Volume I:

Summary of Chapter 1: In Which the Reader is Introduced to a Man of Humility

The first scene of Uncle Tom's Cabin depicts a conversation between two gentlemen, Mr. Shelby and Mr. Haley. The two men are sipping wine in the parlor and discussing a speculation debt that Shelby owes Haley, a slave trader. Mr. Shelby, the owner of the Kentucky plantation at which they speak, must choose between property loss, financial ruin and social scandal or selling his prized slave, Tom. Shelby is loathe to part with Tom, who has been his loyal servant since boyhood, but nevertheless he tries to persuade the trader of Tom's qualities- religious piety, honesty, and sensibility- so he will not have to sell more than one slave.

Just as Shelby tells Haley that he has no young boys or girls he can part with in addition to his old servant, Tom, a "quadroon boy" enters the room. Quadroon means that the boy, around five years of age, was of one-quarter African heritage. Mr. Shelby calls the boy "Jim Crow," which is a stereotypical name for a black clown or minstrel. Shelby throws the boy pieces of fruit and commands him to show Mr. Haley his skills at dancing, singing, and making humorous impressions of the minister. Haley is delighted by the boy, and tells Shelby that if he gives him the boy as well, then his debt will be paid.

At that moment, a quadroon woman of about twenty-five enters the room. She is beautiful, and undoubtedly the mother of the adorable, curly-haired boy. Eliza takes her child, whom she calls Harry, away with Mr. Shelby's permission. Haley is much taken with her beauty, and tells Mr. Shelby that he could make his fortune selling her down in New Orleans. Mr. Shelby tells Haley that he would never consider selling Eliza, as she is Mrs. Shelby's personal maid and pet favorite. He finally settles on taking her son, who he plans to sell to an associate who raises handsome black men to sell to fancy restaurants and rich people as waiters and doormen. He tries to convince the still hesitant Haley that Eliza will not react to the sale of her son the way a white woman naturally would. He also emphasizes that he is not a cruel master, but rather thinks it is "good management" to "do the humane thing." He also tells Shelby that Kentucky folks spoil their slaves by trying to keep families together. Shelby tells him that he will discuss the matter with his wife, and warns him not to say anything, as he does not yet want to cause a stir at his plantation.

The narrator now interjects with her thoughts on slavery in the state of Kentucky. She surmises that the mildest form of slavery exists there, as the slow agricultural seasons do not demand the pressure of mass production as in states further south. Yet she warns the reader not to think of the evident affection shared between master and slave their as a justification of the theory of slavery as a benign patriarchy. On the contrary, asserts the author, the law overrides all relations between master and slave, rendering human beings the property of another. Thus, nothing good or desirable can result from the institution of slavery.

The scene now shifts to Eliza, who heard some of the conversation upon approaching the door to fetch her child. She thought that she heard the trader make a bid for Harry, and thus is very disturbed. Eliza is very distracted and clumsy when helping her mistress to dress, and when Mrs. Shelby inquires, Eliza asks her if Mr. Shelby would ever sell her child. Mrs. Shelby is adamant that her husband never would and teases Eliza that she is getting very proud of her child. The narrator describes Mrs. Sheby's high moral and intellectual nature, which makes her unable to even conceive of such an idea. Thus, Mr. Shelby is very worried about breaking the news to his wife.

Analysis

Stowe's writing style combines vivid characterization and description with realistic dialogue. When describing characters, for example, Stowe uses ones outward appearance as a metaphor for personality. Consider this description to the slave trader Mr. Haley: "He was a short, thick-set man, with coarse, commonplace features, and that swaggering air of pretension which marks a low man who is trying to elbow his way upward in the world. He was much over-dressed, in a gaudy vest of many colorsŠarranged with a flaunting tie, quite in keeping with the general air of the man." Haley's physical appearance is a metaphor for his "new rich" status. The description alludes that his ostentation hides vulgarity beneath.

Stowe's dialogues also merit attention, as they are written phonetically to reflect the southern accent and dialect. When Haley says, for example, "It don't look well, now, for a feller to be praisin' himself; but I say it jest because it's the truth," Stowe wants the reader to hear the dialogue as if we were there. Also, a character's manner of speaking is a symbol of his or her social class and education. For example, the aristocratic Shelbys do not speak with as much slang as the low-class Haley, and Stowe diverges from standard grammatical spelling the most when crafting the speech of the slaves.

Another important aspect of Stowe's writing style is her diction, particularly the manner in which the white characters refer to slaves. When trading, Haley refers to Eliza, Tom, and Harry as "articles." Statements such as "these critters an't like white folks" symbolize the white ideology of an inherent difference between the races. Referring to slaves as "critters," or animals, serves as justification of treating them as such.

Summary of Chapter 2

This chapter introduces the reader to George Harris, Eliza's mulatto (half black and half white) husband from a neighboring plantation. George is very clever, and invents a machine for cleaning hemp at the factory where his master hires out his slave laborers. When the jealous master learns of George's success, however, he relegates him to the most menial farm work. A flashback tells the reader that it was when George worked at the factory that he met Eliza and the couple fell in love. They were married in the Shelby's parlor, and lost two infants before Harry was finally born.

Analysis of Chapter 2

Contrary to what one might expect from a novel protesting slavery, Eliza is very content at the Shelby plantation. She does not miss or question her lack of personal autonomy under the master-slave relationship, but rather is grateful for masters who have instilled in her Christian ways. This is an ironic commentary on how the tenets of Christianity and slavery can be compatible, for it seems that Christian doctrine is subverted to keep slaves in their place. This is evidenced by Eliza's protest to her husband, that she "must obey master and mistress" in order to be Christian. Overall, the opposite experiences of kindness and cruelty at the hands of masters that Eliza and George experience are Stowe's means of painting a fair portrait of the condition of slavery. Like Eliza, not all slaves were discontent, but all lacked basic human rights. As we will see, even Eliza was soon to learn the crueler aspects of bondange when she does not have the right to keep her own child.

Summary of Chapter 3

While Eliza had kind masters and was "indulged" as Mrs. Shelby's pet favorite, her husband was not so lucky. His master worked him very hard, beat him, drown his dog out of sheer spite, and ordered him to marry a girl on his own plantation, Mina, so that George can no longer visit Eliza. George can take no more injustice and decides to escape to Canada: "I'm a man as much as he isŠwhat right has he to make a dray-horse of me?" he asks.

George tells Eliza that although her masters have been kind to her, that Harry will have a worse fate because he is male. Eliza, remembering the slave trader who came to visit Mr. Shelby, worries for her son's future as well as her husband's safety. The couple part in tears, and Eliza reminds George to "be good" so that they may see one another in heaven.

Analysis of Chapter 3

This above quote is important, as it manifests that slavery is both dehumanizing and robs one of their natural rights to self-determination. Here, Stowe is questioning the entire institution of slavery. By relating George's story of success in a factory stifled by his spiteful master, Stowe tries to awaken the reader's sense of indignation that a slave enjoyed virtually no rights over his own individual personage.

The sorrow that the couple feels in parting is also significant, as it counter's Haley's earlier justification for dividing slave families on the basis of slaves not having strong family ties like white people. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, many people in Stowe's day had to be taught that slaves were human beings with human emotion. In order to convince her readers that slavery is a moral wrong that strips people of their rights, Stowe embellishes the theme of slavery with those of feminism and religion. Women, as revealed by both Eliza and Mrs. Shelby, are more pious than male characters in the novel. This is an attempt to appeal to the moral conscience of female readers, inspiring them to question their husbands as Mrs. Shelby did. So too, the theme of the break up of the family should strike a chord with female readers as it shows how slavery destroys a mother's inherent bond to her child and invades the sacred relations between a wife and her husband.

Summary of Chapter 4

The scene now shifts to Uncle Tom's cabin, a small log house with a flower garden close to the master's house. Tom's wife, Chloe, is the head cook on the plantation, and this boisterous, turban-clad woman prides herself on her culinary reputation. Tom and Chloe have two young sons, who are teaching the new baby girl, Polly, to walk. George Shelby junior is at the cabin teaching Uncle Tom to write. Aunt Chloe convinces the thirteen-year old boy to stay for a dinner of hot cakes, and the cabin is alive with merriment as George praises Aunt Chloe's cooking and Uncle Tom plays with his baby.

The cabin is then filled with slaves who are convening for a religious meeting. The slaves first gossip about the rumors concerning a slave trader's visit to the plantation, and then the religious service begins. The ceremony is full of energy, laughing, crying, and singing. Tom leads the slaves in prayers full of "touching simplicity" and "child-like earnestness."

Analysis of Chapter 4

Although she wants to awaken the conscience of her readers to the evils of slavery, Stowe uses many images of happiness and life- from the flowers blooming around the cabin to the children playing inside- to give the readers their first glimpse of how slaves live. This method is effective, because it contrasts with prevailing attitudes- symbolized by Mr. Haley- that slaves a little more than unfeeling animals. Indeed, the "satisfaction and contentment" Chole feels contrast with the pictures of squalor that Stowe reveals later. Thus, the author's strategy is to first fully humanize her black characters to elicit the reader's sympathy.

In order to appeal directly to her white readers, Stowe uses stereotypes when characterizing Chloe and Tom. She over-emphasizes characteristics such as Aunt Chloe's turban and overweight frame, as well as Uncle Tom's "truly African features."

The pleasant exchange we encounter between the "young master" and Uncle Tom is significant. On one hand, it shows us a realistic portrait of the sincere affection master and slave could have for each other. On the other hand, however, the fact that a boy must teach a grown man to write and the deference Tom must give young George shows how degrading the patriarchal system of slavery is to a slave's sense of self esteem and worth.

The religious ceremony, however, symbolizes a power the slaves have that is all their own- faith. Their expressions of religious faith, albeit mired in Christian doctrine, are uniquely their own expressions of hope and survival. The rhythms, clapping, and African roots of the praises sung evidence that in religious meetings, the slaves exist for themselves alone. So too, the fact that George Shelby junior is merely an onlooker, and Tom an important leader, reveals why a unique form of religious praise and community prayer was an important form of slave autonomy and solidarity with one another.

