Uncle Tom's Cabin- A Novel Of Hope

“I have lost two, one after another, -left ‘em buried there when I came away; and I had only this one left. I never slept a night without him; he was all I had. He was my comfort and pride, day and night; and ma’am, they were going to take him away from me,-to sell him,- sell him down south, ma’am, to go all alone, -a baby that had never been away from his mother in his life!” (280). After reading only the first chapter of Uncle Tom’s Cabin I saw drastic differences from the previous novels we have read such as The Wide, Wide World. Even though this novel complicated some of the assumptions we’ve made about children and childhood in American literature it still presents symbols of hope and potential within the horrors of slavery.

A text about the institution of slavery does complicate the theories and ideas we have presented because it is hard to find the good prevailing over evil, how the country is a better place to raise children, and the didactic way to teach children morals. “Look here, now, if you give me one word out of your head, I’ll smash yer face in. I won’t hear one word-not the beginning of a word! I say to ‘em, ‘This yer young un’s mine, and not yourn, and you’ve no kind o’ business with it. I’m going to sell it, first chance; mind, you don’t cut up none o’ yer shines about it, or I’ll make ye wish ye’d never been born!” (260). After reading this passage in the text said by a slave trader named Tom Loker it really shocked me that people like this and the diction chosen were made for children to read and to teach them. Even though passages and ideas such as slavery and the lives children are growing up into challenge our basic theories they also support them because the children are an image of hope and potential.

“The boy wondered and grieved that she could not eat; and when, putting his arms around her neck, he tried to wedge some of his cake into her mouth, it seemed to her that the rising in her throat would choke her” (245.) In The Wide, Wide World Ellen would do anything for her mother and to make her happy. This is the same case with Eliza’s son; he is seeing her suffer and wants to take care of her. “It was a real pleasure; she had the greatest satisfaction in seeing that the little her mother could eat was prepared for her in the nicest possible manner” (Warner, 26). Even though these words are much softer and pleasant than the words used in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the same message is being spread that children are to love and care for their parents. I think this novel even shows the idea of potential more so because the conditions these people are in are so beyond horrific and even though this is true they are still pushing on through life and performing their duties. One of my favorite parts of the novel is another part that shows good will eventually prevail over the evil of people and slavery during this time. Senator Bird is the perfect example of good prevailing over evil because even though he just passed a law further supporting slavery he could not turn over Eliza when she was in desperate need for help. This white man is showing the potential and hope of this new ‘American” society by proving that people know slavery is wrong and they will help people in any way they can when they are suffering. “Why, there’s that old bombazin cloak, that you keep on purpose to put over me when I take my afternoon’s nap; you might as well give her that, -she needs clothes” (278). This senator who just voted for the advancement of slavery laws is telling his wife that this poor woman needs clothes and to help her.

There are a billion other parts throughout this novel showing that there is hope and potential for children and people as a whole throughout these terribly desperate times. Stowe is able to create characters such as Eliza who will fight for her child no matter what the cost and her son to show that children are to still be good to their parents. It also shows that people’s morals need to change and for them to be “good” and to take care of people no matter what the case. Every piece of literature we have read so far has a good message and moral, along with this one. Even though the basic theories we have examined are definitely challenged because of the way this novel is presented and written they are also supported. These were only a few examples of how children and adults represent symbols of hope and potential.