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Summary: This Book is not at all as it has been portrayed.
Review: This novel is notorious in American culture because of its reputation as a stereotypical novel. This novel is much more than that. Her original character of Uncle Tom is much more complex than what is seen in adaptations and subsequent productions of this book. Ms. Stowe portrays him as a young Southern black involved in non-violent activism, not as the downtrodden frightened black as most people think he was. The book is extremely well-written. Ms. Stowe can really tell a story. Her prose and her characterizations are flawless. The book was written in 1852, but the message that it gives is just as relevant today as it was then. This book should be included in a bibliography of important works that outline the ongoing civil rights movement in the United States. Not only that, it's a really good story.
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Summary: Uncle Tom's Cabin
Review: This novel opens up on the Shelby plantation in Kentucky, before the Civil War. In the beginning of the novel, Mr.Shelby, a plantation owner, goes through some financial problems and goes into debt. The only way to get out of the debt is to sell some of his slaves. He's left with no other choice but to sell his most faithful and hardest working slave, Tom, and a little boy named Harry. While Mr.Haley, a slave trader, talks to Mr.Shelby at the Shelby plantation, Eliza, Harry's mother, overhears the fate of her son. Not wanting to be separated from her family, she decides to leave the plantation and runs away. Like many other slaves at this time, Eliza is determined to reach Canada. Along the way, she's reunited with her husband George and the family reaches their destination. Fortunately for Tom, he is bought by a nice man by the name of Mr. St. Clare. Unfortunately, Eva and Mr. St. Clare die and all the slaves are left in the hands of Maria, the wife. She always hated slaves and thought her husband was treating them too nicely. She ends up selling them down the river and Tom is bought by an evil man. He prides himself in being able to "break" his slaves and beats Tom from head to toe. Just before Tom's death, Master George, rescues him and brings him back home. Tom finally gets to return to the Shelby's, but cannot escape the death that's awaiting him. Before Tom dies, George grants Tom's final wish and emancipates all the Shelby's slaves.
This novel talks about some cultural issues like religion, treatment of women, and of course slave trade. The book also uses a lot of Black Dialect, which is interesting to read because that's how the slaves talked during that time.
I would definitely recommend this book for high school and up. This book is exciting, interesting, and fun to read. It's a little over 600 pages in length, but the pages seem to fly by quickly because you're so emerged in the book. It is a little difficult to understand at the beginning because the book mostly uses Black English. " `Mose done, Mas'r George,' said Aunt Chloe, lifting the lid and peeping in,-`browning beautiful-a real lovely brown. Ah! Let me alone for dat. Missis let Sally try to make some cake, t' other day, jes to larn her, she said. `O, go away, Missis,' said I; `it really hurts my feelin's, now, to see good vittles split data r way! Cake ris all to one side-no shape at all; no more than my shoe; go way!" (69) But once you get used to the language, it's very easy to comprehend and understand what the characters are saying. This novel opened up my eyes as a reader to many of the cultural and historical issues during the Civil War. Since many Black slaves could not read or write, there were many historical documents thatare not written down in history books. I feel that this novel helped me to see a lot of the things that went on during those times and it really feels like an important part of history that was not written down.
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Summary: Jessica's Review
Review: Uncle Tom's Cabin is a compelling novel of the powerful thoughts and feelings of Harriet Beecher Stowe during a time when slavery was the main aspect of life for many and the intolerable and unaccepted thoughts of others. This story is a true American classic delving deep into the hearts of citizens and challenging the authority and government of the United States in the mid-1800's. Telling of a kind, elderly slave by the name of Tom, this tale told of Tom's adventure through slavery and the cruel people involved with the practice. Concluding the novel, Tom comes to a devastating end.I thought that in this book, Harriet Beecher Stowe explained slavery in America better than anyone could have. This is partly because she lived during the time period and the war and conflicts that followed the publication of her timeless account.
Rating:
Summary: Very Moving
Review: Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1850 after the Fugitive Slave Law was passed. Stowe was very well aware of the plight of these people and she wanted to make a change. She wanted to make her feelings about the evils of slavery known to the public. She wouldn't allow people to ignore the tragedies surrounding them because it was socially acceptable at the time. Although this novel is a work of fiction it accurately displays the lives of American slaves in the 1800's. In fact, the main character, Uncle Tom, is based upon the autobiography of Josiah Henson, and other slave narratives. She also appeals to the reader through emotional pulls that are easy to identify with, as if you were experiencing what the characters were. In all, I enjoyed reading this book and I think that Stowe created a very impressive message that is still important for us to look at today.
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