys his biblical songs and passages. However Miss Ophelia, the practical one of the family, sees great problems with the lack of discipline on the plantation. Augustine buys his cousin her own personal slave to train named Topsy. The young slave girl is quite malicious at first but later changes her attitude thanks to Eva. Much to the readers dismay, the angelic Eva later dies from sickness however wishes great warmth upon her family and all the enslaved people. This inspires her father to change and do more against slavery in the south. However before Augustine can free Tom, he is killed in a bar fight. His wife must then sale Tom once again in order to make the finances right. 

This time Tom is not so lucky in his next residence, at the plantation of a hateful man named Simon Legree. Tom's new master takes an instant disliking unto him for his strong faith that he does not share. Legree intends to beat Tom's soulful religion out of him, and turn him into an overseer. However Tom later refuses to beat other slaves and this incurs the ultimate wrath of Legree. In an explosion of rage, Legree whips Tom to ruin. Just before his death, the young George Shelby arrives to buy Tom but he is too late. The two share a brief goodbye before they part ways. George Shelby shares the news with his mother and with Tom's wife, Chloe. He then frees all the slaves on his plantation, offering them room-and-board, and work with pay.  

The Characters

• 
  Uncle Tom: The heroic protagonist slave is often associated as the loyal and obedient do-gooder in an unjust system. Despite his unfair treatment throughout the story, Uncle Tom always keeps a positive outlook, driven by his faith. He is quite fortunate with his first two masters, yet no so with his third, that later costs him his life. His character is the black embodiment of Jesus Christ, a prophetic light in a very dark time. 
• The Shelby Family: Tom's first owners from Kentucky, they treat him quite well. Tom resides in a cabin on the plantation with his wife Chloe and his children. The Shelby's son George frequently visits the cabin and teaches Tom how to read. The Shelby family must unfortantely sell Tom due to financial struggles yet promise to buy him back. The eldest son George later comes thru on this promise at the end, however it is too late for Tom. In turn George frees all the slaves on their plantation.  
• Eliza and George: Eliza is the slave of the Shelby's and decides to escape when she realizes her son is to be sold off. She is aided by a Quaker family and later joins her husband, George who as also escaped to find refuge in Canada. 
• Augustine St. Clare: He is Tom's 2nd owner from New Orleans. He is a careless Southern man, that has inherited the plantation from his father, yet does not know how to properly run it. He does not like slavery, however does not know what to do without it, so instead he is ignorant on most matters. He treats Tom and the rest of his slaves very kindly, which in turn makes them quite lazy and disobedient. He later intends to free Tom, however he dies in a bar fight.  
• Miss Ophelia: She is Augustine's cousin from New England, who arrives on the plantation to whip things in order. She is against slavery however is very disciplined and establishes some systemic routine on the plantation. After the death of her cousin, she attempts to vouch for Tom's freedom, yet it is to no avail. She then returns to New England with her freed young slave, Topsy.   
• Eva: She is the angelic daughter of Augustine and the true star of this story. From the moment she lays eyes on Tom, she wants her father to acquire him. She grows attached to Tom's friendly matter and his prophetic words and songs. As a young child she is deeply troubled by the institution of slavery and treats all the slaves around her as normal human beings. She later succombs to a sickness yet wishes everyone freedom upon her death. She brings Tom and various others a newfound hope. 
• 
  Topsy: She is a mischievous young slave, bought by Augustine for his cousin Ophelia. Despite Ophelia's teaching her, she is at first very disobedient. She however later establishes a friendship with the young Eva and changes her ways. She is later adopted by Ophelia and returns to live with her in New England.  
• Simon Legree: He is Tom's wicked third master, who despises the slave from the get-go. Legree especially envies Tom's soulful faith, which he is not so fortunate to possess. Two of his overseers are brutish slaves, and he intends to make Tom one as well. However Tom refuses to beat other slaves and this pushes Simon to his final straw. Legree later whips Tom to his demise, and in turn Tom forgives him for his misery. Before Tom dies he finds peace in seeing George Shelby one last time. 

Analysis

This book by Harriet Beecher Stowe is ultimately a political allegory demonstrating the injustice of slavery. She wrote this book in response the Fugitive Law of 1850 and did much research on the system of slavery. As a northern abolitionist she was firmly against the institution and witnessed first-hand the potential of freed African Americans in the north. Her intentions in this book were to demonstrate the moral injustice of slavery, from the perspective of a slave; hence it's sub-title "Life Among the Lowly". The heroic protagonist of this book is the character Tom, and he later serves as a Christ-like prophet and savior. 

Tom's situation grows somewhat worse with each act. In the beginning he is well established on the Shelby plantation, living in a cabin with his wife and children. He is rewarded for his positive attitude and for this reason he is a highly valuable slave. His next residence with the St. Claire family isn't so bad either, but still he is alone in a new land. Tom's greatest inspiration comes thru the young Eva, who is like an angel to him. At one point after her death, she comforts him in a vision. Tom's faithful optimist later becomes his demise in the third act under Legree. The murder of Tom, who represents the most loyal, pure, and righteous of slaves, demonstrates the true wickedness of the institution. 

I believe the abolitionist case Harriet Beecher Stowe ultimately makes is in challenging people's Christian faith. This was a point driven hard by Frederick Douglas in his closing epilogue of his 1845 narrative. It's the sheer hypocrisy of Southern folk he consider themselves Christian yet operate on slavery. There is nothing whatsoever Christian and righteous about owning a human being on par with that of livestock. Stowe demonstrates the injustice of slavery thru various accounts in the book, not only of Tom's physical abuse. Consider the fear of Eliza during her escape, or the horrendous episodes of mothers being separated from the children. There are just so many aspects to the injustice that was and this book truly challenges a person's concept of righteousness. This book was very well written and completely impacted the social norm. It's no wonder that Uncle Tom's Cabin it is among the greatest works of American literature.