The following paper will deal with the novel“Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands“by Harriet Beecher Stowe which was written in 1854. It has been out of print for several years, which is why it was difficult to find secondary literature. Consequently, I mostly worked with the book itself, which consists of letters Stowe wrote to friends and family members. They do not include any personal details. It is not clear whether the letters were printed in the original way or if certain details have been left out on purpose.
In its preface, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe herself, she says,“If the criticism be made that every thing is givencouleur de rose,the answer is, Why not? They are the impressions, as they arose, of a most agreeable visit.“
In my paper I will try to answer her question“Why not?“.During her travels, Stowe encountered mostly friendly people who gave her a warm welcome to Britain. Stowe was, at the time, enjoying great status and fame in Britain due the overwhelming success of her novel“Uncle Tom’s Cabin“.While“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”sold 150.000 copies in the United States during the first year of its publication, it sold over one million times in Great Britain.1Consequently, people who were also anti-slavery oriented, were very pleased to be in her company. Some encounters Stowe describes, remind one of almost popstar-like fame, and it is only normal that such enthusiastic emotions would push her towards looking at everything in a more positive light. Consequently, Stowe’s attitude towards the British working class seems a little too“couleur de rose”.Being so active in the anti-slavery movement, it is hard to believe that a woman like Stowe with such strong political opinions can be so oblivious to the horrible working conditions in Britain.
In this paper, I will start out by mentioning a few facts concerning Stowes background and upbringing. In order to understand her opinions and especially her religious approach, it is important to take a look at her family and general environment.
Furthermore, I will provide a little background information on the letters she wrote and a map to show the different places she visited.
In chapter 4 I will work with the letters. I will show what Stowe thought about the British, the differences and similarities she noticed between British and American people. I will point out in depth what Stowe wrote about their outer appearance, their behavior and the immense feeling of comfort Stowe had while in Britain.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
- Introduction
- Harriet Beecher Stowe's Life
- Upbringing and Education
- Marriage and Children
- Literary Career
- Travels across Great Britain
- The Letters
- Map
- Working with the letters
- The outer Appearance of the British
- Behavior
- Comfort
- Slavery in the United States and Working Conditions in Great Britain
- Working Conditions in Great Britain
- Slavery in the United States
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte
Dieser Essay befasst sich mit Harriet Beecher Stowes Roman "Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands" aus dem Jahr 1854. Die Arbeit analysiert Stowes Reisetagebuch, das aus Briefen an Freunde und Familienmitglieder besteht und Einblicke in ihre Beobachtungen und Eindrücke während ihrer Reise durch Großbritannien gewährt.
- Stowes Lebensgeschichte und ihr literarisches Werk
- Analyse von Stowes Reisebeschreibungen und ihrer Wahrnehmung Großbritanniens
- Vergleich der Arbeitsbedingungen in Großbritannien und der Sklaverei in den Vereinigten Staaten
- Stowes Einstellung zur britischen Gesellschaft und ihre Wahrnehmung der Arbeiterklasse
- Die Rolle von "Uncle Tom's Cabin" und Stowes Bekanntheit in Großbritannien
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel
Die Einleitung stellt den Kontext des Essays und die zentralen Themen von Stowes Werk dar. Kapitel 2 liefert einen Überblick über Stowes Leben, ihre Erziehung und ihren Weg zur Schriftstellerin. In Kapitel 3 wird der Fokus auf Stowes Reisen durch Großbritannien gelegt, wobei ihre Briefe und die von ihr besuchten Orte im Zentrum stehen. Kapitel 4 analysiert Stowes Beobachtungen über das Aussehen, das Verhalten und den Komfort in Großbritannien. Kapitel 5 bietet eine vergleichende Analyse der Arbeitsbedingungen in Großbritannien und der Sklaverei in den Vereinigten Staaten.
Schlüsselwörter
Die zentralen Schlüsselwörter dieses Essays sind: Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands", Reisetagebuch, Großbritannien, Arbeiterklasse, Sklaverei, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", literarisches Werk, anti-sklaverei-Bewegung, soziale Verhältnisse.
- Quote paper
- M.A. Frauke Scheben (Author), 2003, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/55694
