Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, which was first published in book form in 1852, is a work with a unique history of reception. In the nineteenth century it sold more copies than any book in the world except the Bible and became "the most cussed and discussed book of its time" 1. While in the 1850s slavery opponents hailed Stowe's novel as "the greatest weapon ever brought to bear in the abolitionist battle" 2, it was a hundred years later exposed to immense criticism, especially on the part of the blacks. Like Edmund Wilson reports, "it was still possible at the beginning of this century for a South Carolina teacher to make his pupils hold up their right hands and swear that they would never read Uncle Tom" 3. This research paper is intended to focus on why the reactions to this novel were so contradictory. After going into the general ideas of ‘race’ at Stowe's time, it will give an account of which attitudes towards this topic the writer herself expresses in Uncle Tom's Cabin and how these reply to the view of her contemporaries. This leads to the question whether one might, as it has often been the case, reproach Stowe for being a racist and whether her novel should still be discussed in today's classroom. 1 Langston Huges, quoted in Richard Yarborough, “Strategies of Black Characterization in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Early Afro-American Novel,“ New Essays on Uncle Tom’s Cabin, ed. Eric. J. Sundquist (Cambridge, 1986), 57. 2 Yarborough, 68 3 Yarborough, 66
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II.1. The idea of ‘race’ in the nineteenth century
II.2. Race attitudes in Uncle Tom’s Cabin
II.2.a. Harriet Beecher Stowe as a racist?
II.2.b. Stowe and the idea of colonization
III. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This research paper examines the contradictory historical reception of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, by analyzing the author's portrayal of race against the backdrop of nineteenth-century racial discourse and her attitudes toward the slavery system.
- Historical conceptions of "race" in the nineteenth century
- Stowe's stereotypical characterization of Black individuals
- The intersection of Christian morality and abolitionist rhetoric
- The role of colonization as a proposed solution to the race problem
- The novel's pedagogical relevance in contemporary classrooms
Excerpt from the Book
II.2.a. Harriet Beecher Stowe as a racist?
When reading the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin for the first time, one might, especially from today's point of view, regard Stowe's writing as racist. This is because of her stereotypical description of black and white characters, to which she freely assigns moral and intellectual qualities, and because of the fact that she does not question the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race. In this sense, Gossett states, "to say that Stowe was a racist (...) is not to say to much" 31.
Today's readers, however, have to bear in mind that at Stowe’s time the character of peoples was usually defined with regard to their racial identity, so that virtually everybody was, measured by modern standards, a racist 32. Stowe herself, as Nuernberg points out, "avoided any reference in Uncle Tom's Cabin to the scientific discourse on race" 33.
Of bigger importance should therefore be what Stowe thought about the problems caused by the racial differences she believed to exist, especially her attitude towards the slavery system. As already stated above, Stowe did not regard the blacks as creatures of or even below animal status, but as humans with the same feelings and thus with the same rights - though not with the same capacities - as members of other races. Her aim is apparently to evoke pity and understanding for the situation of the blacks. In Stowe's novel, the narrator gives a rather detailed description of the slaves’ sufferings, for example the pain mothers feel when their children are sold away and the desperation of black women like Cassy who are sexually abused by their owners. Augustine St. Clare, whom Stowe uses as a mouthpiece to convey her own ideas, states that slavery "comes from the devil" 34 and cries out: "Talk of the abuses of slavery! Humbug! The thing itself is the essence of all abuse" 35.
Summary of Chapters
I. Introduction: Outlines the historical reception of the novel and establishes the research goal of exploring Stowe's complex attitudes toward race and slavery.
II.1. The idea of ‘race’ in the nineteenth century: Analyzes how racial differences were perceived in the mid-nineteenth century, shifting from environmental explanations to biologically heritable characteristics.
II.2. Race attitudes in Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Explores the stereotypical traits Stowe attributed to her Black characters and how these reflect contemporary assumptions of the era.
II.2.a. Harriet Beecher Stowe as a racist?: Discusses the debate over whether Stowe’s work can be labeled as racist given her reliance on period-typical stereotypes and views on racial hierarchy.
II.2.b. Stowe and the idea of colonization: Examines Stowe's advocacy for the colonization of Africa as a solution to the race problem and its criticism by abolitionists.
III. Conclusion: Reflects on the necessity of teaching the novel today by situating it within its historical context and cautioning against the validation of racial misconceptions.
Keywords
Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Race, Slavery, Abolition, Nineteenth Century, Racial Stereotypes, Colonization, Christian Morality, Reception History, Anglo-Saxon Superiority, Social Tract, Pedagogical Implications, Human Rights, Racial Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the contradictory reactions to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, specifically analyzing how the author’s portrayal of race correlates with the social and scientific attitudes of the mid-nineteenth century.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Central themes include the changing definitions of "race" in the 1800s, the use of racial stereotypes in literature, the moral critique of the slave system, and the political ideology of colonization.
What is the ultimate research goal?
The study aims to determine whether Stowe can be categorized as a racist by modern standards and to address whether the novel remains a suitable text for discussion in contemporary academic settings.
Which methodology does the author apply?
The paper utilizes a literary-historical approach, analyzing the primary text alongside critical scholarship to contextualize Stowe’s rhetoric and arguments regarding slavery and racial hierarchy.
What does the main body address?
The main body examines the historical shift in racial theory, critiques Stowe’s specific characterizations of African Americans, discusses the abolitionist context, and investigates the author's proposed solution of colonization.
Which keywords define this study?
Key terms include Uncle Tom's Cabin, race, slavery, colonization, abolition, and literary characterization.
How does the author characterize Stowe's view on slavery?
The author argues that Stowe was a stronger critic of the institution of slavery as an immoral "evil system" than she was of contemporary racial theories, which she largely accepted.
Why was the idea of colonization significant to Stowe's narrative?
Stowe viewed colonization as the only viable solution for the racial problem in America, believing that American society could not truly integrate the Black race, which led to significant criticism of her ending.
- Quote paper
- Kristin Hammer (Author), 1997, The Representation of Race in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/29278