The fact that Tom's cabin is the central meeting place for the slaves and that he mesmerizes them with his earnest and simple prayer shows that Tom has an important leadership role among the slaves. He has not earned their respect by fighting for it, but rather they respect his earnest Christian piety and love for all his neighbors, black and white. Another important aspect of the prayer meeting is the repetition of the words "die" and "glory." Heaven, thus, is the slaves' consolation for the early deaths they will face after years of labor and cruel treatment. Thus, we see that the contentment symbolized by Aunt Chloe's blustery personality does not indicate satisfaction with the present life, but rather hope for the future. Indeed, the slaves remind themselves that they will be free upon their deaths by repeating "glory is a mighty thing."

Summary of Chapter 5

The scene now shifts back to Shelby's house, where he is finishing his deal with Haley and exchanging Tom and little Harry for notes and bills. Mr. Shelby makes Haley promise that he will not sell Tom to a cruel master, but he is unsure of whether the unfeeling businessman will keep his word.

When Shelby and his wife are retiring to bed, Mrs. Shelby questions her husband about the exact nature of his dealings with "that negro-trader," as she disparagingly refers to Haley. Shelby confesses to his wife that Haley had a mortgage to their plantation, and the only way to clear his debts and save his property was to sell Tom and Harry. He tells his angry wife that he could have sold Eliza and didn't, and pleads with her to "see the necessity of the thing."

Meanwhile, Eliza has been listening in a passage outside the master bedroom. She quickly follows her maternal instincts, awaking her child and writing a note to Mrs. Shelby saying that she must try to save Harry. Eliza then goes to Uncle Tom's cabin, where she tells Tom that he has been sold as well, and that he should flee with them. Aunt Chloe begs Tom to go, but he staunchly refuses to "break trust" with his master and resigns himself to his fate. He says, "Mas'r ain't to blame" before he starts to cry.

Analysis of Chapter 5

The transaction between Shelby and Haley is an ironic contrast to the passionate faith expressed by the slaves at Uncle Tom's. Stowe uses this scene to instill a sense of foreboding in the reader. For example, one cannot trust Haley's promise, which sounds ironic when uttered by a slave trader: "If there's anything I thank the Lord for, it is that I'm never noways cruel." The use of the word "Lord" not only manifests his hypocrisy, but also is a heartbreaking shattering of the faith the slaves showed in God's protection in the preceding chapter.

Mrs. Shelby's reaction to the sale of Tom and Harry is a metaphor for the spiritual perversion the institution of slavery enacts upon the whites. Mrs. Shelby is indeed concerned for the slaves, but ironically, this concern revolves around her selfish preoccupation that her plan of mothering these "poor simple creatures" as an act of Christian goodness has been spoilt. The shame she feels to "hold my head up among them" underscores the moral compromised slave owners made to justify themselves. This is revealed when she calls slavery "a curse to the master and a curse to the slave."

Indeed, Mrs. Shelby is a metaphor for the hypocrisy of the slave owner who rationalizes his or her actions by "gild(ing) it over" with "kindness and care." Indeed, Stowe uses Mrs. Shelby to deliver an important message to her readers. That is, anti-slavery sentiments and Christian good deeds towards the slaves are by no means enough. Instead, slavery itself must be immediately abolished, or tragedies like the separation of families, which cannot be mended by good works or feelings, will perpetuate.

Stowe also delivers a powerful anti-slavery message by focusing on the relationship between mother and child. The descriptions of Eliza's sleeping son, for example, are supposed to elicit the reader's indignation that the sacred bond could be broken and such a precious child with "a smile spread like a sunbeam over his whole face," be taken away from his mother. By focusing on a mother's love for her child, Stowe creates a metaphor for the injustice of the entire system of slavery. Indeed, Eliza's tears of blood ("bleeding away in silence") symbolize slavery's perversion and violation of the human condition.

Summary of Chapter 6

The next morning, the plantation learns of Eliza's flight. Shelby is angry, and Haley is furious. Mrs. Shelby, however, is glad and says "the Lord be thanked. Haley demands that Shelby give him some horses to search for Eliza and Harry. The slaves have a strategy to stall him, however. First, they find it "curiously difficult" to round up all the horses. Mrs. Shelby joins in as well, by defying her husband and telling the slaves to "Be careful of the horses; don't ride them too fast." A slave, Sam, understands his mistress' meaning and places a burr under the horse's saddle so that it bolts and throws Haley. It takes several hours to catch the horse, and Sam must first rub it down before Haley can ride it. Thus, the slaves outwitted the slave trader and bought much precious time for Eliza.

Analysis

The main purpose of this chapter is twofold: first, it provides comic relief from the tension surrounding Eliza's flight. Secondly, Stowe reveals the slaves' solidarity when they outwit Haley. This chapter also plays upon many stereotypes; the evil slave trader becomes increasingly angry, and thus stamps his feet and curses. Ironically, he calls the slaves' deliberate delay a "mellerdrammer," or melodrama. With this statement, Stowe is alluding to her own style of writing. Uncle Tom's Cabin is indeed like a melodrama in many ways- from the highly stereotypical characters to the plot laden with emotion. Indeed, this comic scene could have been avoided if Haley simply procured horses through his own means, but Stowe's purpose is to reveal Haley's dangerous temper and the ingenuity and solidarity of the slaves.

Summary of Chapter 7

With her son still asleep in her arms, Eliza runs from Uncle Tom's cabin in the general direction of the North. She is able to carry on until daylight, for fear has made her "flesh and nerves impregnable." She recognizes her surroundings, far away from the Shelby plantation, from her travels with Mrs. Shelby, and realizes that she will have to cross the Ohio River to reach the North.

Because it is now morning, Eliza must slow her pace to avoid suspicion. She and Harry walk all day, stopping only so that Harry can eat (Eliza is too choked with fear to even swallow), and finally they reach the river at sunset. The river is swollen with "great cakes of floating ice swinging heavily to and fro in the turbid waters." Because there is no ferry, Eliza must cross the ice, but first she accepts dinner and a bed to rest from a woman who runs the local tavern. Harry sleeps as his mother gazes through the window at the violent waters in a panic.

Analysis of Chapter 7

The main theme of this chapter is the bond between a mother and her child. Another important theme is Eliza's reliance upon God. Her Christian masters have betrayed her by selling her son, and now she in turn feels she is betraying her duty of loyalty to them. Nevertheless, her love for her son outweighs all other commitments, and so Eliza is transformed from a passive, unquestioning servant to a defiant and courageous woman. Thus, the only help she can now trust is divine intervention, as Stowe reveals through the prayers Eliza utters as she runs: "Lord, help! Lord, save me!"

Indeed, the details of Eliza's flight are quite melodramatic. She runs all night, screaming to the heavens, and the whole while her innocent child sleeps with his "small, soft arms trustingly holding on to your neck." Stowe's purpose in over-emphasizing the drama and emotion of each scene is to create a sense in the reader that this is a novel about good and evil. She has to convince her readers, many of whom did not disagree with slavery, that Eliza and her son deserve to be free and Haley is a villain for wanting to own them.

Summary of Chapter 8

In the meantime, Mrs. Shelby has convinced Haley that he must have dinner before setting out to find Eliza. She and Aunt Chloe prepare the food in an "unusually leisurely and circumstantial manner" so as to stall the slave-trader even further. The slaves take out their resentment by causing "constant accidents which will retard the course of things." While the slaves are emphatic that God will punish Haley, Uncle Tom tells the slaves that they should not be so bitter, but rather they should pray for their enemies "as the good book says."

Tom's primary concern is the fate of the plantation without his management skills. Before he leaves, Haley warns Tom against escaping. Tom replies by asking his master to vouch for him: "have I ever broke word with you?" Shelby is overcome with guilt and sadness.

Haley finally departs, accompanied by the slaves Andy and Sam. After coming to one dead end, they arrive at the banks of the river in time to see Eliza running towards the banks. He follows her, and in desperation Eliza leaps unto a piece of ice. She jumps from one ice flow to the next, stumbling and her feet covered with blood, until she approaches the opposite banks. Miraculously, a man is there to help her to shore. Coincidentally, this man, Mr. Symmes, is a friend of Shelby's. He hates slave-catchers and feels that Eliza has earned her liberty, so he tells her where she can seek shelter.

Haley cannot believe what he has just witnessed, and curses Eliza's luck: "the gal's got seven devils in her." Sam and Andy laugh in joy until Haley hits them with his riding whip. Haley will not risk crossing the river, but at the tavern Haley meets two slave catchers, Loker and Marks, and convinces them to find Eliza and Harry. Sam and Andy return to the plantation with news of Eliza's miraculous escape, arousing much joy among the slaves.

Analysis of Chapter 8

The events at the Shelby plantation, particularly the efforts of Mrs. Shelby to detain Haley and the jubilation of the slaves when they learn Eliza has reached the North, emphasize the theme of secular law versus God's law. It seems that the whites who enjoy the protection of the law rely upon secular law to justify their actions. Thus, even Christian Mrs. Shelby speaks in terms of deal-making to explain why she is right in stalling the slave trader: "it required more than one to make a bargain." Mrs. Shelby is asserting her own will against that of her husband, thus revealing the feminist ideas that Stowe inserts into the novel. Indeed, this is an authorial ploy to elicit the sympathy of white female readers, who might recognize a common trend of oppression shared by blacks and women, although indeed with varying degrees of severity.

The blacks, however, are going against the law by wishing Haley ill; legally he has every right to deny Eliza and Harry their freedom. They turn to God to justify their conviction that Haley is wrong. The Bible is the only written law in which they find recourse. Aunt Chloe, for example, quotes the Book of Revelations to justify her wishing that harm befalls Haley: "calling on the Lord for vengeance." Indeed, Stowe implies that Eliza was indeed aided by God when she crossed the Ohio River; she succeeded because she was "nerved with strength such as God gives only to the desperate."

