Uncle Toms Cabin
"So you're the lady whose book started this great war." Abraham Lincoln said this to Harriet Beecher Stowe upon meeting her in 1862. This quote shows the great influence the novel had on the minds of its readers and on a nation in turmoil. At the height of racial tension in nineteenth century America, Stowe revealed the sufferings and hardships the slave was forced to endure. Stowe used passionate and sometimes exaggerated thoughts and stories in the book in an effort to prompt abolitionist action. In the novel, Stowe used strong-minded women that sent a message to female readers that they also can take action against slavery. Although Stowe was on the side of the slave, she sometimes exhibited a paternalistic attitude that made her seem somewhat racist. Uncle Tom's Cabin is "profoundly feminist in its implications" because of the opinionated female characters that voiced their beliefs and showed moral superiority over their male counterparts. Stowe established that both women and slaves were victims of male domination, and she depicted women in the novel that were led to their abolitionist views by their moral and Christian beliefs. Because of the stereotypes and paternalistic attitude she exhibi
To Conclude, Uncle Tom's Cabin is a truly passionate novel that swayed the hearts of many readers. "Sam he said der was one of dese yer perfectioners, dey calls 'em, in Louisville, said he wanted a good hand at cake and pastry; and said he'd give four dollars a week to one, he did (278). " The domination of white males allowed them to make their own decisions regarding their "property. "It was rather natural; and the tears that fell, as he spoke, came as naturally as if he had been a white man (134). Spinning round, clapping her hands, knocking her knees together, in a wild, fantastic sort of time. "Her whole plump countenance beams with satisfaction and contentment from under her well-starched turban (25). On the other hand, Miss Ophelia was a strong-minded woman filled with traditional Christian beliefs. During this era, women were often forced to withhold their true beliefs, but these women used their pious ways to confront and consult with their husbands. When the verdict was given, the wife had to accept it, whether to her liking or not. Bird were portrayed as holding moral superiority over their husbands. In the novel, the feminism exhibited by the female characters paved the way for their abolitionist views, but it also showed that feminism and abolitionism are not directly related. "Cassy had always kept over Legree the kind of influence that a strong, impassioned woman can ever keep over the most brutal man (401). The strong female characters that were seen to hold moral superiority over their male counterparts prove this book to be profoundly feminist.
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