In the preface to Uncle Tom’s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe explained the purpose of her antislavery novel. She wanted “to awaken sympathy and feeling for the African race […]” (xiii). Stowe is more precise in her preface to A Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin where she defines her goal of writing “to bring this subject of slavery, as a moral and religious question, before the minds of all those who profess to be followers of Christ in this country” (Stowe qtd. in Nuernberg 44). Stowe was successful and her sentimental novel reached the hearts of millions of readers and brought “[…] grown men to their emotional knees” (Yarborough 62). The novel did not only touch of the heart of the readers, it had as well political effects which can be underlined by the fact that Abraham Lincoln claimed that Stowe had caused the Civil War. This is one of the reasons why Josephine Donovan describes Uncle Tom’s Cabin as “probably the most influential novel ever written” (Donovan 11).
This paper will deal with another level of the novel’s influence. In the Longman Dictionary the term “Uncle Tom” is defined as “a black person who is too respectful to white person”. This definition is an evidence for the fact that Uncle Tom “entered the stock of American cultural archetypes” (Yarborough 53). The label “Uncle Tom” has even become “an index for racial degradation” (Railton 104). This paper focuses on the contradiction between Stowe’s antislavery conviction and “her tendency to see characters as representatives types” (Donovan 49) of different races.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 STRATEGIES OF CHARACTERISATION
2.1 IN GENERAL
2.2 TOPSY AND EVA ST. CLARE
2.3 UNCLE TOM AND GEORGE HARRIS
3 ROMANTIC RACIALISM
3.1 SOCIAL BACKGROUND: THEORIES OF RACE
3.2 STOWE’S PERSPECTIVE
4 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the contradiction between Harriet Beecher Stowe’s antislavery convictions and her tendency to categorize characters as representatives of specific racial types within her novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It investigates how Stowe employed Romantic Racialism to characterize black and white figures, analyzing whether her work reinforces or challenges cultural stereotypes through its narrative structure and the portrayal of central characters.
- The construction and development of racial stereotypes in 19th-century literature.
- Stowe’s use of characterization as a tool for moral and political influence.
- The influence of 19th-century theories of race, specifically monogenesis and polygenesis.
- The antithetical nature of the novel's structure and the resulting moral archetypes.
- The controversial role of colonization as a proposed solution to slavery.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 In General
Stowe created over a hundred different characters and by this, representatives of different social strata. The various characters represent diverse responses to the issue of slavery (Donovan 12). That is the reason why for instance the standpoints of Augustine St. Clare and Marie St. Clare differ significantly. Stowe’s goal is it to point out these disagreements about slavery like for example between Northern and Southern whites. Stephen Railton states that Miss Ophelia represents Stowe’s own opinion and can be described as a “surrogate” (Railton 105) for Stowe. Miss Ophelia embodies Stowe’s Christian virtues and defends her abolitionist views against St. Clare’s utterances. And yet, Miss Ophelia confesses that she has prejudices: “I’ve always had a prejudice against negroes … I never could bear to have that child [Topsy] touch me … ” (246). By adopting Topsy, Miss Ophelia overcomes her fear of contact and begins to “treat Topsy with a love that is both Christlike and democratic” (Railton 105).
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is arranged in an antithetical structure. The plot is subdivided into two contrasting strands. Tom’s plot, for example, moves southward into slavery and death. In contrast to that, Eliza’s plot describes a northward journey into freedom. The conception of characters is comparable to the structure. Numerous constellations, like for instance Mr. Shelby versus Dan Haley or the Christ Uncle Tom versus the Antichrist Simon Legree, prove this assumption. A factor which connects many characters is their “state of homelessness” (Donovan 14). All central characters seem to be restless and they move from on place to another.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter outlines the purpose of the paper, detailing the historical and cultural impact of the novel and defining the core research focus regarding Stowe's characterization methods.
2 STRATEGIES OF CHARACTERISATION: This section investigates how Stowe constructs her characters to reflect different social strata and racial stereotypes, using both general character analyses and specific pairings to illustrate her narrative intent.
2.1 IN GENERAL: This part examines the broader character structure of the novel, focusing on the antithetical plot strands and the diverse ways characters respond to the institution of slavery.
2.2 TOPSY AND EVA ST. CLARE: This chapter analyzes the character contrast between Topsy and Eva as a significant motif, exploring how experience and environment shape personality within Stowe's framework.
2.3 UNCLE TOM AND GEORGE HARRIS: This section compares the two central male figures, contrasting Uncle Tom’s passive, Christ-like Christianity with George Harris’s aggressive, rational pursuit of freedom.
3 ROMANTIC RACIALISM: This chapter provides the theoretical framework, explaining the historical theories of race prevalent in the 19th century and defining 'Romantic Racialism'.
3.1 SOCIAL BACKGROUND: THEORIES OF RACE: This part details the distinction between monogenesis and polygenesis and how these theories influenced 19th-century racial attitudes.
3.2 STOWE’S PERSPECTIVE: This section demonstrates how Stowe applied the tenets of Romantic Racialism to her characterizations and discusses the controversial aspects of her endorsement of colonization.
4 CONCLUSION: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that despite Stowe's problematic racial views, Uncle Tom’s Cabin remains a vital historical document that illustrates the construction of racism.
Keywords
Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Slavery, Abolitionism, Romantic Racialism, Characterization, Racial Stereotypes, Monogenesis, Polygenesis, Colonization, Christian Virtue, American Literature, Cultural Archetypes, Social Stratification, Racial Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the intersection of Harriet Beecher Stowe's antislavery goals and her utilization of racial stereotypes, examining how she defined characters through the lens of 19th-century Romantic Racialism.
What are the central themes discussed in the study?
The study focuses on the construction of racial identity, the moral and religious dimensions of the slavery debate, the impact of social environment on personality, and the tension between passivity and active resistance.
What is the research question addressed by the author?
The primary question is whether the literary value of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is diminished by the author's reliance on racial stereotypes and whether it functions as a meaningful document regarding the construction of racism.
Which methodology is employed in this research?
The paper utilizes a qualitative literary analysis, comparing character traits, examining historical theories of race (monogenesis vs. polygenesis), and evaluating the narrative structure of the novel against the author's historical context.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body provides a detailed analysis of four central characters, explores the historical theory of Romantic Racialism, and contrasts the responses of various characters to the system of slavery.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Romantic Racialism, Abolitionism, Racial Stereotypes, Monogenesis, Cultural Archetypes, and Social Stratification.
How does the author define 'Romantic Racialism' in this context?
It is defined as a 19th-century intellectual tradition that, while opposing slavery on Christian and humanitarian grounds, still maintained beliefs in inherent racial peculiarities and favored the colonization of black populations.
Why is the comparison between Uncle Tom and George Harris significant?
This comparison highlights the contrast between Stowe's portrayal of 'passive' Christian endurance and 'aggressive' rational resistance, reflecting the author's complex racial views and her definition of heroism.
How does the paper address the controversial topic of colonization?
The author discusses how Stowe, through the character of George Harris, advocated for the colonization of blacks as a solution to slavery, and contrasts this with the opposition from figures like Frederick Douglass.
- Citation du texte
- Lisa Sangmeister (Auteur), 2009, The Subject of Race in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/140183