Summary of Chapter 9

The scene now shifts to the home of the Ohio Senator Bird. The senator has just arrived home, and his wife Mary asks him the news from the senate. He tells her that a new law has been passed prohibiting people to aid runaway slaves from Kentucky. Even though her husband voted for the law, his wife will break it because it is unchristian. Her loyalty is first to the Bible, and then to the state.

Eliza and Harry then appear in the doorway, and Eliza immediately faints. The two are placed in a warm bed by the fire, and when she awakens Eliza tells the Birds about her escape. Astounded by her courage, Senator Bird compromises his belief in the law and hides Eliza and Harry at the home of Mr. Van Trompe. The Birds give Eliza and Harry some clothes, and ten dollars. Van Trompe is ready to defend Eliza and her child with the help of his seven burly sons.

Analysis of Chapter 9

The theme of God's intervention on the side of the slaves appears again when a hand reaches to help her to the banks of the river; Mr. Symmes takes Eliza to a very Christian home, where Mrs. Bird helps Eliza because she believes the Bible commands her to do so. This is Stowe's technique for capturing the attention of her white Christian readers: like the Birds, they must make a moral choice between what the state and the Bible say is right. According to the events of Stowe's narrative, God is on the side of the slaves.

This chapter also uses melodrama to convince the readers of the inherent evils of slavery. The scene in the doorstep, in which Eliza faints while clutching her child, is meant to elicit the reader's sympathy just as it sways the heart of Senator Bird. Stowe calls the senator a "political sinner," because he voted for a law against aiding slaves. However, Stowe indicates that both the lawmakers and the law-abiders (meaning her readers) can be redeemed when she praises Bird's offering shelter, clothes, and money to Eliza: "he was in a fair way to expiate it (his sin) by his night's penance." Thus, the examples of women defying their husbands and the state in the name of Christianity reveal that Stowe wants her readers to make a moral, not practical, decision about the rightness of slavery.

Summary of Chapter 10

Haley returns to the Shelby plantation to collect his second purchase, Uncle Tom. The slaves encircle Tom in grief as Haley shackles Tom's ankles. Tom's last words to the plantation, as Haley drives away, are "give my love to Mas'r George." Haley stops at a blacksmith's to have handcuffs adjusted to fit Tom's wrists. The blacksmith laments that Tom will be sold down South, because "they dies thar tol'able fast." Back on the road, Haley and Tom meet young George Shelby accidentally. Crying, the boy bows to one day find Tom.

Analysis of Chapter 10

The theme of this section is Uncle Tom's ability to forgive the unending list of brutalities enacted upon him. Indeed, although the slaves speak of vengeance when the Lord comes and Mrs. Shelby is preoccupied with being a Christian, Uncle Tom is the only true Christian in the novel. His self-sacrifice and unrelenting forgiveness are modeled after Christ himself. Indeed, when Haley arrives to take Tom away, Tom is reading the Bible and tells his wife Chloe, "I'm in the Lord's hands." This is an allusion to the words Jesus uttered on the cross: "Lord, into your hands I commend my spirit." Tom is the sacrificial lamb of the novel, and if his selflessness is a bit unrealistic, it is all the better suited to Stowe's purpose of eliciting the sympathy of the reader for the plight of the slaves. The theme of Tom as a Christ-figure is furthered when young George Shelby says goodbye to Tom. Tom tells the boy to "'member yer Creator."

Another important element to this chapter is Stowe's dwelling upon "the nature of the Negro." Such racial stereotyping of blacks as affectionate, docile and family oriented seems offensive now, but Stowe is trying to show the reader what a sorrowful event Tom's departure was for his family and friends. Stowe particularly stresses the fear that accompanies slaves throughout their lives- that of being sold South into slavery as Uncle Tom is now. The mourning slaves, combined with the martyr-like composure of Uncle Tom, paint a portrait of slavery that is meant to appall the reader and arouse indignation that such things could be happening in that day and age.

Summary of Chapter 11

Eliza's husband, George Harris, is the focus of this chapter. Disguised as a Spaniard, he stops at a tavern where he meets his old boss at the factory, Mr. Wilson. Wilson is fooled until George reveals himself to him. Mr. Wilson becomes very nervous upon discovering that George has fled and quotes the Bible to urge him to return to his master. Wilson then tells him that he runs to great a risk of getting caught, but George replies that he is armed with pistols and a knife, and that he is determined to "fight for liberty with (his) last breath."

Analysis

George Harris is quite a different slave than Uncle Tom, for example. He is neither a martyr nor is he even pious. He is discouraged at the lot life has handed him, especially because he cannot live up to his enormous potential and keep his wife and child safe. Thus, the character of George is effective because it both puts a more human face on Stowe's representation of slaves, in contrast to the angelic Tom and Eliza, and George is also an example of a slave with his own agency who is willing to fight to keep it.

Although Eliza may reprimand her husband to try to feel more like a Christian, it is obvious that Stowe writes of George with only the highest regard. She uses positive, heroic adjectives to describe George's rebellious thoughts and headstrong attitude. Indeed, he fights, but it is for liberty. The fact that George is willing to die for his freedom is Stowe's way of emphasizing her point that no slave, whether docile like Tom or rebellious like George, would ask to be reborn in his or her position.

Summary of Chapter 12

Haley is taking Uncle Tom to New Orleans, and on the way he purchases three more slaves. With his four human cargoes chained together, Haley boards a boat for Louisiana. When the boat makes a stop, Haley buys more slaves- a woman named Lucy and her ten-month old baby boy. A stranger on the ship strikes a bargain with Haley and buys the child. When Tom observes this "unutterably horrible and cruel transaction," Stowe says, "his very soul bled." The mother, in despair, throws herself into the river that night.

Analysis of Chapter 12

The main purpose of this chapter is to present the reader with the various horrors of slavery, and Stowe pays particular attention to the plight of the mother whose child is ripped from her. The episode in which Haley takes a baby from its mother, and then she jumps in despair into the river, is a direct parallel to Eliza's situation. In this case, Stowe is presenting us with the grimmer outcome of the story of the desperate mother. Thus, she is reminding the reader that although Eliza escaped across the river, many more slaves were not so fortunate.

Summary of Chapter 13

Eliza and Harry are now living in a Quaker settlement at the home of an old couple, Rachel and Simeon Halliday. Harry is able to enjoy himself playing, and Eliza shows more resolve and confidence in her ability to fight for her son. When the Hallidays invite friends over, Eliza learns that her husband may have arrived at the very same Quaker settlement. The rumor proves true, and George, Eliza and Harry are reunited. For the first time, George feels like he has found a home in togetherness with his family.

Analysis of Chapter 13

Uncle Tom's Cabin is not only a novel protesting slavery, but also it portrays a series of religious conversions. George Harris, for example, finds himself feeling more content and peaceful when he is reunited with his family. Thus, he is finally able to fulfill his wife's wishes that he turns to God and become a faithful, and less discontented, man. It is important to note that family and religion are linked in the novel. It is because George is reunited with his family- both receiving their love and support and providing for them- that he is able to concentrate upon the goodness of his soul. The didactic message that Stowe is trying to send is that good Christians cannot support any institution that threatens family unity. If whites preach the Christianity to slaves they should allow them to fulfill their Christian duties within a unified family, as they themselves do.

Summary of Chapter 14

The scene now shifts back to the ship upon which Haley and Uncle Tom are traveling. Even the vile Haley is convinced of Tom's inherent goodness, for he lets Tom sleep without his chains. Tom spends his time on the ship among the cotton bales rereading his favorite Bible passages for comfort.

Aboard the ship are a rich gentleman from New Orleans, Augustine St. Clare, and his five-year-old daughter Evangeline. "Little Eva" is a beautiful child who always dresses in white. Her actions are equally angelic as her appearance, as she secretly brings Tom and the slaves candy, oranges, and other snacks. Tom carves trinkets for this little girl, who truly seems divine to him.

Eva falls overboard one day when the boat makes an abrupt stop, and Tom jumps in after her and saves her life. In gratitude, and with Eva's urging, Augustine St. Clare purchases Tom. Tom is very happy to have such a kind new master, and Eva is equally glad to have the chance to "make him (Uncle Tom) happy."

Analysis of Chapter 14

Stowe uses the sale and transportation of Tom to his new plantation as a means of decrying slavery as a widespread plague infesting the South. It is not coincidental that Tom reads his Bible on the deck of the boat, and then glances up to view the contrasting images of fields of laboring slaves and squalid huts alongside imposing plantation mansions. The tears that Tom sheds upon his Bible serve as Stowe's symbolic plea for Christians to recognize the inherent wrong of slavery.

This argument is further emphasized when Stowe spends considerable time describing the unique style in which Tom read the Bible. The fact that he takes his time and reads the verses syllable by syllable symbolizes that religion is all that Tom has left; essentially, Tom and his faith are one, for both his acts and his thoughts are motivated by pious love.

Summary of Chapter 15

This chapter opens with the history of the St. Clare family. Augustine St. Clare is the son of a wealthy planter in Louisiana. When his heart was broken after a ruse swayed him from marrying a northern woman whom he loved, he married a popular Southern belle, Marie. The selfish, complaining Marie soon became afflicted with "fanciful diseases." In other words, Eva's mother is a hypochondriac. Eva takes care of her mother with Mr. St. Clare's cousin, Miss Ophelia. Miss Ophelia is from the north and decides to restore order to the chaotic plantation with her "missionary zeal."

When St. Clare and Eva arrive at their plantation with Tom, they make him the head coachman. Tom and Eva become close friends. She creates wreaths of roses for her friend's neck, for example. The "spectacle" of seeing her daughter's close contact with a slave makes Eva's mother fall "ill" again. Soon, Tom becomes Eva's special servant; his first priority is attending to her needs.

