"Uncle Tom's Cabin"

Book Review # 112416

African-American Studies > Slavery
English > Analysis
Literature > American

"Uncle Tom's Cabin"

An analysis of the historical relevance of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" written by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

2,887 words () | 18 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin", written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in book form in 1852. The paper begins with a brief synopsis of the book, whereby the plot and characters are sketched, and moves on to discuss the accuracy of the historical facts and events presented in it. The book's historical relevance is then analyzed and the paper concludes with several other observations such as on the author's style and the book's influence in creating African-American stereotypes. The paper contains MLA style endnotes rather than a works cited page.

Outline:
Introduction
Synopsis
Historical Accuracy
Historical Relevance
Other Observations and Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Uncle Tom's Cabin has also been criticized for its "lack of artistic control" ; indeed, Edmund Wilson claims the novel to be an "undistinguished narrative, inelegantly and carelessly written." Tremaine McDowell further criticizes Stowe's "persistent inconsistency" in her use of negro dialect; according to her, "the speech of Mrs. Stowe's slaves [more] closely resembles that of lower-class whites", and that although the "result was a powerful tract, [it was] not an exact recording of negro speech." However, David Levin counter-argues that Stowe has "an astonishingly fine ear for the language of racism and the fundamental contradictions embraced by men who must defend slavery". For instance, Haley incongruously argues that it is more humane not to bring up slaves to expect humane treatment. Thus for all the criticisms against Stowe's amateurish style, she demonstrates her skill in perceiving the situation of slavery as it is. "

Sample of Sources Used:

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly. New York: Signet Classics, 2008,
Roppolo, Joseph P. "Harriet Beecher Stowe and New Orleans: A Study in Hate." The New England Quarterly, Vol. 30, No.3 (Sept. 1957), p.348
Gerstle, Gary et al. Liberty, Equality and Power: A History of the American People Vol. 1: To 1877. (4th ed.) Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007, pp. 349-351.
Adler, Philip J. and Randall L. Pouwels. World Civilizations Vol. II: Since 1500. (4th ed.) Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006, p.398
Franklin, John Hope and Alfred A. Moss, Jr. From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (7th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1994, p.124.