Stowe's puritanical religious beliefs show up in the novel's final, overarching theme—the exploration The narrative drive of Stowe's classic novel is often overlooked in the heat of the controversies surrounding its anti-slavery sentiments. Stowe's puritanical religious beliefs show up in the novel's final, overarching theme—the exploration of the nature of Christianity and how Christian theology is fundamentally incompatible with slavery.
Paperback , pages. Published August 5th by Wordsworth Classics first published March 20th To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Uncle Tom's Cabin , please sign up. I am 14 years old, and I want to know if it is a boring book, or hard to understand. So is would it be a good book for my age? Shelly I 'read' it as an audio book and the narrator did a terrific job with the voices--helped with the dialect that can bog it down in places.
I just recently got this book and I'm going to read it for an essay I have to write in a few months, can anyone give me their opinion on why it should be read, why you think its good or not, how it inspires anyone, why it should be taught all through out high school classes or not taught, even if you believe it should not be taught? Emma Johnson Many people shy away from reading this book I'm afraid, simply because it would be considered an outrageously racist book in our day and age.
However …more Many people shy away from reading this book I'm afraid, simply because it would be considered an outrageously racist book in our day and age. However the painfully raw history intertwined in this book is so educational for anyone who reads it. Especially if you keep in mind the mindset of people who read this then, you can see how effective it was in making people understand the plight of the slave.
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There are so many wonderful lessons to learn and see the beautiful character of Tom as well. I have read the book twice myself, and I don't think I could ever be bored of it: See all 11 questions about Uncle Tom's Cabin…. Lists with This Book. Mar 05, Stephen rated it liked it Shelves: First, I am glad I have finally read this book given its historical significance and the very positive impact that it had on American history. That said, from a literary perspective, I didn't find this book to be particularly well written and am doubtful of whether it would be much remembered or considered a "classic" but for the aforementioned historical significance and the creation of the character of Uncle Tom more on that below.
The prose is not horrible, but neither is it exceptional. Since I assume everyone is familiar with the substance and background of the book I will not summarize it here. Others have done a much bettermjob of it. However, I do want to share an observation about the main character, Uncle Tom, that struck me pretty hard.
Prior to reading this book, if you would have asked me about the character of Uncle Tom, I would have said that he was a character portrayed as a "weak willed" slave who did everything he could to please his white master no matter what abuses were heaped upon him. This opinion, wrong as I now think it is, would have been based in large part on the derogatory nature of the term " Uncle Tom " in the African American community as someone who has "sold out" their heritage and beliefs in order to be successful.
Granted, Tom was no Hollywood square-jaw who armored up and went Braveheart on the slave holders slaughtering them by the bushel. Tom's non violence came not from fear or cowardice, but from his deeply held Christian faith and his belief that he would rather suffer unjustly as Christ did than raise a hand to another.
In one very memorable part of the book, Tom is ordered by his sadistic slave owner to whip a female slave. Tom refuses and is savagely beaten. Thereafter, Tom is repeatedly beaten because he continues to refuse to engage in conduct he finds reprehensible. In fact, the book goes on to describe the slave owner's realization that while he may own Tom's body, he could never acquire his soul.
How many people would subject themselves to that kind of abuse rather than rationalize their principals. Reading that portion of the book, I was struck by the similarities between that scene and a speech given by Gandhi in the movie with Ben Kingsley which I loved. While speaking to a group of South African's about the need for "non violent" protest Gandhi says I am paraphrasing somewhat: This is a cause for which I am prepared to fight, but my friends there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill However, fear not for we can not lose They can beat my body, break my bones, even kill me View all 49 comments.
Jan 11, Laura rated it it was amazing. I wish this was still required reading in schools. View all 12 comments. Aug 12, Tammy King Carlton rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book is one of the most moving, provocative pieces of literature I've ever read, and it's the first time that I can recall being moved to tears from a book. As long as I live, I will never be able to remove from my mind the vision of Eliza, panicked and frenzied, in the dead of the night with her baby boy in her arms, leaping across the frozen ice of the Ohio river to escape the trader her baby had been sold to.
