Just how popular was this book? How did it influence folks in the 1850s?
Let's take a look at a few primary sources. Read:
- an article from The Liberator dated April 9, 1852
- a book review from The National Era dated April 15, 1852
- a letter to the editor of The Independent by a woman named Anna dated June 10, 1852
Select one quote - a powerful, persuasive line - from each source and copy it in your notebook. Then synthesize the sources. What do these sources teach us about the influence of Stowe's book? Draw at least three different conclusions and write them down in your notebook.
Brandi McCandless wrote an article called Slavery's Destruction of Domestic Life in Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. In this paper she argues that Stowe targeted white, Christian women who were sensitive to a mother's need to establish a stable, domestic environment. She writes:
"Knowing her audience would be primarily white women, Stowe played on their feelings of uneasiness and guilt over the treatment of slaves, especially those of the Northern white women who could help with the Abolitionist movement, by introducing her readers to seemingly real characters suffering from the injustice of slavery. This can be seen even in the style in which Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written; Stowe directly addresses her readers, forcing them to consider slavery from the point of view of the enslaved...Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a sentimental novel; it was meant to appeal to the unsettled emotions that existed in the reader’s mind, creating a sense of guilt and injustice, making them see how slavery destroys human lives and families. Through the introduction of these Southern families, Stowe demonstrates how slavery corrupts and ultimately eliminates domestic stability."
Today I want you to test this conclusion by working in groups (no more than 3 students to a group) to analyze one chapter of the book. You can choose from any of the six chapters listed below. You can view them online here:
- Chapter 4, "An Evening in Uncle Tom's Cabin"
- Chapter 5, "Showing the Feelings of Living Property on Changing Owners"
- Chapter 7, "The Mother's Struggle"
- Chapter 12, "Select Incident of Lawful Trades"
- Chapter 30, "The Slave Warehouse"
What evidence can you find to support the idea that Stowe targeted white, Christian women who were sensitive to a mother's need to establish a stable, domestic environment? How does Stowe portray the lives of slaves, particularly female slaves? How does Stowe portray the lives of female slaveowners? Why would a swing in opinion by white, Northern women matter? Could that, as Lincoln put it, really start the war?
You should write your response as a comment on this post. Include at least two quotes in your response. I highly recommend that you type your response in Word first. Put your first names only at the end of your response so we know who wrote it.
In chapter VII (A Mother’s Struggle), it describes what it would be like to have your child torn from you. It speaks to white Christian women because they take care of the home and their children. When they hear of how children are being torn away from their mother at such a young age, it would truly make any mother who loves their children sad and want to help. In the story, it states “If it were your Harry, mother, or your Willie, that were going to be torn from you by a brutal trader, to-morrow morning,—if you had seen the man, and heard that the papers were signed and delivered, and you had only from twelve o'clock till morning to make good your escape,—how fast could you walk?” This is a very important quote because it really reaches out to the Christian mothers. The story also talks about a woman feeling sorry for the run away slave when she supposedly had a son across the river that was sick. The women felt bad for her because her motherly instincts were triggered with sympathy.
ReplyDeleteWe can definitely conclude that Stowe is reaching out to her readers by using second person to talk to the person reading her book. She is also trying to provoke sympathy for the slaves that are being mistreated and torn away from their families.
By Katharine and Sara
Chapter VII has a lot of evidence supporting the idea that Stowe targeted white Christian women. At the time when Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written a woman’s job was to make sure all the children were ok and make sure the household was always in one piece. In this book she talks about how slave families are ripped apart by slavery. In the minds of white women this would be the single worst thing that could ever happen to them. It also talks about a mother that is contemplating running away from the life she knows. In the story Stowe writes, “Her husband's suffering and dangers, and the danger of her child, all blended in her mind, with a confused and stunning sense of the risk she was running, in leaving the only home she had ever known.” This is an example of the affects of slavery. It shows that slavery could make slaves leave behind the people and the life they have always known. When Stowe wrote this book it was one of few things that united the thoughts of Northern men and women.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, Mr.Shelby has agreed to sell Uncle Tom and Eliza's son, Harry. His wife disagrees with his decision because Uncle Tom has been living with them since he was a boy, and Harry is just a child. This would reach out to mothers in particular because it shows the terror of having your child about to be taken away from you and you don't have a say in it whatsoever. This would make the mothers want to do something to stop this so maybe they told their husbands about it and the more sensitive ones would actually do something about it.