Analysis of Chapter 15

Stowe's stylistic purpose in this chapter is to paint a portrait of the guardian angel of novel's souls, Little Eva. Stowe greatly emphasizes the child's inherent goodness, much like Tom's. The contrasting physiques of the little white girl and the large black man serve a symbolic purpose- Stowe wants to show the reader that friendship and human compassion is blind to race, sex, or age. Tom and Eva are bound by their love of one another and of mankind.

This chapter also serves the purpose of raising the reader's hopes in the middle of the novel. Perhaps, indeed, Tom would find happiness with the kind St. Clare family. One is wont to ask, how strong an argument for abolition could Stowe be making by portraying Tom as content under the care of his new angelic friend and her doting father?

Summary of Chapter 16

Mrs. St. Clare feels that Eva and Mr. St. Clare's kindness to Tom is not right. She says that slavery is justified in the Bible, but her husband counters that this is only an interpretation. If slaves were not necessary for picking mass amounts of cotton, no one would find any defense of slavery in the Bible.

In an odd statement of childhood innocence, Eva pipes up that she likes slavery because "it makes so many more round you to love." St. Clare also adds that Tom is a very good religious example for the plantation, as he says beautiful prayers. Mrs. St. Clare, however, will not be dissuaded against thinking that Tom should be treated more harshly.

Analysis

Eva's naivete and her angelic presence make her a symbol of an otherworldly ideal. She sees neither black nor white, but rather simply loves all people for the sheer reason that they are fellow human beings. Her statement that she likes slavery for the fact that it brings more people into her life is questionable and perhaps even insulting, to the modern reader. It is important to remember that Stowe is writing to an audience who does not associate the master-slave relationship with anything more than a practical economic necessity. To hear Eva state that she loves slaves would indeed be a conscience-jogging revelation to readers who never before considered the emotions and human relations forged by slaves.

Summary of Chapter 17

At the Halliday's, the reunited George and Eliza discuss what their new life of freedom in Canada will be like. George promises his wife that once he is free, it will be easier for him to "act worthy of a free man," instead of burning with resentment. Word reaches the Quaker settlement that slave hunters are looking for the little family, so George, Eliza and Harry leave in the night.

Loker and Marks, the slave catchers Haley has hired, along with constables and a rabble of people, confront Eliza, George, and Harry mid-flight. A fight ensues, in which George wounds Loker and Marks runs away. The Hallidays, as Quakers, must care for everyone, and thus they take Loker into their home to heal him.

Analysis of Chapter 17

Through George, Stowe teaches the reader a lesson on how degrading slavery is to an individual's sense of worth. Before, George was bitter against both man and God. Now that he is reunited with his family and permanent freedom is in sight, George sees the world around him in a brighter light. Although he has nothing materially, he tells Eliza he could "scarcely ask God for any more." Stowe wants us to realize that for the slaves, "what a blessing" does not refer to anything more than the simple freedom to care for ones family, as George is happy to finally do.

Summary of Chapter 18

At the St. Clare plantation in Louisiana, Tom is speaking to Mr. St. Clare about how he is good to everyone except himself. Tom has been taking more responsibility lately with both his master's financial and personal matters. Tom worries that St. Clare attends too many drinking parties, and successfully begins to reform his master's ways.

This chapter also introduces the reader to Miss Ophelia, who is having troubles adjusting to Southern plantation life. She tries in vain to arrange the disorderly household into organized "departments" more in accordance with her stern New England background. Miss Ophelia is critical of her cousin as well, as she feels his lenience is the reason she cannot transform the plantation. In particular, she disapproves of Little Eva's close contact with Uncle Tom.

Analysis of Chapter 18

This chapter once again emphasizes the theme of Uncle Tom's saintliness. Stowe repeatedly states that any other slave would be tempted to abuse St. Clare's extreme trust, such as giving Tom money to do the marketing without noting the bills, but that Tom's piety keeps him honest. It is only because Tom is so extremely good, that the scene in which he advises his master about his revelries could be believable to contemporary audiences. Here, we see the theme of the law of the Bible over that of the land. Tom is able to cross the boundary between master and slave and speak honestly to St. Clare as a man because he quotes the highest authority, the Bible, saying that drinking and spending money will usher in "the loss of all."

Miss Ophelia is also a symbolic character, as she represents the hypocrisy of northerners in regards to slavery in the South. Instead of being appalled by slavery on the St. Clare plantation, she decries its "shiftless confusion." She is a righteous Christian, but her zeal is unemotional. Ironically, Ophelia wants to be a missionary, yet she fails to notice the plight of the human beings surrounding her.

Summary of Chapter 19

In this chapter, Prue, a slave from a neighboring plantation, comes to the kitchen to sell hot rolls. She is drunk, and tells all who can hear that she wants to die and leave life's misery. Tom helps her carry the rolls when she leaves, and advises her to stop drinking and find God. Prue tells Uncle Tom that her last child died because her milk dried up when she had to devote all her time and energy to her sick mistress. Her owners refused to buy milk for the baby, and she died. When Eva learns of this tragedy, she is saddened and no longer wants to enjoy herself in her new buggy.

After a couple of days, the St. Clare plantation receives the news that Prue has died. Her master whipped her until she was covered in blood, and she then became infected from fly bites. Miss Ophelia is shocked that there are no laws prohibiting such cruelty. She is angry with her cousin for having slaves. Mr. St. Clare says that he doesn't like slavery, and tried to make up for it by giving his slaves as much freedom as possible. He tells a story of his days trying to run the plantation he inherited from his father with his brother. When he made free papers for a runaway from the plantation, the slave destroyed them and dedicated his life of servitude to St. Clare. Eva cries when she hears the story, and later helps Uncle Tom write a letter to his family.

Analysis of Chapter 19

Prue is Stowe's way of giving the reader a shocking realization of just how brutally a master can treat a slave. The reader will hopefully respond like Miss Ophelia, who suddenly realizes that slavery is wrong. Interestingly enough, this argument is made, again, in religious instead of secular terms. The most horrific act was not the taking of Prue's right to life, but rather the fact that her soul never had a chance for salvation.

The moral superiority and influence of women is an important theme in this chapter, as it is throughout the book. Miss Ophelia's indignant questioning leads Mr. St. Clare to explain his views of slavery. It is because of the example of goodness set by his mother that he feels slavery is inherently wrong.

Summary of Chapter 20

St. Clare buys a young slave, Topsy, as an addition to Miss Ophelia's "department." That is, the eight-year-old imp is her sole responsibility, thus an outlet for Ophelia's missionary zeal for reforming people and things. Miss Ophelia finds Topsy's appearance- from the eyes sparkling like beads to the pigtails covering her head- heathenish, and is shocked at the wild dance she performs on St. Clare's command.

When Ophelia bathes Topsy, her attitude towards the girl relaxes at the sight of her "great welts and calloused spots." Miss Ophelia cuts Topsy's hair and dresses her in clean clothes so that she looks "more Christian-like than she did." As for Topsy's knowledge, she does not know how old she is, who her parents are, or what the word "God" means. She can, however, "fetch water, wash dishes, and wait on folks." Ironically, Miss Ophelia's Christian instruction of Topsy centers upon making her confess her sins. Topsy fabricates her crimes, such as stealing the necklace Eva wears around her neck, because she "couldn't think of nothing else to Œfess." She is a totally naïve creature, and shocks Miss Ophelia that someone could be so ignorant of the rules of Christianity.

Stowe then compares Topsy to the other figure of naivete in the novel, Little Eva. From their appearances to their behaviors, these girls are polar opposites. Stowe uses them as symbols of the differences in history and opportunity of their races. The Saxon girl is born "of ages of cultivation, command, and education," and the black girl comes from a background "of oppression, submission, toil, and vice." Eva is fascinated by Topsy's mischief: "every species of drollery, grimace and mimicry- for dancing, tumbling, climbing, singing, whistling, imitating." Indeed, the two children are polar opposites.

Topsy quickly learns all the house chores, but she seldom performs them: "Mortal hands could not lay a spread smoother, adjust pillows more accurately, sweep and dust and arrange more perfectly than Topsy- when she chose- but she didn't very often choose." Thus, Topsy is a rebel in the sense that she does not take her duties as a slave seriously, just as she is a religious rebel because she cannot fathom the concept of God, Christian goodness, or even simple love of ones neighbor.

Analysis of Chapter 20

In Stowe's characterization of Topsy we encounter another stereotypical portrayal, such as we did in the descriptions of Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe. Thus, we must look at Topsy not only as a character but also as a symbol, just as we know Tom represents Christian piety and sacrifice. Indeed, Topsy is meant to shock the readers as she does Miss Ophelia with her "hands and feet spinning around, doing summersets, and then suddenly sitting down with a sanctimonious expression." It is significant that Miss Ophelia responds to Topsy's antics by calling her a heathen. Stowe wants us to recognize the difference between the wild slave girl and the well-bred Ophelia and Eva, but more importantly she wants us to realize that even well-meaning Christians harbored destructive stereotypes.

Indeed, Miss Ophelia's attitude towards her "little plague" Topsy is a criticism of the hypocrisy of Christians. St. Clare chides his cousin for complaining, as she wants to be a missionary and educating an ignorant child is missionary work. His berating comment, "that's you Christian's all over," is meant to inspire the readers to reevaluate their own "holier than thou" attitudes.

When Ophelia's attitude towards Topsy begins to soften, such as when she realizes how much abuse the child has endured, Ophelia finally becomes a true Christian. She recognizes the evilness of a system that inflicts such emotional and physical damage on human beings such as Topsy. Stowe's message is clear: her Christian readers are hypocrites until they realize that allowing slavery to exist in their country is an immoral sin.

Summary of Chapter 21

The scene now shifts back to the Shelby plantation in Kentucky, where Aunt Chloe has just received the letter Tom wrote her with Little Eva's help. Mrs. Shelby tells her husband about the letter, in which Tom says that although his new family is kind, he still longs to return to his "real home."

