Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Stowe wrote a novel called “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” to prove that slavery was very wrong and as a way to support the abolition of slave trade. In the first 8 chapters she introduces different characters in the story; some are against slavery and some support it. For example, one of the characters who is against slave trade is Mrs. Shelby; she shows this anti-slavery just emotionally. She knows this is morally wrong, but unfortunately there is not much she would do to stop this problem because it would be against the law and she doesn’t have much power to stop it. This is shown when Mrs. Shelby tries to look for different ways to help stop Mr. Shelby from selling Tom and the son of Eliza to Haley, the slave trader. ““O yes, yes!” said Mrs. Shelby, hurriedly and abstractedly fingering her gold watch,—”I haven’t any jewelry of any amount,” she added, thoughtfully; “but would not this watch do something?—it was an expensive one, when it was bought. If I could only at least save Eliza’s child, I would sacrifice anything I have.” “I’m sorry, very sorry, Emily,” said Mr. Shelby, “I’m sorry this takes hold of you so; but it will do no good. The fact is, Emily, the thing’s done; the bills of sale are already signed, and in Haley’s hands; and you must be thankful it is no worse. That man has had it in his power to ruin us all,—and now he is fairly off. If you knew the man as I do, you’d think that we had had a narrow escape.”(Stowe, Chapter V). In this part Mrs. Shelby really tried to help this slave, but Mr. Shelby had to explain that there is not much she could do to save the salves.

On the next chapters she gives an example of what the slaves had to go through to be able to survive. There all this laws that prohibited people from helping the salve and prohibited the slaves to run from their masters. Besides that, she used Eliza to show what a mother who is a slave had to go through to be able to be with her child. The slave traders didn’t care what happen or if they split families apart. To be able to stay with her child Eliza had to leave her home and run on the cold weather for many miles. “”Then you will feel for me. I have lost two, one after another,—left ’em buried there when I came away; and I had only this one left. I never slept a night without him; he was all I had. He was my comfort and pride, day and night; and, ma’am, they were going to take him away from me,—to sell him,—sell him down south, ma’am, to go all alone,—a baby that had never been away from his mother in his life! I couldn’t stand it, ma’am. I knew I never should be good for anything, if they did; and when I knew the papers the papers were signed, and he was sold, I took him and came off in the night; and they chased me,—the man that bought him, and some of Mas’r’s folks,—and they were coming down right behind me, and I heard ’em. I jumped right on to the ice; and how I got across, I don’t know,—but, first I knew, a man was helping me up the bank.”” (Stowe, Chapter IX). This is when Eliza had to explain what she and her son had to go through to be able to stay together.