ReplyDeleteBy Kobe and Harrison
In chapter 4 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Breecher Stowe, appeals to white woman by making them imagine themselves in the situation of many black female slaves. She does this by sympathizing to their natural motherhood instincts. In one scene, Harriet Breecher Stowe describes the heartache of a mother and daughter the night before their separation. On page 160, the mother says, "but I'm so feard of losin' you that I don't see anything but the danger." This line forces any woman who’s reading this to think about the love they have for their children and how they would feel if they were separated from each other. The style of Harriet Breecher Stowe’s writing opens the eyes and minds of any person who has read the story.
ReplyDeleteBy Sam, Eesha, and Emma
1. What evidence can you find to support the idea that Stowe targeted white, Christian women who were sensitive to a mother's need to establish a stable, domestic environment? How does Stowe portray the lives of slaves, particularly female slaves? How does Stowe portray the lives of female slave owners? Why would a swing in opinion by white, Northern women matter? Could that, as Lincoln put it, really start the war?"
ReplyDeletea.
Yer a brave gal, now, whoever ye ar!" said the man, with an oath.
Eliza recognized the voice and face of a man who owned a farm not far from her old home.
"O, Mr. Symmes!—save me—do save me—do hide me!" said Eliza.
"Why, what's this?" said the man. "Why, if 'tan't Shelby's gal!"
"My child!—this boy!—he'd sold him! There is his Mas'r," said she, pointing to the Kentucky shore. "O, Mr. Symmes, you've got a little boy!"
"So I have," said the man, as he roughly, but kindly, drew her up the steep bank. "Besides, you're a right brave gal. I like grit, wherever I see it."
This was a section of the famous “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. I myself was having a hard time focusing on one chapter, but this part stood out to me. This would tick off, not just Christian but any woman that the husband would force the wife into labor and not be able to even touch the child. I think that the author mainly focuses on the suffering of female slaves that any white female would not be able to relate to. I think that the author wanted to write the “other” side to the suffering of slaves. I went from reading chaper1 to 2 to7 to 14 and the more I read, the more I see that the women suffered a lot during slavery. I think that there is a special feeling in the woman’s mind to somewhat pity or feel woeful for others. Maybe even to move the woman to do something about it.
There is a part in chapter 30, The Slave Ware-House, where she talks about a mother and her daughter having a conversation, sitting in the slave warehouse. Even though they know that they are going to be sold the next day, they have the hope that possibly they could be sold together. “I haven’t any heart to sleep, Em,” the mother, Susan, said, “I can’t, it’s the last night we may be together!” From the quote, you can tell that the mom is very heart broken that she will have to be separated from her daughter then next day. Harriet is trying have the white Christian women relate to the situation by saying what if their children were taken away against their will. Saying this, Harriet knew that the women would take this to heart and realize the horrible feelings that the slave mother’s go through. Stowe portrays the female slaves as strong willed and loving people. The slave mothers care about their children and their safety.
ReplyDeleteBY JESSIE, MIA, AND HUNTER
Ty B Chris and Michael
ReplyDeleteChapter five has a lot of evidence that suggests that this story is directed to white women because Mr. Shelby, “I have tried—tried most faithfully, as a Christian woman should—to do my duty to these poor, simple, dependent creatures.” It also is stating that slavery is destroying their personal lives in their households. They are so caught up trying to maintain their own lives when they are so focused on the slave mothers. Also it talks about how the slave mothers felt about when their children got sold. “I crept into the closet by Mistress' door to-night, and I heard Master tell Missis that he had sold my Harry, and you, Uncle Tom, both, to a trader; and that he was going off this morning on his horse, and that the man was to take possession to-day." The importance of the opinion of the white northern women, was important because white women stood up as abolitionist, and changes opinions of others. If someone felt strongly enough that they wanted to start a war about this matter, they would encourage the North to fight the South.