Mr. Shelby, in the meantime, has still been plagued by debt. Mrs. Shelby offers to help raise money, especially so that they can buy Tom. Mr. Shelby becomes angry, and his wife lets the unlikely hope drop for the present. Chloe then calls for Mrs. Shelby and asks if she could be hired out as a pastry cook in Louisville in order to earn money for Tom. Mrs. Shelby gives Chloe her blessing.

Analysis

This chapter reveals the parallels between mistress and slave, as both Mrs. Shelby and Aunt Chloe desire to work to help their husbands. The novel's feminist slant is revealed, as Mr. Shelby's irrational anger is a criticism of the attitude that a woman must be a constant caretaker without crossing the line separating the domestic and social spheres.

Mrs. Shelby is a moral force in her household, however, Stowe implies that her Christian intentions will do nothing to change society until women's concerns are considered valid outside of the home. In Mrs. Shelby's shrugging of her shoulders in relegation to the fact that Tom will probably never be bought back, Stowe points to the complicity of women, Northern Christian women in particular, in propagating the system of slavery. Mrs. Shelby's concern for Tom and Chloe and denunciation of slavery within the home is futile; Stowe means this to be a lesson, indeed a call to swift abolitionist action, to her readers.

Summary of Chapter 22

The scene now returns to the St. Clare plantation two years later. Tom has just received a letter from young George Shelby telling him of Aunt Chloe's success in the pastry store: "her skill in the pastry line was gaining wonderful sums of money." Tom is so happy with this news that he tells Little Eva that they should "frame the letter."

Eva and Uncle Tom have grown even closer over the years. Tom is constantly bringing the little girl special presents, and they spend much time discussing the Bible and heaven. When Eva asks Tom to reassure her that heaven will be as the Bible promises, and confesses that she knows she will soon be going there, Tom realizes that Eva is sick. Indeed, she has grown thin and feverish, and has a persistent cough.

Although Mr. St. Clare will not voice his fears, he is also very worried about his daughter. Marie St. Clare, on the other hand, still criticizes Eva's constant association with the blacks, and tries to stop her from teaching them to read the Bible.

Analysis of Chapter 22

As well as an abolitionist novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin contains subtle feminist themes. One such is that of women working to aid and support their men. Aunt Chloe, as a slave and a woman, represents a double victory. She has traveled from the plantation and has gained success in business. The fact that she acts out of wifely concern does not diminish the fact that she is a strong, independent character. It is likely that Stowe meant to use Aunt Chloe as an example to her female readers to urge them to use their own judgment in matters and to take action for themselves. In this way, Uncle Tom's Cabin both presents a moral question to female readers- that of the justness of slavery, particularly in the way it breaks up the family. She then gives an example of a woman taking action in the hopes that they will follow suit in joining the abolitionist cause.

Summary of Chapter 23

Mr. St. Clare's brother Alfred and nephew come to the plantation for a visit. Eva and Henrique are playmates, until the day the boy strikes his slave Dodo because his horse is dusty. Eva is mournful and indignant at her cousin's cruelty. Henrique offers Dodo candy to make Eva happy, but Eva sincerely thanks Dodo instead.

This incident sparks an argument between the St. Clare brothers on the rightness of slavery and how slaves should be treated. Mr. St. Clare predicts that the slaves will not tolerate their condition much longer and rebel. For his part, Alfred will work his slaves for as long as he can and try to prevent their liberating themselves. In the last scene of the chapter, Eva and Henrique join their fathers and Eva beseeches Henrique to be kind to Dodo. Her cousin, who adores little Eva, agrees.

Analysis of Chapter 23

In this chapter, we notice Stowe's technique of creating diametrically opposed characters in order to reveal a didactic example. In contrast to the kind, dreamy, intellectual Augustine St. Clare, his twin brother Alfred is "as determined a despot as ever walked." Thus, although Mr. St. Clare may be kind to his slaves, this does not erase or lessen the inherent moral wrong he commits by owning human property. Stowe reminds the reader, through the cruel pragmatism of Alfred, that slave owner's come in as many varieties as people; thus, the reader's imagination is left to imagine the horrible possibilities.

Henrique, Alfred's son, is an example of how cruelty and justification of slave ownership is inherited from one generation to the next. The fact that a young boy can beat a slave so cruelly is meant to inspire fear in the reader as to what adult masters with equal of worse tempers can do. So too, Stowe wants us to question the fact that from birth, white children are taught that other human beings are their property and slave children know they have no agency over their own destinies nor physical persons.

Henrique's fascination with "the spiritual graces of his cousin Evangeline" emphasizes Eva's role as a spiritual force in the novel. Indeed, she is often likened to an angel and here we see her actually enacting a religious conversion of sorts upon her cousin. Her imploring that Henrique "love Dodo" for her sake is a religious argument. Thus, once more Stowe argues for the abolition of slavery on the grounds that it is what Christian's must do to save their souls as well as those of the degraded slaves.

Summary of Chapter 24

When Alfred and Henrique depart, Eva's health begins to decline rapidly.

Marie, as a ploy for attention, begins to despair over the daughter she had never shown interest in before. Eva, on the other hand, is not concerned for herself but for the slaves, whose plight she has come to learn through her close friendship with Uncle Tom. She tells Tom that she wishes she could be like Jesus and die to free the slaves: "dying would end all this misery."

Eva then speaks to her father about her last wishes. She tells him she has had a dream about freedom for the slaves, and worries about what would happen to them if her father were not there to protect them. To convince St. Clare that he should free the slaves, she contrasts her carefree life to that of the slaves, which are "pain and sorrow all their lives." Mr. St. Clare tells Eva that he will "do anything you wish," and promises to free all his slaves, especially Tom, when she dies. Eva tells her father that she is going to heaven, and begs her father to come to the same place when it is his time to leave this world. St. Clare then holds his beloved daughter in his arms until she falls asleep.

Analysis of Chapter 24

True to her role as the counterpart to Uncle Tom, Little Eva is the character who represents angelic faith. Her conversation with St. Clare about faith is an important scene, as Stowe uses it to define faith. Little Eva tells her father that although she has not scene him, she loves Christ "most of all." This belief in something one has no physical proof of is pure faith. Eva is the standard of purity and goodness against which Stowe holds her readers. If Eva believes something which she cannot be proven, and indeed the majority of her readers share this very faith, then how can they condone slavery after Stowe has presented the horrible evidence before their eyes?

Summary of Chapter 25

This chapter begins when Miss Ophelia declares to Mr. St. Clare and Marie that she can no longer try to educate Topsy. Her cousin asks her how she expects to convert thousands as a missionary when she has already given up on one soul. Eva then comes in and plays with Topsy, despite her poor health. Topsy tells Eva that she doesn't love anyone because she doesn't even know what love is. According to Topsy's bleak experience, "Nobody love niggers."

Topsy understands that Miss Ophelia can hardly stand to touch her, let alone love her. As her reply, Eva touches Topsy and tells her she loves her. She asks Topsy to be good for her sake. "A ray of heavenly love" descends upon Topsy with Eva's touch and words of love. Topsy begins to weep and promises she will try to "be good."

After this touching scene, Miss Ophelia realizes that she has harbored a hidden prejudice against blacks. She never knew before why she didn't want to touch Topsy, but now she admits to Mr. St. Clare that she realizes she felt racially superior.

Analysis of Chapter 25

The scenes between Miss Ophelia and Topsy provide much-needed comic relief to the novel. Topsy's explosions of antics and Ophelia's inability to contain her appalled horror are entertaining in itself, but they also serve as social commentary. We learn that Ophelia is not only horrified by Topsy's mischief, but by her color.

Stowe uses Ophelia's racial superiority as a metaphor for the hypocrisy of Christians. St. Clare's criticism of his missionary cousin's inability to educate a single black girl, "that's you Christians all over," indicts the holier-than-thou attitudes of all self-proclaimed "pious" Christians. Ophelia, who claims to want to be a missionary and airs her northern superiority, cannot even touch the person she claims to want to help; Christians who call themselves true followers of Christ cannot even follow in his footsteps and aid the masses of slaves in need around them.

Summary of Chapter 26

Eva is now upon her deathbed, and she asks for all the servants to gather around her bed. She tells the slaves of her belief in Jesus, and asks them to convert to Christianity so that she may see them in heaven. Miss Ophelia, at Eva's request, cuts some of the curls from Eva's head to give to each slave as a remembrance. Topsy then appears suddenly at Eva's bedside; she promises Eva that she is trying, "but, Lord, it's so hard to be good!"

Uncle Tom carries Eva into the orchard so that she can be comforted among the flowers. He sings hymns, and sleeps on the veranda next to her room at night. Tom holds Mr. St. Clare's hand as Eva tells him she is going to heaven. He does not feel the Christian faith so fervently as his daughter, and is deeply distraught over her passing.

When Eva breathes her last, she tells Tom and her father that she has seen a land of "love- joy- peace." At the funeral, Marie mourns melodramatically, but St. Clare is lost in pain. Tom assures Mr. St. Clare that heaven does indeed exist, but he cannot believe. Tom prays for Mr. St. Clare who lacks the faith to do so himself.

Analysis

Eva's death scene is a montage of black and white, light and dark symbolism. She is characterized as a golden-haired angel clad in white opon her deathbed, and this is a stark contrast to the dark characters around her. Topsy is the poor black imp, and thus functions as the antithesis of the placid goodness and privelaged circumstances of Eva. The black and white contrast between Tom and Eva, on the other hand, represents the differences between the sexes and age. Bonded by their goodness and love, while divided only by these physical characteristics, Uncle Tom and Little Eva symbolize Christ at two stages of his life. The child Little Eva, bathed in white light of holiness and swaddled in her bedclothes by Uncle Tom, is a metaphor for the baby Jesus. Indeed, she is surrounded by the adoration of the plantation folk, as was Christ visited upon his birth. Thus, Stowe hints that Eva's death is a kind of birth in the novel, as it will inspire the goodness of others and leaves a lasting didactic example for her readers.

