Literary Criticism of Uncle Toms Cabin Essay Example for Free

Literary Criticism of Uncle Toms Cabin Es gradeHarriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Toms Cabin in order to persuade the immortalizeers that sla very was bad. Her Christian views conduct her to do this and depict her characters as every-day life as she could and not be too over dramatic about everything that happened. Her story could be interpreted as a non-fiction if the reader does not know the history of it all, because she uses a very subtle approach to get to reader through making all events in the book seem very real as if she had really seen them. Stowes relationship with the book is that the book are her thoughts through a story. Not just whatsoever thoughts, only if her abolitionist views and how much she disagreed with thralldom.Stowe not only uses the book as a whole to convince of knuckle downrys evils. She uses individual characters and their journies (emotional, physical, etc.) to get into the readers head and make everything likely to the point where one recko ns that the book is non-fiction.. She doesnt use a very abrupt way of getting her message across. She tells things like they are. Not all southerners are evil, and northerners arent angels either. each scene that Stowe needs to, persuades the reader that slavery is evil and non-Christian.Uncle Tom, the protaganist of this book, is used by Stowe to introduce slaves as not being ignorant, rag-wearing, illiterate people. Tom is a godly fel small(a) as stated by Arthur Shelby No I mean, really, Tom is a good, steady, sensible, pious fellow. (Pg.4). Stowe also shows that Shelby is a good man himself, by masking that he actually cared for his slaves, and didnt treat them like objects. But, you could get a bit confused by Shelby when he showcases Elizas little boy to Mr. Haley as if he were roughly type of circus act, Now, Jim, show this man how you can dance and sing. (Pg.5). By giving two different views of Shelby at such an arly stage of the book, one buzzword really get a grasp on whether or not he really has sentiment, until further on in his and Mr. Haleys conversation.Mr. Haley, on the other submit is shown to be a wanna-be higher class type of man He was a short, thick-set man, with coarse, commonplace features, and that swaggering air of pretension which marks a low man who is trying to elbow his way upward in the world. (Pg.3). Haley also seems to be a man who is very persuasive to get what he wants, but seems to make hollow promises Howsomever, Ill do the very best I can in gettin Tom a good berth as to my treatin on him bad. you neednt be a grain afeard. If at that places anything that I thank the Lord for, it is that Im never noways cruel. (pg.33).When the reader is first introduced to Haley, he seems to be a kind slave dealer who only wants Shelby to give him slaves, because of a debt. But, he decieves the reader, and ends up being a man that mistreats his slaves often through violence. The first a reader gets to see of Haleys ill-bred gradient is when he has found out that Eliza has escaped with her son Harry (the child that was to be sold to him). Haley is enfuriated and cariies himself in an awful manner I say now, Shelby, this yers a most extrornary business said Haley, as he abruptly entered the parlor. It seems that gals off, with her young un. (Pg.44). Even though it might not be much to read of somebody yelling, this incident does open the door for much more disastrous occurances further in the book. Elizas escape is not the beginning.Eliza Harris plays an enormous role that makes the reader think and also sympathize. Eliza is a young, beautiful, courageous slave. But nor only is she a slave. She is a mother and wife also. Elizas biggest part in the book is when she shows the reader what maternal attachments settle a woman to do when she knows her child will be taken from her. After discovering that her son is going to be sold to a slave principal in order to pay a debt, she decides that the only reasonable thin g to do is take him, and escape so she can be by her childs side and never be separated from him. She consults Tom, and he says that he will not fight the decision made by his master to be sold, but he encourages his friend to, so she will not be away from her son.Eliza leaves and heads towards the Ohio river and Haley is looking for her. But, two slaves that Mr. Shelby sends with him to guide him lead him the wrong way to stall, but somehow cease up crossing paths with her and alert her. Once this happens. one of the biggest scenes in the book is shown The huge green fragment of ice on which she alighted pitched and creaked as her heaviness came on it, but she staid there not a moment. With wild cries and desperate energy she leaped to another and still another cake stumbling-leaping-slipping-springing upwards over again Her shoes are gone-her stockings cut from her feet-while blood marked every step but she precept nothing, felt nothing, till dimly, as in a dream, she saw the Ohio side, and a man helping her up the bank. (Pg.62). Stowe draws a vivid image through her writing of this scene, of a mothers struggle to keep sons life with her and not in the hands of anybody else.Struggle is also seen, not just for life, but for what was morally right as a Christian. Senator John Bird was one of the people who voted in favor of the fleer Slave Act, clearly showing that he was not about to help any type of runaway slaves. But, his wife was a very Christian woman with morality that ran through her veins, and she lived by the book of account. Her struggle was to convince her husband that slavery was wrong and he should not agree with the law passed, because the Bible says that good will to all men was a must. Mrs. Bird informs, Now, John, I dont know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the desolate. (Pg.82).By this, the reader has already been influenced positively and negat ively by so galore(postnominal) of the characters that Stowe brings into this strong thought out persuasive piece of art. Christianity was what influenced her, and powered her abolitionist views. It led her to take abolitionism into her own hands, and educate the country (and in hopes, the world) of how negative slavery was.Being raised in a very strict Presbyterian home, she was taught all about the value of life through the gospel. Stowes religious views were imprinted into her mind and soul, and they set a path for her. Her path was to enlighten the southerners that agreed with slavery and were cruel to the people they held captive to do their bidding. Uncle Toms Cabin was written in response to the acts passed against slavery (e.g. Fugitive Slave Act). Each page of the story contains journey, experience, growth, development, and so much more with each and every character.With her characters, she uses them as her source of persuasion of the views opposite from the southern view s. Stowe doesnt neck straight out and say, Slavery is evil Dont agree with it She is very implicit with spreading her outlook on slavery (even though it is known that she is an abolitionist).Characters such as Quakers seem to invoke Harriet Beecher Stowe as a whole, for the simple fact that they are just as she was. Quakers are religious persons that helped slaves, because the Bible said they should help anybody and everybody that necessitate help. All the characters talked about before, seem to also take Stowes viewpoints. Even her bad guys have her point of views too. If you think about it, all that she is against is embodied in the slave traders and evil southerners of the book.Stowe does a phenomenal job of taking all her abolitionist views and putting it on paper, and conveying her deepest hates for slavery in such a well thought work of art. Her persuasion is easily seen through her characters. They grab you, shake you, and bring tears to your eyes. Stowe seems to know how t o get into peoples heads. She does it just like when you have a set of headphones on and youre listening to your favorite song, and it sticks with you forever.