Uncle Tom's Cabin Synopsis

Uncle Tom’s Cabin follows the enslaved lives of the Harris family and, of course, Uncle Tom. Mr. Shelby is a considerate master, but he must sell Tom to Haley, the slave trader, to pay off some debts. Eliza, Mrs. Shelby’s servant, rightly fears that her son Harry will also be sold to Haley. She escapes to Ohio, taking Harry with her. Along the way, Senator and Mrs. Bird, as well as a Quaker community assist Eliza. George Harris, Eliza’s husband, runs away too after learning that his master refuses to lend him any longer to Mr. Wilson, a generous factory owner. The Harris family eventually reaches the safety of Canada, after being pursued unsuccessfully by slave catchers. Meanwhile, St. Clare purchases Tom from Haley after Little Eva befriends the pious slave. Miss Ophelia, St. Clare’s cousin from New England, visits and manages the St. Clare household in New Orleans. She also takes in Topsy as her ward. Eva dies after a prolonged illness, and a mournful St. Clare decides to free Tom. St. Clare is murdered, however, before he can draw up the papers. Tom is sold to Simon Legree, who runs a plantation in Louisiana. Legree beats Tom to death when the slave refuses to confess the whereabouts of Cassy and Emmeline, …show more content…
A scene of chapter eight depicted Eliza’s desperate attempt to sabotage the sale of her son. To do so, Eliza has to leap across the treacherous, icy Ohio River. When she does this, she is literally leaping from the south side of the river to the north side, from slavery to freedom. Her desperation for her and her child’s freedom can be seen as she way oblivious to all the struggle she had to endure to get across this river; she was focused on her goal of getting to the other side. This scene was a prime example of a slaves’ desire for emancipation and the risks they’re willing to take to achieve it. As she makes it across this obstacle, she comes to find that her journey is far from