Little Eva's father, although his skin is white, figures in this scene as a figure of darkness. Confused about his faith and despairing for his daughter, St. Clare lacks the light of sobriety and peace. The sober expressions that Tom gives to his master when he sees him in his drunken, doubting state symbolize the ruin into which his life may fall when the light of his daughter is extinguished. Indeed, St. Clare did not have to make his own moral decisions and determine his beliefs when Little Eva lived. Like Mr. Shelby's reliance upon his wife to carry the moral weight, St. Clare is helpless when he must think and more importantly, believe, for himself.

Summary of Chapter 27

St. Clare considers the deceased Little Eva's wishes about setting his slaves free. He reads the Bible, and then gives Topsy to Miss Ophelia to raise. He tells her that he will make arrangements to free all his other slaves as well.

St. Clare then speaks to Tom about his sorrow. Without his daughter, St. Clare finds "the whole world is as empty as an eggshell." Tom tries to comfort St. Clare by describing Eva's new home in heaven. St. Clare asks Tom to teach him about Jesus, and he realizes that his slave truly loves him.

Tom then prays over St. Clare, and admits that he loves his master so much that he would give up his life to see him become a Christian. This is a source of great comfort to St. Clare, and he begins to feel his daughter's presence through Tom's prayers.

Analysis of Chapter 27

It is important to note that the relationship between St. Clare and Little Eva is the only key father-daughter relationship in Uncle Tom's Cabin. This is a novel that celebrates the emotional strength and influence of mothers. A mother's devoted love for her child, the supernatural courage and strength that love gives her, and the pain of separation are all key themes. However, the reader comes to question the universality of a mother's influence on the character of her child because Marie St. Clare is a calculating and cold woman. (We will also see in subsequent chapters that the cruel plantation owner Legree had a devoted mother whom he mistreated.) St. Clare did not fill the exemplary role of mother, but rather looked to his daughter for moral instruction. Thus, this reafirms the symbolism surrounding Eva as an angelic, otherworldly being.

St. Clare's loss of self-hood with the death of his daughter is also the opportunity for Stowe to reiterate two of her key themes: the moral influence of women and their special duty in influencing religious affairs. In many ways, Eva was a moral mother and practical mother to St. Clare. She convinced him to buy Tom in the first place, explained the tenets of faith to him, and inspired him to free his slaves. Thus, through the sanctifying language with which Stowe descibes little Eva's death, she is reminding her female readers that they, as mothers, have a duty to fulfill the wishes of this child symbolic of all they should believe.

Summary of Chapter 28

After a few weeks pass, St. Clare is still engrossed in his daughter's Bible. St. Clare abruptly tells Tom one day that he is a free man. He tells Tom joyously to "have your trunk packed and get ready to set out for Kentuck." Tom refuses to leave his master and renounce his slavery; he feels he has a duty to convert St. Clare so that he may be happy in the next life.

Confused, St. Clare talks to Miss Ophelia about her opinions on freeing the slaves. Miss Ophelia assures her cousin that Northerners will educate and care for freed slaves. She emphasizes that people in the North are good hearted, but they need to be "taught what their duty is."

Cheered by her words, St. Clare goes to a café downtown. A fight between two drunken men has erupted there, and St. Clare tries to intervene. He is wounded with a knife and carried home where he calls for Tom. He tells his faithful servant to pray. The plantation gathers together to mourn, but St. Clare himself is happy to die. He says he is "coming home, at last." Before he dies, he cries out for his mother.

Analysis of Chapter 28

Stowe continues the theme of conversion that she began with Miss Ophelia in the scene between Tom and St. Clare. The theme of Uncle Tom as a Jesus figure is prevalent in the language Tom uses when he attempts to convert St. Clare. The fact that his master's faith is more important than his freedom is key. Indeed, Christ died to free others with the gift of faith. Stowe's message here is evident: religion and true freedom go hand in hand. Perhaps those Christians who do not feel the need for all men have their liberty are not truly free, in other words religious, themselves. By freeing the slaves, argues Stowe, Christians will free themselves from a great sin.

Summary of Chapter 29

St. Clare died before he actually freed his slaves, and his widow Marie decides it would be wrong to do so, for she does not believe that the slaves deserve their liberty. She instead sells about twelve slaves, including Tom. Miss Ophelia pleads for Marie to reconsider, but her beseeching falls upon deaf ears and a cold heart.

At the slave auction at the market, Tom is treated cruelly. His mouth is forced open for his teeth to be inspected, and his clothes torn so buyers could see his muscular body. Tom is purchased by a northerner named Simon Legree, a harsh man who moved South seeking his fortune in the slave trade and cotton farming.

Analysis of Chapter 29

An important argument that Stowe reiterates throughout the novel is that a master's death does not equal freedom for a slave. It is ironic that the papers for Tom's freedom where not written and that St. Clare's words mean nothing. Thus, Stowe emphasizes that slaves really truly were nothing more than property. She continues to display the grimmer realities of slavery throughout the rest of the novel. The themes of religion and love are important means for Stowe to deliver her abolitionist argument, but she becomes more realistic and shows that faith does not break earthly chains.

Marie St. Clare is the first example the novel offers of a woman who can be cruel. Her characterization as "unfeeling, tyrannical" adds more realism to the novel, which up to this point revered women as moral angels. Indeed, Marie lacks any of regards for the bonds of womanhood and motherhood with which Stowe has strived to appeal to her readers. For example, she sends her young quadroon girl to the whipping house even though they are run by "the lowest of men" who expose and sexual assault their victims.

Summary of Chapter 30

On the riverboat, Legree gives Tom rags and coarse shoes to wear. He confiscates Tom's hymnal, yelling that he will not tolerate "bawling, praying, singing niggers." He tells Tom that "I'm your church- you've got to be as I say." Tom pretends to concede, but hides his Bible from Legree. Tom is wise, and he knows "it is best to say nothing" to an irrational master such as Legree.

Tom's one comfort during Legree's tirade is the voice of Little Eva in his head; she tells Tom to "fear not." Legree's most stern warning is that he has no overseers, but rather beats his slaves with his own hands to maintain order. He tells them that they must obey or pay an extreme penalty, for he has no "soft spot" and "I don't show no mercy."

Analysis of Chapter 30

Stowe's physical description of Legree is very important, as it gives the reader clues to his cruel nature. His "gigantic strength" sets an ominous tone, for next to him even large Uncle Tom is threatened. He is also "bullet-headed," a characterization full of symbolism. Firstly, he is stubborn and unrelenting. Secondly, the word "bullet" conotes images of murder and death, which foreshadows the fate of Uncle Tom.

The chaining of Tom and the other slaves is aptly used to show one of the inherent wrongs of slavery. Stowe argues that the slaves should not be treated like mere pieces of furniture because "a man can feel." The scene in which Legree bellows the rules of his plantation is also important, as it shows he is a manical dictator who thrives upon brutality. His "great heavy fist" crashing down upon Tom's hands is a metaphor for his nature. The fact that he sees his slaves as merely objects to be broken is evident in Stowe's choice of the word "crack" in Legree's theat: "I never see the nigger, yet, I couldn't bring down with one crack."

Summary of Chapter 31

Tom and the other slaves arrive on the Legree plantation. It is full of weeds and ramshackle buildings. There are only two black men who are the head workhands, and Legree has trained them to be savage. The slave quarters are even more dismal than the rest of the plantation- crude shacks with only a heap of straw upon the waste-covered floor.

Tom feels very lonely and desperate, but when the slaves return from the fields, he takes out his Bible and reads to them. None of the slaves have ever seen the Bible, and Tom shares his favorite passages and prays for them all.

Analysis

The brutal life on the Legree plantation is an example of how cruelty breeds only more cruelty. Legree, in order to salvage the respect he does not receive from his peers, has brutalized his slaves. They, in turn, do not respect him but brutalize each other. This ironic cycle of cruelty is a metaphor for the system of slavery, which causes men who are supposed to be brothers to turn upon one another for social survival.

Into this cruel, hell like atmosphere Tom is striving to spread his religious message. Indeed, in his prophesizing the recurrent symbol of Christ is present. Tom does not share his faith because he is self-righteous, but because he wants to give the slaves hope and teach them that there is another way to survive besides turning upon each other. This is important because it is the first time that we have seen Tom break a rule, that of not religion or Bibles on the Legree plantation. Just like George Harris defied the Christian rule of meekness to gain his societal liberty, Tom feels it is worth the risk to maintain his religious freedom.

Summary of Chapter 32

Legree soon notices what a good worker Tom is, yet he feels a "secret dislike for him." He feels that Tom could be an overseer is he were tough, but notices the goodness and compassion in Tom and resents it. In the cotton fields one day, Tom witnesses a woman being kicked in the head. Indeed, even the slaves are cruel to each other on Legree's plantation. He attempts to help the woman, Cassy, by filling her sack with his cotton. Afraid, she protests. When Legree learns of the incident, he orders Tom to flog the woman. Tom refuses by saying there is "no way possible." Even when Legree strikes him on the face and orders him, Tom will not flog Cassy. Instead, Legree has Tom whipped until he falls unconscious.

Analysis of Chapter 32

Stowe's portrait of Legree is one of the most probing character analyses that she makes in the novel. Indeed, she reaches into his psyche and decries how a master neither morally nor physically sound can brutalize slaves. The fact that Legree is an alcoholic means that he does not even realize how cruel he is. The only thing he lives for is feeling his power; thus, he particularly dislikes Tom, who submits to any punishment without displaying fear or resentment. Legree craves Tom's groveling subservience to feel self-worth, that he is the master.

