Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a novel published in 1850, during a time in America of great tension and debate over the issue of slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of the book and an avid abolitionist, wrote this to portray a realistic image of what slavery was like to a largely unaware audience. Harriet Beecher Stowe communicated the unjust oppression of slaves in Uncle Tom’s Cabin through the the hypocrisies of the slave owners, while also exposing religion as a double edged sword, and demonstrating the brutality the slaves had to endure.
Harriet Beecher Stowe showed the oppression of slaves by exploring how hypocritical the slave owners, Mr.Shelby, Mr.Haley, and St.Clare, were by explaining that they believed themselves to be good men, but …show more content…
Christianity for slaves often gave them personal hope for a better life after slavery, but it was also used to keep them docile in their enslavement. When Eliza’s husband, George, informed her that he wanted to run away she encouraged him to put his faith in God instead of escaping to his freedom (24). Even though George was being treated brutally by his master and the only way he could’ve escaped it was running away, Eliza encouraged him to stay because that was the Christian thing to do (26). Eliza would rather had her husband suffer at the hands of his owner instead of him going against her personal religious moral code. Like Eliza, Religion was extremely important to Uncle Tom as well. He got Master George to read verses to him, held religious gatherings at his home, and hid his bible when he was sold so he could keep it (39, 436) Religion was central to his spirit and gave him a strong moral code that he never ventured from, but these principles often disadvantaged him. When Uncle Tom was at Mr.Legree’s plantation, he was beaten often because of his morals. When Cassy, a slave of Mr.Legree who was raped and treated brutally, escaped Uncle Tom refused to give up any information as to her where she had gone to (536). Uncle Tom was savagely beaten but the morals he received from his religion disallowed him to betray Cassy. He later died from the injuries sustained. Before he passed, Uncle Tom also …show more content…
It showed the injustices of slavery and the oppression slaves had to go through by highlighting the brutality slaves endured, using religion as a negative on the larger scale but as a positive for them personally, and the hypocritical mindset of the slave owners.
Work Cited
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin. Seattle, Washington: Amazon Classics,
Harriet Beecher Stowe showed the oppression of slaves by exploring how hypocritical the slave owners, Mr.Shelby, Mr.Haley, and St.Clare, were by explaining that they believed themselves to be good men, but …show more content…
Christianity for slaves often gave them personal hope for a better life after slavery, but it was also used to keep them docile in their enslavement. When Eliza’s husband, George, informed her that he wanted to run away she encouraged him to put his faith in God instead of escaping to his freedom (24). Even though George was being treated brutally by his master and the only way he could’ve escaped it was running away, Eliza encouraged him to stay because that was the Christian thing to do (26). Eliza would rather had her husband suffer at the hands of his owner instead of him going against her personal religious moral code. Like Eliza, Religion was extremely important to Uncle Tom as well. He got Master George to read verses to him, held religious gatherings at his home, and hid his bible when he was sold so he could keep it (39, 436) Religion was central to his spirit and gave him a strong moral code that he never ventured from, but these principles often disadvantaged him. When Uncle Tom was at Mr.Legree’s plantation, he was beaten often because of his morals. When Cassy, a slave of Mr.Legree who was raped and treated brutally, escaped Uncle Tom refused to give up any information as to her where she had gone to (536). Uncle Tom was savagely beaten but the morals he received from his religion disallowed him to betray Cassy. He later died from the injuries sustained. Before he passed, Uncle Tom also …show more content…
It showed the injustices of slavery and the oppression slaves had to go through by highlighting the brutality slaves endured, using religion as a negative on the larger scale but as a positive for them personally, and the hypocritical mindset of the slave owners.
Work Cited
Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin. Seattle, Washington: Amazon Classics,