And if anyone wants to read a profound and well written narrative for the view This book is one of the most moving, provocative pieces of literature I've ever read, and it's the first time that I can recall being moved to tears from a book. And if anyone wants to read a profound and well written narrative for the view of a Black Slave, look to George's monologue on page , where he is at the Inn with Mr. Wilson, disguised as a white upperclass gentlemen, and explaining to Mr.
Wilson how he feels about his country. I was involved in the book up to that point, but after that, this book owned me.
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This should be required reading of every American Citizen, and it's in my top five of the most important books I have ever read. For whatever the cause of the American people, it all comes down to "When in the course of human events View all 6 comments. Jun 25, Lisa rated it it was amazing Shelves: The thing itself is the essence of all abuse!
Some issues can't be solved by half-measures. They have to be abolished. There are books that shape who you are. I remember when I first read Uncle Tom's Cabin as a young girl. Before that, I had only a vague idea of slavery in America as a historical phase, something I imag "Talk of the abuses of slavery! Before that, I had only a vague idea of slavery in America as a historical phase, something I imagined as an evil that was no more. With this novel, I entered the world of rage. Literature has the power to engage where statistics leave you cold, it has the power to make you feel what other people feel, and to see what abstract terms mean in real, everyday life.
Decades later, teaching slave trade and abolitionist movements in Humanities classes, I still felt the anger, the sorrow, the shame. And I realised that literature does that to you - it gives you a social conscience if you are brave enough to compare notes and check your privileges. The horrors of white supremacy can hardly be better told than in this tale of love and suffering and rage, so shocking to read as a young adult, and yet so necessary.
I shudder when I think of our current political climate of hostility and intolerance towards any human beings that are distinctly different from our own tribe. And I feel both rage and sorrow as I know there are far too few adolescents today who are willing to put in the time and effort to read about historical brutality and injustice. I shudder when I think that Anne Frank's diary is considered boring by my students, too slow and lacking "action" read: Where are we heading if we don't listen to the literary voices of those who experienced past horrors?
Where are we headed if we let profit and individual advantage stand above ethical behaviour and compassionate humanity? Where are we headed if we don't think our rights apply to others as well? Make people desperate, and they won't be afraid to fight. Take away too much and they have nothing to lose, and nothing to fear. When it comes to human rights, there can be no grey zones, there can be no two class system, no discrimination. There can be no exemptions. We are all equally entitled to a life in freedom and dignity. Wherever we do not guarantee that, there will be rage.
Beware of the signs in mainstream society: Let's look through the pious surface and see the egocentric hypocrites in their entitlement for what they are - instigators of violence. Let's do what is right by humankind rather than what is personally enriching or convenient. Uncle Tom's Cabin taught me that. And I have been in a reading rage ever since! View all 23 comments. Published in , the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman. Stowe, a Connecticut-born teacher at the Hartford Female Seminary and an active abolitionist, featured the character of Uncle Tom, a long-suffering black slave around whom the stories of other characters revolve.
The Story of Josiah Henson, the Real Inspiration for ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’
The sentimental novel depicts the reality of slavery while also asserting that Christian love can overcome something as destructive as enslavement of fellow human beings. Aug 07, James rated it really liked it Shelves: For some reason, we didn't read this book in high school; possibly an excerpt or two was thrown in front of us, but I honestly don't really remember reading it until freshman year of college. Prior to reading it, the silly and uneducated man I was thought Ms. Stowe was an African-American telling the story about slavery in America, not all that different from The Underground Railroad stories.
Please forgive me, as I had difficulty reading books that showed the harsh slices of life and cruelties people suffered. It just doesn't cross my mind that I could ever treat someone differently because of what they look like or where they came from But it's important to read these types of books as sometimes it is the only way to open another's eyes. Then it was listed on our syllabus to read in our spring semester for an English course. And I dove in since it was required. As I got into it, I realized how great the book actually was. And you know what, that's not the story at all.