It is interesting to note that the only slave who can influence Legree is a woman, Cassy. On one hand, Stowe uses this fact to emphasize the strong powers women can hold over men, who in those days were stereotyped as decision-makers. It is not a man, but a woman who dares to help Tom; Stowe's message is clear- it is the duty of her female readers to reach out to all Uncle Tom's. Cassy also adds a supernatural element to this religious novel. She tricks Legree into fearing her by telling him she is a witch with "the devil in me." Legree is susceptible to this ploy because of his lack of religious faith; according to Stowe, those who lack religion are the most likely to believe lies. Thus, she appeals to her readers to believe, just as they believe in Christianity, that slavery is indeed a moral wrong that should be stopped.

Summary of Chapter 33

Cassy slips into the shed to tend to Tom's wounds. She tells Tom how horrible life is with Legree. It is especially hard for her, for she is his mistress. When Tom invokes God for help, Cassy says that God can't help them. She says that she has suffered so much that she believes God does not care about the fate of the blacks. Legree's cruelty is proof that "everything is pushing us into hell." She bemoans the fact that there is no law on the plantation to protect the slaves.

Uncle Tom, however, refuses to stop believing in God. He asks Cassy to bring him the Bible and she reads to him about the passion of Christ. When she reads "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" she cries aloud. Tom prays and tells her that "the Lord han't forgot us."

Analysis of Chapter 33

Again, we see Tom perform a religious conversion. Cassy's attitude is shifted from reliance upon her wits and longing for secular laws to a realization that religious faith is perhaps the only alternative she has. The fact that the law cannot stop Legree from killing his slaves is a call to readers to put the laws of God over those of the state. What starts with moral reform will end in a total transformation of society.

The fact that Uncle Tom chooses to read about the death of Christ is important foreshadowing. He assures Cassy that they will be freed by faith, but it seems that the liberty he looks forward to is that in death. He shows himself to be resigned and ready for martyrdom. Cassy, on the other hand, continues to flash defiance through her symbolically bright eyes and slender, sharp stature.

Summary of Chapter 34

Cassy tells Tom her life story. Her first master was kinder than Legree, and he had agreed to free her. He was not able to do so before he died, however, and instead she was sold to a handsome man. She bore this man two children, Henry and Elise. She calls the days with her beautiful children her happiest.

Cassy's children were sold to pay for her master's gambling debts, and she went mad. Her next master was Mr. Stuart, whom she also bore a child. When Stuart died, Legree bought Cassy. Cassy hates Legree, and she vows to send him to hell "if they burn me alive for it!" She then bursts into violent tears. When she regains her composure, she leaves water for Tom before fleeing the shed.

Analysis of Chapter 34

In many ways, Uncle Tom's Cabin can be seen as a series of parables that explain why slavery should be outlawed. Just as Stowe repeats her main themes of religion, motherhood, and the separation of the family, she uses many parallel subplots in the novel to drive her message home. For example, Cassy's children were sold because of a master's debts, as was Eliza's son Harry and Uncle Tom. This coincidence is Stowe's ironic use of foreshadowing, for as we will see Cassy and Eliza have more than threatened motherhood in common. While Eliza is an example of a mother who triumphed over this adversity, Cassy could not save her children or herself from ruin with a series of men. Thus, like the slave mother who through herself over the boat, Stowe gives the reader an example of the grimmer realities of slavery. Although Eliza's escape is inspirational and adds excitement to the plot, escaping to freedom with ones children was not the normal fate of the slave mother.

Summary of Chapter 35

This chapter is a flashback to Cassy's and Legree's interaction before she goes to treat Tom's wounds. The setting is Legree's living room, which is in shambles and reeks of decay. Legree is making himself a drink from a cracked liquor bottle. Legree calls Cassy a "she-devil," and it is obvious that he fears her. She tells Legree "I've got the devil in me," and the superstitious Legree seems to believe her."

Legree begins to sweat and grow fearful; he calls for Sambo and Quimbo, his two henchmen. They all begin to drink and the room soon become full of rowdiness. Legree is tormented by memories of how horribly he treated his mother. Cassy has now left the shed and she peers at the men through the window. She wonders if it would "be a sin to rid the world of such a wretch."

Analysis of Chapter 35

The theme of motherhood is once again evoked in this chapter. Legree's mother was apparently a good woman, and Legree's cruelty to her is not only a sign of his brutality, but the fact that he cannot forgive himself for this reveals the power and sanctity of the mother-child bond. Legree is not a monster, but a man, albeit an evil individual. Thus, by emphasizing that Legree was once a child, and not always a callous slave driver, Stowe calls the reader to ponder what makes a person become who they are. Beyond the question of nature versus nurture, she wants us to consider society's influence on individuals. Not only is Legree guilty for his murderous deeds, but for every member of society who does not act to stop such horrors that occur under slavery.

Summary of Chapter 36

Legree awakens with a hangover and begins to drink brandy. Cassy tells him to leave Tom alone, and Legree says he will be easier on Tom if he apologizes. Cassy insists that Tom will never beg false pardon, and Legree turns on her. He yells that Tom will indeed "beg like a dog." He charges towards Tom's shed, throws open the door, and begins kicking and taunting him.

Tom tells Legree that he may do terrible things to him on earth, but that he believes in the eternal life awaiting him. He tells Legree that he is not afraid to die because God is with him. Legree knocks Tom down and leaves. Cassy tells Tom that Legree will now forever loathe him, and that this hatred will follow him like "a dog on your throat- sucking your blood, bleeding away your life, drop by drop." She assures Tom of the truth of her words by saying, "I know the man."

Analysis

Cassy's emphasis on the blood Tom will shed is a foreshadowing of his murder by Legree. Not only is he murdered, but also he is martyred for the religious beliefs that allow him to forgive even the evil Legree. The "drops" he will bleed cannote the idolic representations of Christ with his crown of thorns.

The repetition of the dog imagery reveals Tom's earthly position as a slave. Both Legree and Cassy can only see him living as an animal, and dying as one. Here, Stowe shows that even slaves, such as Cassy, often did not see themselves as human beings worthy of a nobler end.

Summary of Chapter 37

This chapter returns to the story of George, Eliza, and young Harry. The Quakers help disguise the family and Mrs. Smyth, a woman from Canada, helps then board a ship that takes then to a village called Amherstberg in her country. When they arrive, the couple kneels and sings to God in thanks for their freedom.

Analysis of Chapter 37

The flight of the Harris family from the United States is important for two reasons. First, Stowe emphasizes that even in the north, where attitudes are supposed to be anti-slavery, slaves are not safe. The only solution, thus, is abolition. Also, the characterization of the family's Quaker helpers is important. These are people who truly live their religion and aid their neighbors- regardless of whether they are a slave or a slave-catcher. Stowe wants her readers to find inspiration in their Christian example, which happens to coincide with her anti-slavery message.

Summary of Chapter 38

Tom, still injured, is sent back to the fields. He continues to read secretly from his Bible and pray for deliverance. Legree taunts Tom, telling him to join his "church" of liquor and cruelty as Sambo and Quimbo have done. Tom holds firmly to his faith. He tells Legree "the Lord may help me, or not help; but I'll hold to Him, and believe Him to the last."

Analysis of Chapter 38

Perhaps even worse than the physical beatings he will soon receive are the taunts and jibes at his religion that Tom must endure. Not only do Legree and his overseers taunt Tom because of his faith, so too the slaves around him do not understand the Bible. Thus, Tom is completely isolated and with only his faith to convince him of his rightness.

The theme of Tom as a Jesus figure is very prevalent in this chapter. Indeed, when Tom asserts that he will believe whether or not God saves him from martyrdom, we are reminded of the taunts Jesus received of "save yourself" as he was crucified.

Summary of Chapter 39

One night, Cassy comes to Tom with a plan of escape. She has drugged Legree, and she wants Tom to join she and Emmeline. Tom feels he cannot go, but rather must stay with the rest of the slaves and "bear any crossŠtill the end." He urges Cassy to go, nevertheless, and prays for her: "The Lord help ye!"

Cassy has convinced Legree that the garret is haunted, and when the slaves are outdoors looking for them she and Emmeline slip into the very place where the superstitious Legree dares not tread. Any noise the runaways make will now be attributed to the ghost. Cassy has been hiding food in the garret, and on their way through the house she snatches a roll of bills "that will pay our way to the free states." When Legree returns, he falls exhausted from his search into bed and vows revenge.

Analysis of Chapter 39

Tom's inability to betray the cruel Legree may raise some questions about the reality of Stowe's protagonist. How good can one person actually be? Or should the reader consider Tom to merely be a Christ-like symbol crucified on the cross of slavery? Tom indeed is a symbolic character, but his character has many layers that teach a different lesson. Tom refuses to escape from his brutal master because of his inability to be disloyal or false to any man. Thus, he is a lesson against the hypocrisy of Christians who turn their backs upon the plight of the slaves. So too, Tom is a martyr for his brothers and sisters who cannot escape. On the authorial level, only if he dies in the novel will Stowe's abolitionist message be driven home. Thus the character will not abandon his people and the author will not allow Tom's ending to be pleasant for the sake of saving the real individuals for whom she writes her book.

The reader must also consider, as well, the dramatic intentions with which Stowe constructs her characters. It is possible that Tom is not only a pious man, but also is desperate to leave the world that has caused him so much pain. As he tells Legree: "you may whip me, starve me, burn me, it'll only send me sooner where I want to go." What better way for Stowe to drive home her abolitionist message, than to have the most pious of men driven to despair of life and wish to end it?

Summary of Chapter 40

The next day, Legree questions Tom about the runaway slaves. Tom admits that he does know something, but adds that he is ready to die before he betrays Cassy and Emmeline. Even when Legree threatens to "count every drop of blood there is in you," Tom remains faithful. He tells Legree that he is ready to die and his "troubles will soon be over," but that if Legree does not repent, his troubles will never end.

There is a moment of silence in which Legree seems to be contemplating his next move, and Tom hears heavenly music. Then Legree beats Tom all night, and has Sambo and Quimbo continue his dirty deed. Tom's piety touches all the slaves, including the two overseers. Sambo and Quimbo beg forgiveness while the others wash his wounds and prepare a place for him to rest. The slaves want to know more about Jesus, who inspires such strength and faith in Tom. Tom asks God to accept the slaves' souls, and according to the narrator "that prayer was answered."

