Uncle Tom's Cabin: Literary Analysis

            Undoubtedly, slavery is one of the most immoral practices known to man. In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, slavery is one of the main themes. However, because slavery had many associations throughout the story, I decided to focus on the evil of slavery. While Stowe doesn’t direct state that slavery creates an outcome of evilness, she does provide many situations where it can be subtly acknowledged.

            Throughout the novel, many relationships between slaves and their owners are portrayed. Some of them better than others, as is the case between Eliza Harris and Mrs. Shelby, St. Clare and Tom, Miss Ophelia and Topsy, etc. On the other hand, there are even more cases where relationships are much worse, as is the case with Marie St. Clare and all the slaves on the property, Mr. Shelby and Tom, Legree and Tom, etc. Through the latter listed character relationships, the evil slavery creates can be seen through in stages.

            The evil of slavery is introduced early on in the novel through Mr. Shelby, Mr. Haley, Eliza, and Harry. Upon seeing young Harry, Mr. Haley, the slave trader, tells Mr. Shelby, “Fling in that chap and I’ll settle the business- I will” (4). This interact displays the evilness of slavery by so easily talking about buying and selling a child. In this scene, the boy isn’t even seen as a boy, but a thing- an object. On top of all this, there is no regard given towards his family- their feelings, thoughts, or reactions. None whatsoever. Altogether, Mr. Haley and Mr. Shelby’s discussion comes across as because it casually takes about removing a child from his home and family without any thought given towards Harry’s well-being.

            The evil of slavery continues to progress to more dramatic levels as the story goes on. It reaches news levels when Marie St. Clare is introduced. The first few words Marie says are “it’s we mistresses that are the slaves, down here” (153) and “[the slaves are] selfish-dreadfully selfish; it’s the fault of the whole race” (153). Her words come across as ignorant and blinded from reality. Marie, herself, is the exact opposite of a slave. She lives to be doted upon every minute of her life. For her to compare herself to a slave shows how slavery has evolved people (slave owners) morals and ethics so horribly. As the story continues, Stowe manages to present the evil of slavery in more shocking ways.

            Death can be seen as the most heinous connection to slavery. Towards the end novel, Tom is brought by Mr. Legree, a vicious slave owner, who has no hesitancy in violently disciplining his slaves. Tom, in particular, becomes the target of this anger when “. . . the spirit of evil came back, with seven-fold vehemence; and Legree, foaming with rage, smote his victim to the ground” (374). This moment leads to Tom’s inevitable death. However, the evil of slavery can be seen through the death of Tom and other slave because they’re good people. Tom didn’t deserve to die; he died protecting his friends and values. An innocent slave’s demise, like Tom’s, represents the utmost evil of slavery.

            Throughout Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Stowe uses the theme of slavery to illustrate how it creates evilness. When the relationships between the slave owners and the slaves themselves are looked at both at the surface and underneath, the evil that lingers from the practice of slavery can be found. With each interaction, from small to large, the evil of slavery can be seen increasingly. Overall, its significance rests in the fact that slavery manages to manipulate and sway people away from true morals and ethics.