Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Uncle Tom's Cabin


Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a massive bestselling book of the antebellum era that framed slavery as a moral struggle. As a a member of a prominent family of reformers (mom worked for temperance, Dad was a minister) Ms. Stowe's life and work fits in well with our study of the Second Great Awakening, reform movements, and abolition. As much as it was praised for its abolitionist message, Uncle Tom's Cabin has also been criticized.

Your task is to do some research on the internet about why Uncle Tom's Cabin has been criticized. Then, you will post a comment summarizing some of the criticism you found and assessing the validity of that criticism. Essentially, you will be responding to the criticism and sharing your informed opinion on the book (but without actually reading the book itself). If that seems too difficult, write a post about what you learned about the book through your research. Post should be 3-5 sentences, identify yourself by first name and last initial.

Remember our standards for credible websites; skip sites that lack an educated author, inline (within the sentence) citations, etc.

25 comments:

  1. brendonk

    Most of the critism I found other than the obvous critism from pro-slavery people is that the book makes racist remarks. I think this is a rediclious claim. The message of the book is that slavery is unmoral and should not be allowed, how could that be seen as racist? There are racist remarks in the book only to show what the life of a slave is like, not to insult black people. That is what life was like at the time of this novel's writing. This was a novel intended to help slaves, not make fun of their race.

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  2. According to Slate's History week from Slate Magazine, Stephen Metcalf (a large critic of Slate Magazine) posted a summary about Uncle Tom's Cabin. In that summary he mentioned that when President Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe at the white house for the first time, he teased her by saying, "so this is the little lady whose book started the Civil war." Saying that her writing this book is what caused the Civil War. But I disagree with that because; there are many other reasons for why the Civil War happened. One of those reasons was because of the continuous growing tension between the North and South. Especially when issues like slavery and the fugitive slave act were being debated constantly within the Congress and etc.

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  3. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" expressed many anti-slavery opinions. Some of them were so convincing as to make people abolitionists. Many Southerners were angry. They wanted to protect and defend slavery. They wrote what were called, "Anti-Tom's" to do this. Much of the book was considered too detailed because it went into specifics of the abuse, segregation and cruelty that was put upon slaves. This also angered the South. This book was written to protest. All protests cause controversy.

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  4. Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is criticized TODAY for both obvious and not-so-obvious reasons. It is obvious that when the book was published, those who were pro-slavery were angered, but many were also offended. While the book is spotlighting the treatment of afrian amerian slaves, it is also giving off the impression that this was how all slaves were treated. In fact, not all slaves were treated with such intense violence. But today, many people still critisize the work. (As quoted in Fahrenheit 451 by Beatty) This book makes white people feel guilty for their past. It makes them sad for the way they were treated and makes them look like horrible, violent monsters. If it makes the majority sad, get rid of it. Make it seem like it is too violent or has inappropriate words so that you can keep it from the masses as efficiently as possible. And it does have graphic violence and harsh words but that is what happened. The fact is that that is how some slaves were treated-not all, but some...
    ~Heather G.

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  6. Kyra D

    Critism on "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was based on Harriet Beecher Stowe's perspective of the South. The book was written in the view of a runaway slave and made it so that the Southern Plantation owner was the enemy. Her book sold over 1 million copies, mostly in the North where there were more anti-slavery movements. Those who owned planations in the South did not like Stowe's book because it gave almost a biased idea that all white southern planation owners were villians.
    Whose side do I take? I remain neutral, I don't take either Stowe's or the South's side. Stowe probably didn't mean to give away the thought that all planation owners were evil but at the same time I can't blame the South because she did give them a bad name. This issue was just another way to split the new nation.

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  7. Sam L. Says:
    I read on Slate that along with the book Huckleberry Finn the book Uncle Toms Cabin is one of the Primary battle-ground books of our literature. Some say the book is racist for using the N word refering to the slaves of the time. but taking into consideration that word was a common referance word in the 1850's to people of the African American race. The intention of Harriet Stowe was not to be racist but to halt slavery althogether! It took some time but Americans slowely becane to accept her because all she did was try to bring awarness to the point that slavery is wrong. Even though her work was called racist people realized that she WAS right about the problem with slavery in America at that time
    Thanks for reading!

