Fred Heath
Eng 48A
Journal on Stowe
9/29/09
Harriet Beecher StoweEng 48A
Journal on Stowe
9/29/09
1811-1896
"If it were your Harry, mother, or your Willie, that were going to be torn from you by a brutal trader to-m
orrow morning... how fast could you walk? How many miles could you make in those few brief house, with the darling at your bosom, -the little sleepy head on your shoulder, -the small, soft arms trustingly holding on to your neck?"(Norton 1712)
In this quote, Stowe speaks to the reader evoking a sense of sympathy for the difficult situation in which the slave Eliza finds herself in. Drawing empathy to the sore subject of slavery, she describes the desperation of a mother who seems doomed to lose her child.
"Any mind that is capable of real sorrow is capable of good."
To me, this quote seems to define Stowe's purpose in publishing 'Uncle Toms Cabin'. By depicting the reality of slavery, Harriet Beecher Stowe forced America to confront the m
oral dilemma of slavery with a conscience. Faithful that if she could show slavery as it truly is, people would realize the inhumanity of it, and make a change.
Stowe, obviously intending to garner sympathy for the abolitionist cause, forces the reader to empathize with the position of the black slave Eliza throughout 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. Moving beyond the politics of the situation, Stowe shows in first-hand detail the difficult life of a slave. Describing the feeling of imprisonment and the desperation of a fleeing mother she makes the audience feel, as a slave feels, drawing out the inherent wrongs of a society that allows, and supports slavery. Another important factor that should be taken note of is that Stowe casts the issues of slavery in a light that recognizes slaves as people too. The story is centered around a black woman with a child, instead of a black man, provoking an emotional response regardless of race.
orrow morning... how fast could you walk? How many miles could you make in those few brief house, with the darling at your bosom, -the little sleepy head on your shoulder, -the small, soft arms trustingly holding on to your neck?"(Norton 1712)In this quote, Stowe speaks to the reader evoking a sense of sympathy for the difficult situation in which the slave Eliza finds herself in. Drawing empathy to the sore subject of slavery, she describes the desperation of a mother who seems doomed to lose her child.
"Any mind that is capable of real sorrow is capable of good."
To me, this quote seems to define Stowe's purpose in publishing 'Uncle Toms Cabin'. By depicting the reality of slavery, Harriet Beecher Stowe forced America to confront the m
oral dilemma of slavery with a conscience. Faithful that if she could show slavery as it truly is, people would realize the inhumanity of it, and make a change.Stowe, obviously intending to garner sympathy for the abolitionist cause, forces the reader to empathize with the position of the black slave Eliza throughout 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. Moving beyond the politics of the situation, Stowe shows in first-hand detail the difficult life of a slave. Describing the feeling of imprisonment and the desperation of a fleeing mother she makes the audience feel, as a slave feels, drawing out the inherent wrongs of a society that allows, and supports slavery. Another important factor that should be taken note of is that Stowe casts the issues of slavery in a light that recognizes slaves as people too. The story is centered around a black woman with a child, instead of a black man, provoking an emotional response regardless of race.
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