Name: Josh Fenelone G.

Ong
St. Teresa of Calcutta

UNCLE TOM’S CABIN

Uncle Tom's Cabin was one of the most well-known books written in the eighteenth century and
was soon adapted as a movie. Slavery is the main topic shown in the story. The story was also a well-
known opponent of slavery. The protagonist of the story is Uncle Tom, who also acts as the center of
attention for all other characters' actions. This book was published before the American Civil War and
the subsequent outlawing of the slave trade. The subject matter covered in the movie includes human
rights, Christianity, and slavery. Uncle Tom's portrayal of an ideal country, which demonstrates undying
trust in mankind despite the problems African American slaves in bondage faced in reality, serves as an
example of this.

The story was written because of how the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, was moved by
Harriet’s 18-month-old son, Samuel Charles, who died of cholera. This heartbreaking sorrow was
incorporated into Uncle Tom's Cabin; the author claimed that it assisted her in understanding the
suffering experienced by enslaved mothers whose children were sold away from them.

Following that, on September 18, 1850, the U.S. Compromise of 1850 was approved by
Congress. Creating the Fugitive Slave Law was one of its provisions. Notwithstanding the fact that it had
been unlawful to aid released individuals since 1793, the new rule mandated that everyone, including
regular people, assists in locating accused fugitives. Anyone who helped slave catchers escape or
refused to help them may be fined up to $1,000 and imprisoned for six months. After the law was
passed, anyone might be arrested on the street, charged with running from slavery, and brought before
a commissioner who had been chosen by the government.

Stowe was furious about the matter, the author believed slavery was unjust and immoral and
bristled at a law requiring citizens, including her, complicity. When the author shared her frustrations
and feelings of powerlessness with her family, her sister-in-law suggested she do more and said, “if I
could use a pen as you can, Hatty, I would write something that would make this whole nation feel what
an accursed thing slavery is.”

Stowe doesn't miss the opportunity to discuss the negative aspects of slavery as she is a well-
known advocate for its abolition. The novel was published soon after the government imposed a rule
forbidding individuals from aiding fugitive slaves. Stowe wanted to persuade her listeners to disregard
the new law, thus that was her main objective. The author uses a sentimental writing style to highlight
the negative aspects of slavery in order to accomplish this purpose.

In 1987, an adaptation film of this book was released. In this adaption of the Harriet Beecher
Stowe book, a group of slaves in the American South in the 19th century go on adventures. It was just
the same as what is written in the novel and beautifully illustrates a real-life action, which is why it is an
award-winning and successful film. There were a lot of adaptation films filmed throughout the creation
of the novel, however, this specific film in 1987, was well adapted to the novel.
 In Uncle Tom’s cabin, the main character, an enslaved man, is presented as a holy, noble, and
faithful man. Uncle Tom has been in Shelby’s household for so long that he feels like part of the family.
However, when his time to be sold comes, his feelings of attachment are disregarded. As they were
transported via boat to a New Orleans auction, Tom saves Little Eva, a sweet and forgiving young child.
Tom is eventually purchased by Little Eva's grateful father. Tom and Eva get along well right away. Eva
begs her father to release all of his slaves as she lies dying and her health, which has always been
delicate, soon begins to worsen. Tom's new owner, the vicious Simon Legree, whips him to death after
he refuses to give the whereabouts of three runaway slaves. The author imbues Tom's death with
echoes of Christ's death because Tom keeps a persistently Christian attitude about his own suffering.

In the film, the major theme focused on the problem of slavery and the treatment of humans as
property, concepts that the author counterbalanced against the morality of Christianity. Uncle Tom’s
Cabin shows its case against slavery by cataloging the suffering enslaved people experienced and
showing that their owners were morally broken. The author also shared ideas about the injustices of
slavery, pushing back against dominant cultural beliefs about the physical and emotional capacities of
black people. It became a leading voice in the anti-slavery movement, and yet, its ideas about race were
complicated.

Christianity was also one of the major concepts of the movie because of how it was used by Tom
as a strong tool in overcoming the problems of slavery. The role of Christianity was also shown through
the portrayal of the slave owners. Several slaves that didn’t embrace the faith like Topsy are shown in
the movie struggling more than the others that are faithful. It is clearly shown that Christianity in the
movie was considered a major tool in the fight against slavery. Those slaves who have not embraced the
faith like Topsy are seen to struggle more than the faithful ones. It is clear that the author considers
Christianity a major tool in the fight against slavery. The portrayal of Simon Legree, the non-Christian
slave master sheds light on this view. Legree is portrayed as a heartless slave owner who brutalizes
slaves and proclaims war against their Christian faith. It seems to hint that the enemies of freedom are
also enemies of Christianity.

The virtue of women is another prominent theme in Uncle Tom's Cabin, which also features
standard household roles and unconventional personalities for women. Several of the female characters
in the narrative exhibit high moral and ethical standards, such as Emily Shelby, an enslaver's wife with
moral sway over her husband's slaves. Young Eliza, Mrs. Shelby's maid, is a brave heroine whose actions
are driven by maternal love and terror. Eliza manages to flee from slavery with her kid, traveling to the
North before arriving in Liberia with her son and husband. Eva is a youthful, innocent girl who embodies
moral purity. While being occasionally derided as cliche, the author’s empowerment of women in Uncle
Tom's Cabin brought attention to the power of women and the significance of women's rights.

The women in this novel are portrayed as braver, morally upright, and more committed than
men despite the fact that the book was written before the emergence of feminism. The women who
own slaves appear more willing to abolish slavery than their male counterparts.

Although a lot of concepts were shown or presented in this story, it is still evident that anti-
slavery was the purpose of this because how the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was controversial that year.
The act required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. The act also
made the federal government responsible for finding, returning and trying escaped slaves and in that
case, this novel clearly shows that it is against slavery.

Thus, the adaptation film was directed and organized well which makes the message of the
novel clearer and conveyed exactly as the message wanted to convey.

It is also clear that one of the most important tools against slavery at the time was Uncle Tom's
Cabin. The author successfully highlights slavery's evil nature by examining it from all sides. She
accomplishes this by making a number of arguments about slavery. Some of these are shown in a way
that is very sentimental, which is typical of the book. The book was a real revelation, and it continues to
be useful for learning about the way of life in the eighteenth century.