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Uncle Tom's Cabin Themes

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Would you have the courage to write a book that you knew would cause a lot of controversy? The American Civil War took place from 1861-1865 and was fought between the Northern and Southern States. Slavery was a main issue in the Southern states. There were many pieces of literature written throughout this four year period. The authors were taking a major risk by writing about the Civil War. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was a piece of literature influenced by the Civil War. Harriet Beecher Stowe was from Litchfield, Connecticut, and was the seventh child of seven (Junior DIScovering). Before becoming a full time writer, she helped teach with her sister at Hartford Female Seminary (Junior DIScovering). Stowe was writing small …show more content…

Two main themes are human rights and religion (Themes and Construction). Throughout the book, Stowe is trying to explain to the reader how everyone should be treated equally, and that slavery is wrong. She gives the reader many different ideas of what a slave master was like by showing us the different punishments bestowed upon slaves (Cindy Weinstein). This quote represents what Stowe was trying to prove to her readers- that slavery is wrong and everyone should be treated equally. This quote is said by the slave owner who ends up beating Uncle Tom to death, “I hate him!” said Legree, that night, as he sat up in his bed; “I hate him! And isn't he MINE? Can't I do what I like with him? Who's to hinder, I wonder?” (Chapter 40) After Legree said this, he started treating Uncle Tom even worse. The other theme, religion, plays a huge role in the picture that Stowe is trying to paint. Uncle Tom is the main character in the book who Stowe has made super religious. He has so much faith and trust in God that he even tries to convert some of his slave masters. Even when Uncle Tom is dying, he is saying that it is his time to go to heaven, and that he forgives the people who beat him to death. In Stowe’s style of writing, she casts sympathy onto slave owners through the thoughts and actions of the slaves (Jennifer …show more content…

The war was about ending slavery, and Stowe took that issue and gave America an idea what being an African American slave really meant. She took actual scenarios of slave mistreatment and incorporated them into truth for the world to see. She took a risk for writing this book, and the fact that she wrote this during the Civil War shows her true character. It also influenced the African American dream, and the equality and freedom they were yearning for (The African American Dream

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