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Summary: Uncle Tom's Cabin should not be taken at face-value.
Review: Many hail Stowe's version of slavery as one of the classic great American novels. After all, it was a bestseller and it was written by a White woman who wanted to show her support for abolition. I won't delve into the technical details of what makes great literature. But I will mention for those who don't "get it," that if the reader wishes to know the real details of the suppression and degradation of a victim, the reader would be better served by seeking the voice of the victim, not someone standing on the sidelines (Stowe). In other words, seek a book written by someone who lived as the victim. For instance, "Our Nig" was written about the same time period (1859) by an interracial woman who suffered abuse at the hands of a white family she served. This book also drives home the point that Northerners were not innocent of racial abuse. "Our Nig" was not a bestseller. It was ignored by critics upon publication and lost for over one hundred years until Henry Louis Gates arranged for republication in 1985. Also consider reading "Beloved" by Toni Morrison which also captures the horror of slavery without the preachy, melodrama and romanticized illusions. "Beloved" is a chilly and complicated book that not many people can handle, but it is a worthwhile endeavor for those who wish to understand the true horror of it all. Finally, consider reading Richard Wright's answer to Stowe, "Uncle Tom's Children." Wright lifts the veil of Stowe's 'oh poor things' version of events and gives a criticism of Stowe's motivations. So, if you want to feel comfortable and say 'oh poor things, tsk, tsk,' stop your education with "Uncle Tom's Cabin." If you really want to examine the underside of America's worst legacy to the world (slavery), read the other books I mentioned in addition to "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
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Summary: Uncle Tom's Cabin- A Lasting Controversy
Review: I highly recommend "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Wow. What an amazing and well-written book! This book is very powerful. It made me cry. I also enjoy writing and I realize what an amazing story it was and still is. It is also a lasting controvery. Many people feel that teachers should not make their students read this book. Much like "Huck Finn," people feel that it is unreasonable to put a child through emotional stress and to put emphasis on race in a classroom. They feel it is belittling the child and I suppose it is. Despite this, it is truly a classic novel. Unlike "Huck Finn," this novel puts emphasis on the good in people, no matter what their race or beliefs. This is what I got out of it. Again, I highly recommend this book to any interested in a truly valuable reading experience. Happy reading!
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Summary: A Review of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Review: Set during the period of great inequality in America, the main characters of Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, struggle for their freedom. As slaves, they had no rights to lead their own lives, and were forced into hard labor on the farm of a white man. Many of the powerful characters of the novel fight for their freedom, attempting to escape through the Underground Railroad to Canada for equality. When caught in the flight from the plantations, the slaves are forced to flee through many hardships including rough terrain, bounty hunters and racist onlookers. The book is a tale of adversity in the struggle for freedom, a look into human cruelty as well as human compassion, and one man's loyalty to those he is indentured to. The novel is set in a period just before the Civil War; during the time when the black people of America were not citizens, and had no rights. In the south during this time, the blacks were forced to work hard labor on plantations and were required to live in small dorms outside of their owner's homes. However, the novel is more than just a narrative of slaves, but of human emotion rising up in the face of adversity. It is a story of the fight for freedom, and an account of the history of America. The author brings out the humanity in the slaves, and describes the great injustices that took place during the time. The characters of this book are strong, resourceful, and respectable. These characters defy the contemporary stereotypes for slaves of the time. To get the full effect of reading this book, one must have an interest in American history and not mind hearing of the inhumanities that went on during the time. The story never becomes too boring or feels drug out, as it skips from family to family, accounting for each character's role in the story. It is filled with highs in lows of emotion, skipping from happy scene to sad scene, maintaining compassion for the characters. The powerful characters show how people can triumph even in the worst circumstances. It also contains historical information involving the Underground Railroad and the business of the slave trade, adding a non-fictional background to the story. A sense of compassion is developed for the characters and a new understanding of the immoral treatment of the black people can be obtained from reading this book.
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Summary: 400 Years of Slavery.
Review: I'm a bit late in reading this classic as my high school and college English classes were probably too afraid to have us read it. I think reading it now, in my twenties, that I have a better understanding of the content. I am aware of all the criticisms for this book, but I think that the essence of its story is all too true. I think the aspect of the story that deals with interactions and treatment is probably true. After reading this book it's apparent why, at least in America, we have such social strife today. I believe how we treat each other is handed down from generation to generation, and if we treat certain people a certain way then they begin to have no choice but to behave in a certain way. This book is a strong, but sad testament to this theory. I would definitely recommend reading this book.
