The Importance of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'

In 1860, slavery polarized the supposed “land of the free.” A large segment of the population did not like slavery, but was complacent -- these people were not willing to die to destroy slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin created the spark that led to the bonfire. In fact, Abraham Lincoln famously greeted Stowe with the memorable words, “So you're the little lady who started this great war!” Uncle Tom’s Cabin brought clarity to the harsh reality of slavery in an artistic way that enraged the white middle class. Ironically, Augustine St. Clare -a slave owner- is one of the most crucial characters in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. He serves as a warning to the reader. St. Clare is portrayed as human so that readers relate to him, although they might be shocked that they are able to. Using St. Clare’s character, Stowe suggests that hypocrisy, fear, and guilt were the main reasons slavery continued and questions readers about their own morals.

Stowe created the character of St. Clare to warn readers. The first thing Stowe does is point out how St. Clare’s character is a huge contradiction. He is a slave owner whose luxurious way of life is kept by the system he rejects morally. The amount of hypocrisy in his own life is exponential. For example, although he opposes slavery, he talks about the evilness of it. St. Clare mentions several times that “that the does not Bible justify slavery.” He talks about how he appreciates “when any one speaks up, like a man” and says slavery is not necessary to us. St. Clare agrees that “it has the respectability of truth to it.” These conversations show that he can see his faults, yet doesn’t do anything about them. However, St. Clare’s faults make him more human. Stowe makes him human so readers see themselves in him, although they might be horrified to find themselves doing so. St. Clare’s faults (laziness, hypocrisy, fear of failure, and guilt) all serve as a warning for readers.

However, just like real people, St Clare has goodness inside. Arguably, one of the reasons why he maintains slaves is because he values family above all else. He can’t free them or his family will have to do the dirty work and possibly face financial trouble. He also takes the liberty of treating his slaves well. St. Clare doesn’t actively harm them (unlike other slave masters) and provides them with resources. Although he is too late to act on it, St. Clare does have a change of heart. When his beloved daughter Eva dies, his whole reality turns upside down and forces him to confront his contribution to slavery. In fact, he declares his intention to free his slaves, but dies before he can do so.

St. Clare’s character also teaches the reader that it’s better to change late than never. It is shown multiple times in the book how much St. Clare loves his family. He keeps his slaves so his family can live a luxurious and comfortable life. When Eva (the most important person to him) dies, he decides to free the slaves because they “are no longer needed.” Stowe hits upon the human aspect of St. Clare by showing that he regrets his past actions. She makes him human by revealing that he never gets to free his slaves. In fact, Stowe implicitly states that St. Clare goes to hell. In the end, he doesn’t redeem himself at all and ends up dying. Essentially, Stowe is telling the reader that people who keep the same habits as St. Clare are doomed.

Stowe’s literary acuity shines bright in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. As a result of causing the reader to question their relationship with slavery, the book had a profound effect on the attitude towards slavery and laid the groundwork for the civil war. St. Clare’s character specifically warned readers to condemn slavery before it became too late. Stowe’s arguments show the relationship between racial representation and progressive politics. Feminism and racial discrimination are addressed. To this day, Uncle Tom’s Cabin educates people of the horrors of discrimination.