Putt-Putt Quanpadung

Mrs. Hunt

English

February 8th, 2017

Uncle Toms Cabin Essay

Hope and Faith

A few books can alter the course of history, and only very few can be said to have started

a war. Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beech Stowe, was one of them. This book engraved the

images of brutal beatings and unfair slave practices into the minds of America and woke up their

consciousness. Uncle Toms Cabin explores into the life of slaves. Slavery made a huge impact

between the North and the South because it caused a conflict between the two which led to the

Civil War. The war led to the end of slavery. Northerners felt as if their eyes had been opened

to the truth and horrors behind slavery, but Southerner argued that her work was malicious.

Uncle Toms Cabin provided the readers more knowledge on how slaves were treated and the

history behind the Civil War from the characters, setting, symbols, and themes in the book.

Uncle Toms Cabin starts off with one story line, but later in the book it breaks into two

separate plots. This book begins in the mid 19th century on the Shelby plantation in Kentucky.

The first few chapters of the book are showing the difference the author sees in Northern and
Southern men. Throughout the book Stowe support the Northerners perspective on slavery. The

relationship between the North and the South was complicated. The North represents freedom,

democracy and righteousness. While the South represents slavery, oppression and corruption.

Even though slavery was illegal in the Northern states, it still was not safe for the escaped slaves.

The only security they could find is escaping to Canada.

The main characters in this story are Uncle Tom and Eliza. Uncle Tom is a good man,

trustworthy, intelligent, kind and a heroic figure to other slaves. He refused to make trouble tries

his best to stay positive for himself and others because he has accepted the institution he cannot

change. He is a very spiritual person and he refers to the Bible for help and guidance. In chapter

18, a horribly abused slave, Prue said,

I looks like gwine to heaven,ant thar where white folks is gwine? Spose theyd have

me thar? Id rather go to torment, and get away from Masr and Missis (130).

Tom tries to convince her to find God and live a Christian life, and he tells her that it will assure

her an eternal reward in heaven. Because the Shelby Plantation was in debt, Shelby decided to

make a plan to trade a slave to a slave dealer in exchange for his debt to be gone. The dealer

selects Tom as payment for the debt. This shows how the slaves were tossed around like objects

and were not cared for. Uncle Tom is on a boat to New Orleans, he saves the life of a young girl

named Eva, who later convinces her father, Augustine St. Clare, to purchase Tom. Tom quickly

gains the affection of everyone on the plantation. Eva, who was frail and slowly dying, asks her

last wish before her death was to free all his slaves. Tom discussed Christianity with Augustine

St. Clare, who promises to set him free but was later killed in a brawl, which enabled Mrs. St.

Clare to sell Tom to the cruel and barbaric, Simon Legree, a plantation owner from the North. He

tries to please his new master. But Legree had enough of Toms kindness. Intending to make Tom
the supervisor of the other slaves, Legree orders him to flog (which means beating someone with

a whip or a stick as punishment) a sick and weak woman for not working hard enough. After

refusing, at first Tom is beaten until he passed out. At this point of the novel, it becomes an eye

opening exposure to slavery, leaving any reader wanting to rectify or correct the cruelty of the

institution. Tom was begging Legree to not be beaten as he says these words,

Masr, if you was sick, or in trouble, or dying, and I could save ye, Id give ye my

hearts blood; and, if taking every drop of blood in this poor old body would save your

precious soul, Id give em freely, as the Lord gave his for me. Oh, Masr! dont bring

this great sin on your soul! It will hurt you more thant will me! Do the worst you can,

my troublesll be over soon; but, if ye dont repent, yours wont never end! (245).

Tom urges Legree to reconsider his decision, not for Toms sake, but for Legrees. Tom says that

he would give his hearts blood to save him, by not killing Tom, Legree could still have a

chance to go to heaven. But Tom could not save himself. Tom was again beaten by Legree's men

to the point of death. The brutality shows the terror and inhumane practices of slavery practiced

by the slave owners. Eliza is raised by Mrs. Shelby. She is described to be light-skinned and

pretty. Eliza is married to George Harris and loves him very much. She also has a little boy

named Harry. When she learns that Harry is about to be sold, Eliza runs away with him to the

Ohio River. Not soon after Eliza ran away, George followed. Coincidentally, George happens to

go to the same place Eliza and Harry were being hidden. Crossing the Ohio River, Eliza barely

escaped the slaver dealer and his dogs. With the help of the Underground Railroad, they

eventually secure their freedom in Canada. Eliza becomes extraordinarily brave because of what

she would do and did for her son.

 Stowe used many symbols in her novel, but Uncle Tom was the main symbol. She used

him as the main symbol throughout the book to show her readers that slaves are humans, just like

everyone else, and are not property. Uncle Tom symbolizes the themes of hope, faith, love and

perseverance. He represents a strong Christian, who seeks God for help. Tom believes that God

is looking over him. He has never doubted Gods choices for him, even if it does not end well.

Even when he was sold or punished he always prayed to God, knowing that God had a plan for

him. No matter how you feel or what you are going through, God is always with you. Toms

character shows what a good, honest and hardworking man he is. This is another reason why

Tom was such an inspirational character. Another symbol in this novel is danger to freedom and

vice versa, more specific, Elizas and Toms journey across the River. Eliza and her husband

fleeing up the river from Kentucky to Canada represents a shift from danger into safety. While

Tom traveled down the river, which he ended up being in the hands of the wicked Simon Legree,

who treated him as if he was a property or an animal. Which led to Uncle Toms death.

In conclusion, Uncle Toms Cabin provided the readers more knowledge on how slaves

were treated and the history behind the Civil War from the characters, setting, symbols, and

themes in the book. The North represents freedom, while the South represents slavery and

corruption. Toms character in the novel exposed the readers to what it was like to be a slave in

the South during the 19th century. But Uncle Tom was also the main symbol is the book because

of his character and how he looks at life. This book engraved the images of brutal beatings and

unfair slave practices into the minds of the readers.

Task:
1. What did you hope to accomplish with this writing?
With writing this essay, I hope to accomplish my argument on how a reader can gain
from reading Uncle Toms Cabin with evidence from the characters, setting, themes, and
symbols in the book.
2. What do you think you did well in this writing?
In this essay I think I wrote my body paragraphs pretty well because they were evidence
to the prompts.
3. What are areas of weakness in this essay?
In this essay I struggled with developing the introduction and conclusion because I did
not know what to write in those paragraphs and I had a hard time in general.
4. After the peer review and self revision, what are changes that you made?
After peer review I did not change much, but I did finish my essay because I had it half
way done by peer review. Other than that I had small changes like grammar and spelling.
Rubric:

4 = exemplary 3=proficient 2=developing 1=insufficient

Purpose: writing clearly communicates an insightful or original point or purpose 4

Development: writing supports purpose with sound thoughts, ideas, and arguments that 3.5
reference and explain specific details or facts

Organization: writing is well organized and features logical progression, effective 3.5
transitions, and coherence within and among paragraphs

Style: writing creates reader's interest through accurate, varied and creative use of words, 3.5
sentence types, and sentence patterns

Grammar: writing follows conventions of standard written English about literature 3

(includes: spelling, punctuation, capitalization, syntax, MLA format, etc.