Stowe came from a Puritanical and religious family. She was an abolitionist. She wanted to fix the situation. And this book was one way she attempted to do so, by showing how any Christian could not believe in slavery. Though some of her ideas were a little too vague, and at times, she may even cross the line by doing a few of the things she tells people not to do I feel like we might need to read this book again as a country But I don't get political, so enough of that.
With this book, you need to have some understanding of society, religion and culture in America's history. I wouldn't take it on without have a decent background in knowing how things came together from to Those 80 years were very strong but also very disparate Having some knowledge of Puritan life is helpful too. Perhaps reading The Scarlet Letter first might give you some background. Everyone needs to read this book just to see what was going on in some folks' minds at this time. It may not change your views on the entire situation, but it will give you more to think about when it comes to religion's place in government, society and daily life.
And I mean that as a philosophical and sociological discussion, not placing blame or positives and negatives on different groups of people. It's just the kind of book to get you talking about something which needed to be radically changed and fixed. About Me For those new to me or my reviews I read A LOT. I write A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https: Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
View all 4 comments. Dec 05, J Cravens rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Anyone who cares about social justice or USA history. The main character of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and at least one of the minor characters, are frequently mocked by modern black activists, rappers and comedians. Therefore, when I began reading this novel, originally published in , I was expecting a woefully-outdated story with painful, outrageous stereotypes and archaic language, and had prepared myself for a real struggle to navigate through it in order to see how this book mobilized people in the USA against slavery.
The story, its delivery and i The main character of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and at least one of the minor characters, are frequently mocked by modern black activists, rappers and comedians. The story, its delivery and its characters turned out to be nothing like they have been portrayed to me over the years. And more importantly, it is still a powerful call for justice and equality more than years later.
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It was a difficult read at first, but after the first pages or so, I was hooked. Harriet Beecher Stowe paints Tom not as subservient to white men -- or any men -- but as absolutely defiant, a man who serves only one master: Uncle Tom's defiance is in stark contrast to everything I've ever heard about him. Stowe never, ever implies in any way that slaves should work only to please their earth-bound masters and never pursue freedom or personal dignity -- contrary to what I've always heard. In addition to Tom, there's George, a representation of the intelligence and potential Stowe obviously felt every African American was capable.
Stowe wasn't saying that Tom's way of defiance -- and his not pursuing escape -- was a better path than George's, who risks everything to escape with his family to Canada. Topsy isn't presented as I thought she would be -- a silly comic relief -- but as a girl who has never known anything but pain from and the contempt of others, and becomes whole only when she's offered full, unconditional love. There are NO one-dimensional portraits in the book -- the characters, white and black, portray a massive variety of values, philosophies, and thoughts of the time.
I was struck not only by how full, rich and diverse the characters were, but also, Stowe's condemnation not only of slavery itself, but of the North, for not wanting freed blacks to live among them, to work in their homes or live in their neighborhoods or attend their schools. She also condemns merciful slave owners, painting them just as bad as ruthless Is the book racist? By today's standards, yes, but no more than it's also sexist. It's dated, no question: The slaves and freed men presented in the book are no more benign, lazy or lacking in values than most of the white people portrayed.
But I challenge anyone who has READ the book to say that the stereotypes engrained into our psyche by various contemporary commentators were ever envisioned by the author. After reading the entry about the book on Wikipedia , I've surmised that the stereotypes we hear about regarding the story are actually from the widely-seen and woefully inaccurate dramatizations of the book. And her text drips with a sarcasm, often addressed directly to the reader, that is jarring at times -- this woman hated slavery with every molecule of her body, and she presents, and skewers, every argument of the time in support of it.
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Dec 08, Bookdragon Sean rated it really liked it Shelves: It worked towards humbling a racist white culture and helped bring an end to slavery in America, and it comes with a compelling story and a very strong character. Not something to be missed even if the prose is a little choppy at times.
Apr 25, Brooke rated it did not like it. I know, I know, it's a monumental artifact in American history, and the catalyst to the spread of the abolitionist movement to the masses. I totally appreciate the historical and cultural significance of this book. I just can't get past how bad the writing is--the reason why I'm such a voracious reader is simple: I read books for aesthetic pleasure.