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  8. Erika L.
    "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was critizised by many in the South for it evoked sympathy for the slaves that the South did not want to have. Also it made it so that there was a deeper line over the proslavery people vs. the antislavery people. From my research I have found that the Southerners were so outraged by what Harriet Beecher Stowe had published that they called it overly dramatic and outlawed it that anyone had it in their household in the South. However then Harriet took it upon herself to make a book called A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin which was like the Spark notes of today. And this is why the South had so many critics of just one book.

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  9. Cumberland, an assistant professor at Seattle University, says that you can't understand the book or the importance of the book outside of the historical context that provoked Harriet Beecher Stowe to write it. I don't think thats true because even if I hadn't learned about slavery or all the things that went on at that time, I would probably still be able to undestand it, and so would adults. You don't always have to learn about things to understand something on that subject.

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  10. Katie C. said...

    Some of the research I found on "Why Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe has been criticized?" is that it gives very specific detail in the book about slavery(like cruelty of how the slaves were treated). Some examples of criticism that I found was that it is "a stereotypical depictions of black characters, as well as its sentimentalism and moralism"(quoted from http://www.africanaonline.com/slavery_toms_cabin.htm) and I also noticed on many research sites that the South completely dislike the book saying it was not true at all. This book was written in a protest of how slaves were treated in the South.

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  11. Some of the research I found on "Why Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe has been criticized?" is that it gives very specific detail on how the whites treated the slaves in the South. Some examples of criticism that I found was that it is "a stereotypical depictions of black characters, as well as its sentimentalism and moralism"(quote from http://www.africanaonline.com/slavery_toms_cabin.htm) and I also notice on many research sites that the South completely dislike the book saying that is was not true at all. This book was written to protest agaisnt slavery.

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  12. When it was published it immeadiatly caused controversy, part of the reason being is that this novel (intented to protest)was thrown into a divided united states (both geographically and pollitically). It had a signifigant emotional impact (and appealed) to middle class women readers. However, it was viciously attacked by pro-slavery readers. However, the book is difficult to understand now unless you first understand the authors motives for writing it and the historical context they wrote it in.

    -Bryan Stearns

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  13. Rachael O

    As i read a few articles on the story, i got a variety of different opinions. some man thought that there was more religion in the story than he thought. another person said that it really reached her soul and that she was going to read it again because she was brought up in the south, and she seemed to "connect" to it. there have even been books written about the book! this story was very important when it was written because it allowed people to realize that slavery was a horrible thing and should be abolished.

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  14. Bailey S

    Uncle Tom's Cabin has been critisized for a variety of different reasons. Southeners who had slaves found it offensive because the slave owners in the book treat their slaves with much cruelty. This was offensive to them because not all slave owners treat their slaves badly. I agree that they should be offended because the book didn't give both sides of slave owning, but in contrast many people did treat their slaves like that so it was good that everyone then knew it was happening.

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  15. Jake H

    I discovered that Uncle Tom's Cabin is criticized because it gives too specific detail about slavery, and because it is sometimes thought that it is racist for using the word "Nigger", which isn't racist in my opinion because it was a commonly used word in the 1800's for blacks. In my opinion it is an important book and must be kept in history because it expresses what really happened, and although people want to believe it wasn't true, it was, therefore it must not be banned. The fact that it is a primary source written by a fugitive slave makes the validity of the source.
    Copyright 2009

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  16. By researching "Uncle Tom's Cabin", I found that this book was criticized when it first appeared by southern slave owners and others who supported slavery because they felt it gave an inaccurate depiction of slavery. Today, it is criticized because the descriptions of the African-American characters are viewed as racist. I don't believe the criticism this book has received is valid because when it was first published, it was accurate to slavery of the time and how cruel it was. Also, there may be racist remarks in the book, but it was written in a time period when people were very racist, and the point was to show how wrong it was. This book helped many people to see the harsh reality of slavery and that it needed to be put to a stop.
    Sarah J.

