Uncle Toms Cabin Final Paper

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin specifically in order to illustrate the evil and inhumanity of slavery to her mid-19th century American readers, for whom slavery was a current and heated political issue. The novel illustrates not only the suffering and misery of the slaves themselves, but also the way that slavery as an institution harms everyone involved in it. Even those who do not participate directly in slavery are shown to be complicit – such as northern politicians and citizens. Thus slavery, in addition to being highly unethical, is portrayed as unviable in economic, social, and political terms as well.
Blacks were regarded as property and animals not people. "Now, they say," said Haley, assuming a candid and confidential air, "that this kind o' trade ….that's been my experience." Haley’s anecdote about the woman who died of grief when her baby was taken from her serves two purposes. First, it shows his callousness – he doesn’t actually care about the woman’s suffering, just about the economic consequences of it. This is the moment where we realize that he’s a villain, despite his chummy nature. Second, however, Stowe does want her reader to think about that economic consequence, even though it seems coldhearted and disgusting to do so. Stowe is arguing both that slavery causes inhumane suffering and that it doesn’t even make economic sense, so it can’t be justified on any grounds. "I would rather not sell him," said Mr. Shelby, thoughtfully… Your wife might get her some ear-rings, or a new gown, or some such truck, to make up with her." Mr. Shelby’s interpretation of being "humane" in his treatment of slaves is very different from Haley’s. To Mr. Shelby, treating a slave humanely means keeping families together (although he’s willing to violate this principle when he needs the money). To Haley, "humane" treatment just means managing things so that he can avoid actually seeing the unpleasant consequences of his actions. Stowe is making it...