I really don't give a shit about anything beyond en I know, I know, it's a monumental artifact in American history, and the catalyst to the spread of the abolitionist movement to the masses. I really don't give a shit about anything beyond entertainment when I read. If I can be enlightened, challenged, whatever at the same time? But if your writing sucks, I frankly don't want to waste my time with your crappy-ass book.
And Harriet Beecher Stowe exceeded my limit for melodramatic turns of phrase by page 3. Preferencing the book itself over what the book represents is an unpopular view in a literary culture obsessed with shattering the canon ironic, considering that UTC is as canonical as it gets in American literature , but that's why I'm in the corporate world and not writing my disseration right now. Hence, I'm typing this review instead of beating my head against the keyboard while trying to make a connection between Heidegger's "question of being" and some random 17th century poem my committee chair discovered while on sabbatical in Bolivia.
View all 39 comments. Dec 17, Beverly rated it really liked it. Entertainment Weekly has an interview they do in which they ask famous authors, in this case Ursula K. In this article, le Guin said that she liked to reread Uncle Tom's Cabin. She said many are astonished at this preference and act as if she was extolling a racist screed. Having never read it and liking Ursula K. A polemic on the heinous, Uncle Tom's Cabinet is written in suc Entertainment Weekly has an interview they do in which they ask famous authors, in this case Ursula K. A polemic on the heinous, Uncle Tom's Cabinet is written in such a matter-of-fact way that it ascends to greatness.
I almost felt like I was reading an adventure story and couldn't wait until I found out what happened to Eva, St. Harriet Beecher Stowe took real incidents and added them to the story for verisimilitude. It also reminded me of my beloved dystopian novels. In many of these, horrible things have become common place, such as children fighting to compete for food. I couldn't fathom that we in the U.
The only reason I would not give it 5 stars is because of the extreme goodness of Uncle Tom in the midst of troubles that would destroy, even Job. View all 5 comments.
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
May 10, Aishu Rehman rated it really liked it Shelves: While being transported by boat to auction in New Orleans, Tom saves the life of Little Eva, whose grateful father then purchases Tom. Eva and Tom soon become great friends. May 20, Alex rated it it was ok Shelves: It's not really this book's fault that it sucks. Harriet Beecher Stowe's heart was in the right place: But it hasn't aged well. According to this book, here's What Black People Are Like - "The African, naturally patient, timid and unenterprising" - "The negro is naturally more impressible to r It's not really this book's fault that it sucks.
According to this book, here's What Black People Are Like - "The African, naturally patient, timid and unenterprising" - "The negro is naturally more impressible to religious sentiment than the white" - "The negro, it must be remembered, is an exotic of the most gorgeous and superb countries of this world, and he has, deep in his heart, a passion for all that is splendid, rich, and fanciful; a passion which, rudely indulged by an untrained taste, draws on them the ridicule of the colder and more correct white race.
This comes across as racist, because it totally is, and here's the thing: Stowe's source for Uncle Tom himself, in fact, is Josiah Henson, whose real-life story you can read for free instead of this. I know things were different back then, but I also don't think we need to over-complicate our historical relativism. If someone were to ask me what I'm reading and I were to feel compelled to explain myself - "I know it's racist, I'm not reading it because I like it It's okay if it did some good once and it's run out of good now.
It's okay if it goes out of style. We don't have to, like, burn all the copies. But I do feel like when we have the opportunity to hear about oppression from the oppressed themselves, then that's better. It's true that slave narratives were written for white audiences, with specific goals and formulae, and often dictated to white ghost writers, so this isn't totally straight-forward.
But slave narratives are anyway more authentic than Uncle Tom, I guess. Anyway, back to the actual book: Uncle Tom is frankly an Uncle Tom, but to Stowe's credit she also supplies lots of other perspectives. George and his Quaker allies have a "By any means necessary" approach to slavery, and Stowe goes out of her way to get us to root for their violent tactics. I wasn't expecting that, and I dug it. Overall, the book is badly sentimental. Y'know, it's easy to make you have feels by describing, like, a woman whose children are stolen from her and then she gets raped.
