"Uncle Tom's Cabin"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the Harriet Beecher Stowe novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin", focusing on the moral erosion caused by the institution of slavery upon slave-owners. The paper examines the actions and emotions of Shelby, whom the author calls a sympathetic character generally subscribing to Christian codes of behavior. Through a detailed analysis of the dialogue and plot evolution, the author of this paper concludes that if slavery has produced this level of evil and madness in him, it could do the same to anyone.

From the Paper:

"When Shelby finds himself in debt he resorts to selling some of his slaves to obtain the funds to pay his creditors. The scene between Shelby and his wife shows the shame he feels at what he is about to do. When Mrs. Shelby asks who the man was that he was visiting with earlier in the evening, he is evasive in his answers, indicating that he is embarrassed to tell her the truth. He is embarrassed for no other reason than that both he and Mrs. Shelby consider themselves good people and above those who treat their slaves cruelly. Further, Shelby despises Haley, the slave trader for dealing in human flesh, but is finding it more difficult to separate his own actions, since they are part of the system of slavery."

More papers on "Uncle Tom's Cabin":

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• Essay # 73518 : "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe"
• Book Review # 29259 : "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
• Analytical Essay # 133101 : "The Evils of Slavery in "Uncle Tom's Cabin"

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