Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

A man stood on top of a crate as white men around him called out prices. He was poked and examined from head to toe. His family had been taken from him and he had nothing left to call his own. To America, he was property, he was worthless. This was the life of the African American slave in the 1800s. This issue, over the treatment of slaves, was the one that divided our country and led us into the Civil War.

In 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin, this book that changed America's view of slavery once and for all. Stowe tells the tale of two sets of characters in her novel, both the tales of slaves and their many hardships. The story is mainly focused on Tom, a highly religious slave who is sold many places around the South. Yet, through kind masters and harsh masters, Tom keeps his faith and strength. He never once complains in the novel and remains devout and loyal to all his masters. Through Tom, Stowe reveals the horrors of slavery. She shows that even though Tom did everything his masters asked of him, he was still mistreated. In contrast, Stowe's second story revolves around a family of runaway slaves. Though this family faces many trials and hardships on their flight to freedom, they never lose sight of their goal. Through this family Stowe shows that through perseverance, goals can be reached, despite one's standing in the world.

Stowe uses vivid description and imagery to place the reader in the lives of each slave in her story. This book appeals to the reader's emotion causing them to feel each whip lash and harsh word as a slave would feel it. Stowe reveals this horrific time in our history reminding us that even though it's in the past, it's not forgotten. If you are someone who enjoys history, and experiencing new points of view, this book is for you!

Reviewed by BHS student N. Nollan