You don't have to be a good writer to make a scenario like that powerful. Stowe is an okay writer, but she pours on the pathos; she can't shut up about "isn't this awful?! There are a couple people here who take like fifty pages to finish giving deathbed speeches about Jesus and you're like good lord, this makes Dickens seem aloof. So look, this might be of interest to someone researching how white abolitionists felt back in the day; but it's not particularly good literature, and its ideas are woeful, and that doesn't leave much.
View all 29 comments. Feb 20, Corinne rated it it was amazing Shelves: For me, the story is a sharp contrast between freedom obtained by George, Eliza, and their children in Canada versus what happens to Uncle Tom in bondage, i. The two parallel stories increase the beauties of each other, enhanced further by Aunt Chloe's desperate efforts to save Tom till the end, and by the poetic justice delivered to the brutal slave owner at the end. Add to that Stowe's understanding the heart of a mother: Via the vivid details surrounding separation of families imposed by slavery, also contrasted by acts of bravery from some whites along the way, Stowe has powerfully painted their depths of faith, without appearing preachy.
And the sharp opposition between St Clare and his wife Marie! I can see such a snobbish, lazy, fastidious 'malade imaginaire' like Marie right here in France, even today. The death of Little Eva is a real heartbreaker, though. I shall return to read this novel more than once. Apr 17, Apatt rated it really liked it Shelves: Why a man get treated like a dog by another man and the law is all right with that? I knoe it dont mean nuthin now we is all civilased with iPads and lor knows what, but whar was it ever OK?
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At the beginning of the book, Tom is one of the more fortunate slaves working for the very kind Shelby family who treat their slaves as human beings. Eliza makes a run for it, taking her son with her, but Tom—incredibly pious man that he is—stays put and meekly goes with the slave trader.
During his voyage with the slave trader down the Mississippi River Tom lucks out again and meets Augustine St. Clare, a very kind man traveling with his angelic little daughter Eva. Augustine buys Tom and takes him to his home in New Orleans where Tom lives happily for a couple of years, and is promised his freedom by Augustine. Augustine dies and Tom is sold again—in an auction—by the nasty Mrs.
This time, he is bought by the irredeemably evil plantation owner named Simon Legree, leading to the most harrowing part of the book. Besides being fascinating Uncle Tom's Cabin is also harrowing, disturbing and heartbreaking. This is one of the most historically significant slave narratives ever, it played a major part in helping to bring about the abolition of slavery in the US.
It reminds me of the TV adaptation of Roots: I have not read either of these books, though I found the TV series and the film very moving. What these narratives have in common is the shocking portrayal of an era when people are so unenlightened as to treat fellow human beings as mere tools; buying and selling them like animals, splitting up families, in order to sell the individual members as separate items.
The slave traders put a price tag on the slaves on the basis of their physical attributes. OK, in the sense of "sanctioned by law", with certificates of "ownership" and everything, so the people can legitimately own what they could not possibly own; human beings are "unownable". IMDb's Guide to Streaming. My favorite movies from before Share this Rating Title: Uncle Tom's Cabin 6.
Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Learn more More Like This. The life of an aging black slave, Tom, and the people with whom he interacts. The story of a female German spy who willingly sacrifices her life for her country. The Story of Temple Drake Passed Drama Mystery Romance. Way Down East Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, Mrs. The Scarlet Empress Passed Drama History Romance. The Murder Man Passed Crime Drama Mystery.
Edit Cast Cast overview, first billed only: Uncle Tom Arthur Edmund Carewe Simon Legree Eulalie Jensen Eva Lassie Lou Ahern Little Harry Lucien Littlefield Lawyer Marks Adolph Milar Loker as Gordon Russell Gertrude Howard Aunt Chloe Jack Mower Edit Did You Know? Trivia Film debut of Virginia Grey.
Topsy, where are you? Heah I is, Miss Feely. What are you doing?
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- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe | theranchhands.com: Books.
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
I is pickin' flowers. Don't you know you mustn't pick them? But I's pickin' dam for Missy Eva. Alternate Versions Universal Pictures also released this movie without a soundtrack. Add the first question.