Analysis of Chapter 40

In this chapter, the metaphor of Tom as Christ is quite prevalent. Indeed, the action runs the course of the questioning of Christ by Pontius Pilot before his crucifixion. For example, Tom will not speak to Legree, but seems ready to die. Also, when Quimbo attacks Tom, he directly quotes Jesus' words in the Bible: "into your hands I commend my spirit." Moreover, Tom calls his imminent death "the hour of release." Not only does he know that paradise awaits him, but it seems to be implied that he realizes that his death will "release," or free, some of his fellow slaves. Thus, Stowe is foreshadowing the symbolic importance of Tom's death.

Summary of Chapter 41

At the Shelby plantation, Miss Ophelia's letter detailing how Tom was sold after St. Clare's death arrives. Mrs. Shelby is on her deathbed, but young George is now a man and decides to go to New Orleans to find Tom. Accidentally, George meets a man who knows about the sale to Legree, so George hastens on his way optimistic that he can buy Tom back.

George arrives at the Legree plantation two days later. Legree become angry when he hears Tom's name. He tells George that Tom is a "dog" who "set up my niggers to run away." He admits that he flogged Tom until he was near death. George runs to the shed and finds Tom where he has lain for two days. George begins to cry and wakes Tom, and Tom also sheds tears. It is too late though, for Tom knows that he will soon die. Because George is with him, he feels content and loved at the moment of his death. Tom takes his last breath, and George turns to see Legree sneering in the doorway. George offers to buy Tom's corpse so that he can bury him, but Legree refuses. George decides to take matters into his own hands anyway, and loads the body into the wagon. He tells Legree that he will "go to the very first magistrate and expose you" and have him tried for murder. Legree seems not at all worried, and retorts that George is making "a fuss for a dead nigger." George strikes him down, but then realizes that without any white witnesses, Legree cannot be convicted.

George buries Tom on a shady knoll, accompanied by some of Legree's slaves. They beg George to buy them, but George realizes that he can no longer be master over any man. George makes his life's promise over the grave of his faithful servant and friend, Uncle Tom: " oh, witness, that, from this hour, I will do what one man can do to drive out this curse of slavery from my land!"

Analysis

The most important aspect of the death of Uncle Tom is the power he finally gains. For the first time in the novel, Tom speaks with "vehemence and power." He reprimands George not to pity him but rather celebrates his death as a victory. It is ironic, however, that even meeting ones creator is described in terms of the master-slave relationship. Indeed, it is a fitting analogy for Tom to say "the Lord's bought me." Nevertheless, the reader is left impacted by the realization that slavery transforms not merely a man's actions, but his way of seeing himself and his world. Even in heaven, Tom is still a slave.

Another important theme is Tom's celebration of Christian love at the time of his death. He tells George to give his love to Aunt Chloe and the Shelby's: "I loves em all! I loves every creature, everywhar!" Indeed, this death scene is a parallel of Little Eva giving her love to the slaves she would leave in this world. Another similarity between this death scene and Little Eva's is the fact that the deaths of such pious, loving individuals inspired others to free the slaves. This is an important authorial technique, as it makes the reader associate pure goodness abolition.

The fact that there is no monument marking Tom's grave serves as Stowes commentary to the readers. When she says, "the Lord knows where he lies," Stowe reminds the reader not to pity Tom, but rather to respect him as a Christian martyr. His body has been abused and his beliefs and piety scoffed, but he has survived and is cognizant of his due reward in heaven.

Summary of Chapter 42

This chapter opens with descriptions of the "ghosts" that have been haunting the Legree plantation. These phantoms are really Cassy and Emmeline, who are still hiding in the attic. When George hears about the hidden slave women, he is able to help them escape past their drunken master. Dressed as Spanish Creoles, Cassy and Emmeline board the boat for the north with George. There, Cassy relates her background to George, and a woman, Madame de Thoux, overhears and reveals that she is George Harris's sister. It is then discovered that George Harris's wife, Eliza, is Cassy's daughter.

Analysis of Chapter 42

The series of fantastic coincidences are a metaphor for the slave experience; that is, that all slaves are united by the experience of being torn away from a loved one. The discovery of family ties among this group of slaves is an effective way to bring Stowe's theme of families to a close. It also gives Stowe ample room for social commentary. The family unit is valued in religion; however, slavery destroyed this unit. Thus, according to Stowe, religious people must oppose slavery for the simple fact that is divides something so natural as God's plan for the family. This is an especially good tactic for swaying the opinions of Stowe's female readers, to whom she specifically directed the book.

Summary of Chapter 43

Cassy, Emmeline, and Madame de Thoux travel to Montreal, where George and Eliza are living. George is working in a machinist's shop, and they have a new daughter, little Eliza. Upon such a joyous reunion, the five family members kneel together and pray. Madame de Thoux is a wealthy widow and gives money to the family. They sail to France from Canada, where they live until political turmoil their prompts them to seek asylum in the United States. George Harris then writes a letter about his dreams for a colony of freed slaves in Liberia. The family travels there, and Cassy's son is also found and sent to Africa.

Analysis of Chapter 43

This chapter is laden with Stowe's social commentary. First, the reader is witness to a reunion of a slave family. This is important as it counteracts the prevalent idea that slaves did not have the same family ties as whites. In fact, according to Stowe's depiction of the joy these people found in each other, slaves perhaps had even stronger bonds, as they were able to retain their love and hope for reunification despite terrible odds.

The second important political theme is the idea, popular during Stowe's time, of a separate nation for the freed slaves in Africa. George Harris's letter reveals that an independent nation in Africa would give these individuals the agency and respect they lacked in the United States, even as free men in the north. However, Stowe still emphasizes the idea, as she did previously through the character of Miss Ophelia, that free slaves should be welcome in the United States and that northerners should work to educate them so that they will be self-sufficient wherever they may choose to live.

Summary of Chapter 44

When George Shelby returns home he tells Chloe about Tom's death. Chloe has prepared him a welcome home dinner, and afterwards George frees the slaves in Uncle Tom's name. When he gives the slaves their free papers, they beg him not to be sent away. George tells then they can work for him for wages and enjoy their freedom upon his death. He tells the slaves of Uncle Tom's martyrdom: "Rejoice in your freedom and be as honest and as faithful a Christian as Tom was." George reminds the newly free men to think of their freedom when they gaze upon Uncle Tom's cabin.

Analysis of Chapter 44

Throughout the novel, Stowe's narrative style is undeniably preachy, as she is trying to convince her readers that they are committing a moral sin by even allowing slavery to exist. No where is Stowe more adamant than in this chapter, as she reveals her hatred of slavery through the voice of young George Shelby. George's description of Uncle Tom's death as the cause of their freedom makes him a martyr. Indeed, Tom is a Christ-figure thus a true Christian could not be a slave owner. She uses his brutal death and unyielding piety to make the abolitionist argument that any one who allowed the master-slave relationship upon which society was based to continue was just as guilty as Simon Legree for the death of Tom.

Moreover, as Tom's death results in freedom for the Shelby's slaves, he represents the victimization of all the slaves in the United States. According to Stowe's text, slavery could be purged from the country only if her individual citizens heeded their consciences and followed the example of Christ. Indeed, when George Shelby tells his slaves to celebrate their freedom and to strive to act like Tom, Stowe is symbolically telling her readers the same: they should be grateful for the freedom they were lucky to inherit with their skin color, and try to think and act as Christ. In that way, according to Stowe, being a true Christian inherently meant being an abolitionist.

Summary of Chapter 45

This chapter consists of Stowe's concluding remarks on the topic of slavery. She says that the characters she has presented and their experiences represent only "a faint shadow, a dim picture, of the anguish and despair that are at this very moment, riving thousands of hearts, shattering thousands of families, and driving a helpless and sensitive race to frenzy and despair."

Stowe then makes a direct plea to her fellow women, especially to mothers. She tells mothers to think of the slave mothers who so often lose their children to the slave trade. She reprimands the North for condoning slavery; as it is not their custom they should fight slavery instead of abetting it. She says that northerners have "defended, encouraged, and participated; and are more guilty for it, before God, than the South, in that they have not the apology of education or custom."

Stowe also criticizes the notion that all the slaves should be sent to Liberia, which is where George, Eliza, and Harry migrated and founded a colony. She says that the slaves are not prepared to go to Africa because they are "an ignorant, inexperienced, half-barbarized race, just escaped from the chains of slavery." Instead, the Christian northerners should help the slaves attain "a moral and intellectual maturity." Only when they are educated; Stowe places the responsibility for this education in the hands of the Christian church. She goes so far to say that if the church does not address slavery, or its "heavy account to answer," then "the wrath of Almighty God" will punish America.

Analysis of Chapter 45

In the concluding chapter we hear Stowe's own unadulterated voice on the issue of slavery. The most convincing argument she makes is that her narrative is not fiction, but rather she and her abolitionist comrades have witnessed "the separate incidents that compose the narrative." Uncle Tom, thus, is a symbol for the sufferings of all the slaves under the brutality and injustice inherent to the system.

In Stowe's appeal, we hear echoes of the two main themes of Uncle Tom's Cabin: motherhood and Christian duty. She asks mothers to not allow more families to be broken apart, as were Tom and Eliza's. She also tells Christians that they have a duty to educate slaves. Indeed, Stowe is preaching to her readers, and her words evoke images of punishment upon the judgement day. Stowe wants her readers to feel that time is short before they are punished for the sin of allowing slavery to exist; Stowe demands nothing short of immediate action, that is, complete and full abolition of the brutal institution of slavery.

• Biography of Harriet Stowe
• About Uncle Tom's Cabin
• Character List
• Short Summary
• Full Summary and Analysis
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 1-5
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 6-10
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 11-15
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 16-20
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 21-25
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 26-30
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 31-35
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 36-40
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters 41-45
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