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Summary: An Important Classic, With Historical Significance
Review: Without a doubt, one of the GREATEST BOOKS I have ever read, and certainly one of the most historically significant literary works of this nation! In the beginning, we find a young Negro mother, Eliza, who learns that her son is to be sold the following day. So on that cold, winter night, she takes her infant son into her arms and runs away. She runs with her child into the darkness of the South, hoping to save her son from a horrible fate. She comes to a river and knows she must cross it. But the river is only partially frozen. So with her child in her desparate clutches, she leaps from ice patch to ice patch. Meanwhile, her attempt to escape has been discovered, and the "trader" to whom her son is to be sold is off to re-capture her. As Eliza struggles to bring herself and her child to the opposite side of the river, with the slave trader hot on her trail, your heart is pounding and your eyes are racing through Harriet Beecher Stowe's masterful prose. You can't help but cringe with each leap Eliza takes, as her battered, bare feet stain the ice with blood. From beginning to end, Ms. Stowe puts you in the old South, and you cannot help but feel for the characters, both good and bad, honorable and flawed. A true classic that holds a mirror to the human soul. You may not like what you see in the reflection, but you will be better off for having seen it!
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Summary: An OK book with a good theme
Review: I just finished reading this book for school(8th grade) and didn't really enjoy it. It was extremely dry and just dragged on and on. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't forced to read it and could read at my own pace. There are a ton of different characters and storylines to keep track of. Also there is more than one character with the same name(uncle Tom & tom loker) (george harris & george shelby) which makes things a little more complicated. Characters are in are in the story one second, disappear, and then just pop back in chapters later. The botttom line is if you enjoy reading the classics you should give this book a try, if not look for something else
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Summary: Great! (that does it for the descriprtion)
Review: Harriet Beecher Stowe is a great poet
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Summary: Touching but somehow unrealistic
Review: Don't get me wrong. THis is an immensely touching book. Don't be surprised to find yourself reaching for tissues but I find it a tad unrealistic. All the slaves are good and talk "well-educated" and almost all the slavemasters are bad. Now I'm not an American citizen so I wouldn't know but compared to Gone With The Wind I find that I can really picture the darkies there ...right down to the way they speak. And it gives me a better and clearer view of the South. Read it. The end result is up to you.
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Summary: U will know u've learned a lesson when your actions change
Review: Simply put, this book is unforgetable.I must have read it more than 12 years ago and I still rate it as one of the BEST books I've ever read.I've read more than 100 books in my life-time.This book is ..........life personified. Love it or hate it, u can't ignore it. America and the world should be proud of this work.
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Summary: A Book With A Purpose
Review: The book Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was written for a purpose; it was not meant to be merely entertaining for its readers. Stowe wrote it in order to show its readers how awful and degrading slavery is to people and mankind. Harriet Beecher Stowe hated the "peculiar institution," and she wanted others to see why she hated it. It is an entertaining and exciting book that causes readers to feel as if they are a part of the story. The way it is written allows readers almost be able to relate to the slaves and feel the torture and pain that they felt in the story. The slave owners were portrayed as heartless devilish men, and the slaves were portrayed as their victims. Readers are able to feel emotions towards many of the characters. For instance, readers end up hating Simon Legree, the cruel slave owner. They feel pity and sadness when he treats Tom, the good, unfortunate slave, cruelly. Another example is of the feeling of love and pity that readers tend to feel towards the saintlike child, Eva. Though Stowe's writing came across as preachy at times, I found the book to be very well written with a clever plot. It is educational to its readers by helping them to see the way life was for different people in the time period in which the book took place. The book was a bestseller when it was first released to the public. It caused much conflict and uproar over the subject of slavery. In many cases Stowe's reason for writing the book served its purpose. Many people became supporters of abolition because of this book. It was interesting for me to read it knowing that it was one of the causes of our country's Civil War. I could understand why it caused so much controversy between the North and the South when I read it. Uncle Tom's Cabin is definately interesting and worth reading.
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