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  17. Kali P

    The criticism on "Uncle Tom's Cabin" consisted of a few things such as that it was 'horribly exaggerated fiction' and it spread stereotypes that African Americans were lazy and carefree. Another criticism i found was that it stopped Britain from joining the American civil war, and the author was referred to as "the little woman that started the great war!". That was basically all I could find for criticism after searching the internet.

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  18. When I researched "Uncle Tom's Cabin" online, I found that the criticism was very crucial to the book's success. There was the usual criticism of potraying the anti-slavery movement, but the other significant amount of criticism had to do with stereotyping of characters within the book. There was alot about the "typical" white man and the "typical" black man. They were seen as being so different. Stowe, the author also shows the Northern Slave owner as a cruel man who never shows grace. These types of stereotypical images was what made the pro-slavery people so angry. This book was written as a way for the Southern slaves to be heard and it sure did that but maybe on a bigger scale than they expected.

    Fallin Dennen

    Source:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2958.html

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  19. TheOneAndOnly
    ALIA!

    So i read up on the critisism of Uncle Toms Cabin and ive found that the South was more negativly critisising the book while the Norths'abolitionists claimed the book to be too leniant. After the novels realease many "anti-Tom" novels began flowing out of the south. Southern Critics accused Stowe of slander towards the plantation owners. An interesting fact i found(that i just HAD to throw in being the feminist i am)was that Stowes initial intention for the book was not just that of abolition but also of the . That by her writing this book, she would also show the opression of women. "If the mothers of the free states had all felt as they should, in times past, the sons of the free states would not have been the holders, and proverbially, the hardest masters of slaves; the sons of the free states would not have connived at the extension of slavery" (472) Uncle Toms Cabin.

    Thanks Ms Aiello! i want to read this book now.. :]

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  20. Alec D

    What most of the sites I visited say about "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is that it showed slavery as a despicable thing, and made many pro-slavery people turn anti-slavery. It was a bestseller, so a lot of people were probably turned to the anti-slavery side. Much of the criticism on the book was probably from slave owners, who felt that the book would turn everyone against them.

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  21. HI CLASS!

    Please don't worry if you post does not appear right away; the comments get sent to my email for approval.

    Ms. Aiello

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  22. Vicky Mercer

    The book is writen to effect and influence the abolitionists of the time to help more with the cause against slavory and let others who are ignorant of the evils of slavory in on this abomintation. Words like "nigger" and such are frequently used throughout the writing. During the period which it was written these words were common and a propriot. To be apauled by the wording in text is apauling with in its self. Do they not read Tom Sawyer or other traditional American writtings?

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  23. It may be assumed that this book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was an important and strong move towards reaching a utopia within the United States, progress indeed, to an un- achievable goal of perfection. (Though imperfection proves that there is always room for improvement. This book shows ideals toward equal oppurtunity among humans, by the emancipation of slaves. (expect added information)
    Zac G.

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  24. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was very contraversial. It put slavery in a bad light. Which made the southeners angry. It also was saying slavery was immorral and indecient. Which also the Southeners didn't like. It also said that slaves were equal to free white men. Which the Southeners didn't like the most because it called their beliefs false.

    Jacob K.

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  25. Z-dizzle dawg F.
    "Uncle Toms Cabin" is a book wholy based on anti-slavery as it was written by a devout abolitionist. Many arguements have been made about some of the book's controversial ideas.Some people argue that it is degrading to the white culture and promoting the African American race. Some say that the book is based off feminist ideas and comments are made that are sexist. I personally believe that the woman is plainly stating her ideas and there is nothing wrong with what she is saying as she is just revealing her ideas.

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