"So this is the little lady who made this big war." Abraham Lincoln's legendary comment upon meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe demonstrates the significant place her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, holds in American history. Published in book form in 1852, the novel quickly became a national bestseller and stirred up strong emotions in both the North and South. The context in which Uncle Tom's Cabin was written, therefore, is just as significant as the actual content. Among other things, Stowe's publication of her novel was stimulated by the increasing tensions among the nation's citizens and by her fervent belief that slavery was brutally immoral.

While she was still young, Harriet's family moved from Hartford, Connecticut to Cincinnati, Ohio. At the time, Cincinnati was a battleground for pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces, as well as being a city of religious revivalism, temperance conflicts, and race riots. Her father was a congregationalist minister and her oldest sister, Catherine, was a writer on social reform questions. It is not surprising, therefore, that because of her environment, Harriet became involved in m

Very early in Uncle Tom's Cabin, I think it becomes evident to the reader which characters will manifest into the novel's antagonists. On the very first page of the novel Mr. Haley was introduced, and he was described as less than a gentleman, "gaudy," and "profane." Clearly Mr. Haley was not going to be a friendly character. When Simon Legree appears, the contrast between he and Uncle Tom's previous owners is intensified because Legree's cruel practices are unlike those ever experienced by Uncle Tom. I also disliked the character of Henrique, the son of Alfred St. Clare. In literature, the characters of children are usually portrayed as models of innocence, but Stowe uses Henrique to demonstrate that even children can be corrupted by the institution of slavery. The pampered child behaves as a prince, and his beating of "Dodo" is clearly a display of dominance, rather than an actual reprimand.

I do not feel necessarily that Uncle Tom's Cabin has any significant practical value in my own life. Perhaps I now am more aware of landmarks such as the Civil Rights Movement and the development of programs like Affirmative Action. Being more aware, I feel that I can form more educated opinions on racial issues, and consequently counteract, at least personally, any injurious stereotypes. Oddly enough, I think that my reaction is exactly what Stowe intended, so maybe the novel does possess notable transcendental value after all. Although it was written over 140 years ago, apparently Uncle Tom's Cabin still is able to invoke a personal reflection on the state of fellow men (and women!).

My least favorite characters, however, were the clear villains of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Of course, I strongly disliked Mr. Haley and Simon Legree because of their obvious ignorance toward the African population, but I also disliked the characters of Henrique and Mrs. St. Clare.

These influences were directly responsible for Stowe's creation of Uncle Tom's Cabin and its characters, which in her final chapter are revealed to have been, in one sense or another, factual representations.

Uncle Tom's Cabin had a tremendous impact on those who recognized Stowe's controversial message. The readers who had been formerly impartial to the abolitionist campaign now had convincing evidence of its validity. The novel also helped to transform the slavery debate from the more political issue of states' rights into a humanitarian cause to free the oppressed. In addition, Stowe's approach to the subject was far more adapted to the nation's views of slavery than was abolitionist literature. Abolitionists had received a negative connotation because of their radical dispositions, but Stowe's novel was entertaining, yet solemn, and did not seek to achieve racial equality. It simply emphasized the injustice of enslavement, and therefore gained a much more attentive audience.

Throughout the novel, Stowe consciously creates characters that are either exceedingly virtuous or awfully depraved. It is therefore predictable as to whom readers will elect as their favorite and least favorite individuals. Most likely people immediately admire the hero of the novel, Uncle Tom, as well as the angel-like child, Eva. These characters are intended to be paragons of Christian virtue, and are clearly contrasted with the less agreeable characters of Mr. Haley and Simon Legree. While reading the novel, however, I found additional characters that are equally admirable (or nefarious), particularly because they display more realistic human qualities. I personally favored George Shelby, son of Arthur and Emily Shelby, Mr. Wilson, former employer of slave George Harris, and Cassy, slave of Simon Legree. These characters, although they have flaws, still maintain an element of innate decency, and therefore appear as more authentic representations of the southern population.

The unexpected success of the novel was partially due to innovations in printing, which

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Approximate Word count = 2826
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)