In 1852 one of the most famous slave-narratives and a best-selling novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was published. The book is steeped in history because it aroused 19th century American society to set against the institution of slavery. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin slavery disrupts whole families and can only be saved by the heroic mothers within the novel. The book is often regarded as an example of early feminism because it demonstrates the moral power of women within the novel. For that reason, this term paper deals with virtues of True Womanhood and the role of mothers in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It is concerned with the question how Harriet Beecher Stowe uses the selected mothers to argue against slavery.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Ideals of Women and Mothers in 19th Century America
3. Mothers in Uncle Tom’s Cabin
3.1. The Pitiful Mother: Eliza Harris
3.2. The Exalted Mothers: Mrs. Bird and Mrs. Halliday
3.3. The Uncaring Mothers: Marie St. Clare and Cassy
4. Conclusion
Objectives & Core Topics
This academic paper examines how Harriet Beecher Stowe utilizes various maternal figures in her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin to criticize the institution of slavery and argue for its abolition. It explores the nineteenth-century "Cult of True Womanhood" and investigates how different depictions of motherhood—ranging from the protective and heroic to the victimized and the negligent—serve as moral agents to provoke empathy and challenge the societal norms of the era.
- The influence of the "Cult of True Womanhood" on 19th-century gender roles.
- The intersection of maternal instinct, Christian morality, and anti-slavery rhetoric.
- Comparative analysis of maternal archetypes: Eliza Harris, Mrs. Bird, Mrs. Halliday, Cassy, and Marie St. Clare.
- The impact of slavery on family unity and the sanctity of motherhood.
- The use of domestic literature as a tool for political and social protest.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. The Pitiful Mother: Eliza Harris
Eliza Harris is the first female slave protagonist who is introduced to the reader in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It seems that she has been treated well by her master, since she is described in a dress “of the neatest possible fit” and with “a delicately formed hand” (Stowe 9). Furthermore, the reader gets to know that “Eliza had been brought up by her mistress, from girlhood, as a petted and indulged favorite” (Stowe 17). She is also married to George Harris, a marriage which was permitted by her mistress who also educated her of “the duties of the family, of parent and child, and husband and wife” (Stowe 19,43). One might say that Eliza has internalized the four virtues of true womanhood because she grew up living a rather privileged life for a slave (Shapiro 25).
However, soon she falls prey to the system of slavery because her son should be sold away. It becomes obvious that the child is the property of Eliza’s master and therefore she is denied of her motherhood (Patton 12). To borrow Eric Sundquist’s phrase, who states that Uncle Tom’s Cabin opens quite self-consciously with men and women pitted against each other, and what we see in particular is white men destroying the family, the basic unit of community in Stowe’s view. (ibid. 161)
To keep her family together, Eliza decides to escape from her master and her mistress. She even writes a farewell note to her mistress, saying that she is “going to try to save [her] boy” (Stowe 47). Stowe describes Eliza’s flight as a selfless act of motherly love that every mother, no matter if black or white, can feel with (Wearn 21). This is also evoked by another female character who vindicates Eliza’s escape, because “tan’t nature for her to stay” (Stowe 50), meaning that no mother would allow that to happen to her child.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the research context of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, establishing the paper's focus on the role of mothers and the virtues of True Womanhood as a protest against slavery.
2. Ideals of Women and Mothers in 19th Century America: This section details the four cardinal virtues—piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity—that defined the nineteenth-century concept of "True Womanhood" and explains the societal expectations placed upon mothers.
3. Mothers in Uncle Tom’s Cabin: This central chapter analyzes specific characters to demonstrate how Stowe uses varying depictions of motherhood to advocate for the abolition of slavery and highlight its destructive impact on the family unit.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes how the analyzed mother figures collectively serve as symbols to challenge the inhumanity of slavery and enforce the idea of universal maternal bonds across racial lines.
Keywords
Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe, True Womanhood, Motherhood, Slavery, Abolitionism, Gender Roles, Domesticity, Piety, Purity, Submissiveness, Eliza Harris, Maternal Instinct, 19th-Century Literature, Human Rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the depiction of mother figures in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and how they are used as catalysts to argue against the moral and social injustices of slavery.
What are the central themes of the work?
The core themes include the intersection of nineteenth-century gender ideals, the "Cult of True Womanhood," the political influence of maternal morality, and the systematic disruption of families under slavery.
What is the research goal of this paper?
The goal is to analyze how Harriet Beecher Stowe uses diverse representations of mothers—both black and white—to evoke empathy in her readership and demonstrate that maternal feelings are a universal human trait that opposes the institution of slavery.
What methodology does the author use?
The paper utilizes a literary analysis approach, drawing upon historical frameworks like Barbara Welter’s "Cult of True Womanhood" and secondary research on gender studies and slave narratives to interpret the characters in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The body chapters discuss the concept of True Womanhood, followed by a character-based analysis of "pitiful" mothers like Eliza Harris, "exalted" mothers like Mrs. Bird and Mrs. Halliday, and "uncaring" mothers like Cassy and Marie St. Clare.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Motherhood, Slavery, True Womanhood, Abolitionism, Domesticity, and Gender Roles.
How does Eliza Harris represent a turning point in the novel?
Eliza serves as the primary example of the heroic slave mother whose desperate flight for her child challenges the societal notion that black women were incapable of deep maternal feelings or were merely "property."
Why does the author classify Cassy and Marie St. Clare as "uncaring" mothers?
The author uses these characters as contrasts; Cassy’s perceived lack of care is presented as a traumatic psychological consequence of slavery, while Marie St. Clare’s selfishness is highlighted to show how slavery corrupts even those in positions of power.
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- Lisa Schreinemacher (Autor:in), 2017, The Role of Mothers in "Uncle Tom's Cabin", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/496140
