Episode 144: "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "Life Among the Lowly"

I've had the desire to read this book for a while now, and after putting it off long enough, I finally decided to check out this copy of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "Life Among the Lowly" (first published in 1852). I just finished it last week...and truthfully I haven't stopped thinking about this story since. I can't believe that it took me so long to finally get around to reading it. This story is deep. Much better than I had anticipated. So I wanted to put out this episode (along with episode 143) and just let y'all know what I've been thinking about this classic American masterpiece.

First let me say, EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. For real. Going into it, I had my modern-day ideas of what an "Uncle Tom" is. Y'all know what I mean. We think of an "Uncle Tom" as some sellout ni**er, "yessuh...nossuh", type sucker. Actually reading this book blew those stereotypes out of the water. The character of Uncle Tom was so much more. Uncle Tom is a Christ-like character, a true Christian willing to endure pain and suffering rather than violate his morals with the belief that he would be rewarded in the next life. In that vein, an "Uncle Tom" is actually much more similar to MLK or Ghandi in his actions and beliefs. It's really a shame the way this story has been distorted and tarnished over the years, and I definitely have my opinions as to why it has been. But I'll get to those in a second. First let me start with the basics.

The story itself is written in a style much like a play or screenplay, and this makes it really easy to read and follow (despite some of the old timey language - warning: the word nigger is used throughout this book like it's no big deal). And this particular version was published in 1900 as a children's book with nice big type and interesting black and white illustrations throughout. So even if you're not big on reading, I would recommend just flipping through the illustrations in this book. They'll definitely grab your attention.

Secondly, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is a story about morality and family, and how those themes were challenged by the institution of slavery in this country. The author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, did a great job of creating characters both black and white that connect and resonate with the reader, even though they were mostly pretty flat and stereotypical. However the characters' dealings with each other is what makes the story great. Now let's get to the plot.

*** WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!! ***

The story starts off dealing with the characters of Eliza, the fair-skinned (they use the terms mulatto, octaroon, and quadroon a lot in this story) house slave of a pretty well-to-do white Kentucky family. Eliza has a young son named Harry with her husband George Harris, who is a fair-skinned worker slave on a neighboring plantation. George is a very smart man who has a hard life dealing with his jackass of a master, and finds consolation in his family. George is, however, about to lose his mind with the way he is treated and is ready to try and run away to the north to try and get freedom for himself and eventually his young family. The drama starts however, when Eliza's master falls on hard times and is forced to sell off a few of his slaves to a (ni**er) trader, and they settle on her young son Harry and old Uncle Tom. Well this news is simply too much for Eliza to handle, and she decides to also try and escape with her son rather than have him shipped down south to God-knows-where and completely break up her already fracturing family.

The second storyline involves the life of Uncle Tom, another faithful slave on the Kentucky plantation who is chosen to be sold down south to pay off his master's debt. This is another aspect of the book that is told vividly, just how much the slaves are deemed the property ("mind, body, and soul") of their masters to be broken up, bought, and sold on a whim. Uncle Tom has a personality opposite of the slave George however. He humbly accepts his fate, and sacrifices himself to be sold in order to keep the rest of his family secure. Uncle Tom had accepted Christ while being enslaved. And although he was enslaved and illiterate, he did his best to try and read and study his Bible, and was devoted to a life of honesty and integrity.

Well to make a long story short, after these events set the story in motion, George, Eliza, and Harry must adventure along the underground railroad aided by well-meaning whites to obtain their freedom in Canada. Uncle Tom on the other hand is sold down south, and lives out his life first with the St. Claire family in New Orleans before circumstances take him to another plantation (probably in Texas or Oklahoma) near the Red River where he is subjected to the stereotypically cruel master Simon Legree.

It's Uncle Tom's time in New Orleans with the St. Claire family that tests a lot of the moral and Christian themes of the story. The St. Claire family believe themselves to be good people, yet are forced (mostly through their very Christian and sympathetic young daughter Eva) to confront the moral of the story, that Christianity and slave ownership are morally and philosophically incompatible. This element of the story drives home two points to the reader. First is to expose the hypocrisy typical of many who decried slavery but could not love anyone of a differing background from their own (and most especially those of a different race). The second was to reinforce the overall moral of the story with the idea that Christians could not afford to wait to do something to end slave ownership.

The other pieces of the story that were unexpected to me, are first that the Harris family eventually make their way to Liberia in Africa. I guess you can consider this the happy ending, and it seems to show that the author believed that the best way for the ex-slaves to find peace and happiness was to leave the United States (as the Harris family does...first to Canada, and then making their way to Liberia). I wonder if this is truly what the author felt, or was a widely held belief in the years this was written (leading up to the Civil War).

Also, the eventual liberation of many of the other slaves in the story, based on the suffering endured by Uncle Tom and his continued nonviolent resistance to so much evil is so Christ-like, it is beautiful although tragic. Contrasting Uncle Tom with George, one can see the two choices a man can take when being faced with being enslaved and separated from his family. While George chooses the more natural reaction of resisting (sometimes violently) to gain freedom for himself and his family, Uncle Tom chooses to view it all as God's will, and bravely submit to the cruelty and sorrow he knows will face him and the family he leaves behind.

All in all, this story is worth reading. After finishing it I can see how it would have had such a powerful impact on the conscience of this nation back when slavery was a normal way of life. This book was the best selling novel of the 19th century, and was acted out and retold for decades afterward through stage plays, minstrel shows, and cartoons (like previous episodes 13 and 143). There is a great link where you can see the impact this story (particularly the saga of Eliza) had on American entertainment here (check out the video snippets at this link...wow).

Unfortunately, the characters of this story were also used and distorted to create several negative stereotypes of blacks, as well as the story itself being twisted into different types of racist propaganda. It seems it fit white audiences fine in the following decades to turn this tale of compassion and morality into a joke or a gag...and in turn strip it of it's power to challenge the hypocritical Christian beliefs held by so many in this country. To me that is truly a tragedy, and does not do justice to the book's legacy, the author's intent, or the lasting impact that the story itself has on one's conscience.

Lastly, I would actually be interested in seeing this book (if the story is kept intact) being turned into a modern day film. I think the power of the story along with the powerful imagery it evokes would really be something to see. Also I would be curious to see how it would be accepted by today's audience. Just an afterthought.

Peace.