Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin powerfully impacted American’s perception of slavery at the time of its release. In fact, Robert McNamara stated the novel “was indeed a factoring leading to the [Civil] War.” (McNamara) Perhaps this impact was in part due to the novel’s realistic and historically-accurate descriptions of event and attitudes towards slaves in the 1850’s. Perhaps the readers responded more to the emotional appeal to some of the novel’s less-than-accurate scenes. There are five scenes that Stowe used historical accuracies, or lack thereof, to stress the need for change. First of all, when George Harris escapes, his owner places an advertisement for his capture. It reads, “I will give four hundred dollars
…show more content…
Susan begs her new owner to buy her daughter, and he promises to try; however, the bid quickly “run beyond his purse.” (284) Although he “is sorry,” he laments that “it can’t be helped.” (284) The separation of family is a common theme throughout Stowe’s novel, and unfortunately, the scene described was a historical-accurate and commonplace event. It is estimated that “at least 10 to 20 percent of slave marriages were destroyed by sale. The sale of children from parents was even more common.” (Mintz & McNeil) Because slaves were considered property to be bought, sold and traded at their owner’s whim, they lived in constant fear of having their families separated. This is just one of the historical-accurate, yet heartbreaking, scenes to highlight the evils of …show more content…
On one hand, it is this interweaving of reality with fiction that truly moves the reader. On the other, the inaccuracies caused some to question the legitimacy of her entire novel. Perhaps that in its self was the purpose of Uncle Tom’s Cabin – to cause people to question! To question the evils of slavery and the depths of depravity of the human heart. To question their motives and truly examine who they are and what they aspire to be like. To question what action this nations needs to take in order to ensure a future where equality is more than
Susan begs her new owner to buy her daughter, and he promises to try; however, the bid quickly “run beyond his purse.” (284) Although he “is sorry,” he laments that “it can’t be helped.” (284) The separation of family is a common theme throughout Stowe’s novel, and unfortunately, the scene described was a historical-accurate and commonplace event. It is estimated that “at least 10 to 20 percent of slave marriages were destroyed by sale. The sale of children from parents was even more common.” (Mintz & McNeil) Because slaves were considered property to be bought, sold and traded at their owner’s whim, they lived in constant fear of having their families separated. This is just one of the historical-accurate, yet heartbreaking, scenes to highlight the evils of …show more content…
On one hand, it is this interweaving of reality with fiction that truly moves the reader. On the other, the inaccuracies caused some to question the legitimacy of her entire novel. Perhaps that in its self was the purpose of Uncle Tom’s Cabin – to cause people to question! To question the evils of slavery and the depths of depravity of the human heart. To question their motives and truly examine who they are and what they aspire to be like. To question what action this nations needs to take in order to ensure a future where equality is more than