Uncle Tom's Cabin

In Uncle Tom’s Cabin we see most of the theories we created flipped upside down. Although this is the first story we have read about a little boy, it is hard to see very many similarities in this text and the others we have read. One main thing that sticks out however, is a mothers love for her son. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin Eliza risks everything to run away and save her son from being taken by the slave trader. Eliza shows so much affection toward her son. They are running to save his life and she still feels bad for making him walk! We can see this when Eliza says “Poor fellow! He isn’t used to walking, and I’ve hurried him on so” to the woman who offers her food and shelter for the night (pg 247). Also along their journey Eliza gives all the food to her son and takes none for herself. This relationship reminds me a lot of the relationship between Willie, from The Lamplighter, and his mother.

In addition to this, one of the conclusions we drew from reading the Sanchez and MacLeod texts was that touchy issues of the time were often ignored in books. In this book however, the entire story line is filled with one of the most difficult subjects in all of American history. Slavery is what the very story is built on. One thing is clear, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was definitely written to inspire some sort of social change. To help with this social change Stowe put a lot of religion in the text, much like all the other readings we have done. Eliza prays when she is running in the middle of the night to save her child. Mrs. Bird, the senator’s wife, clearly states that “passing a law forbidding people to give meat and drink to those poor colored folks that come along…is something downright cruel and unchristian” (pg 274). Later in the book the senator, who voted to pass this law, decides to break it and help Eliza and Harry seek some shelter. I think for people reading this back in the 19th century the fact that someone as high up as a senator would help a runaway slave would have been shocking and possibly very controversial. The remarks about how “unchristian” slavery is would definitely be a way to change people perceptions of slavery, and while reading this text we almost get to know Eliza and some people can identify with the fear of loosing a child, which would alter peoples minds! When Uncle Tom is on the boat to New Orleans to be sold, a women and her baby are purchased and put on the boat too. Then a man buys the baby, and the mother is forced to part with her child. This parting is enough for the women to through herself overboard that very night. Things like this were heart breaking to read for me so I can only imagine how hard it was for people to read back then!