In the 1800s, the debate over slavery plagued the United States. Millions of passionate politicians, authors, and activists who saw slavery as a violation of human rights used the power of their words to try and persuade society to see the moral injustices of it. In 1852, author Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a controversial novel that Abraham Lincoln would refer to as the “book that started the Civil War” (historynet). In it, Stowe illustrates the lives of various slaves and the cruelty that they endure and also emphasizes the role of religion in the lives of slaves and slaveowners alike. Chapter ten illustrates a deeply religious protagonist in the novel, Uncle Tom, who uses religion to maintain hope as he begins his involvement in the slave trade. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s illustration of the events leading up to Tom being taken away from the Shelby family demonstrates not only Tom’s utilization of religion to maintain hope, but her characterization of Tom as a depiction of God himself. She does this by emphasizing Tom’s undying devotion to his religion, his self-sacrificing attitude, and his ability to forgive and sympathize with those who have wronged him.
The chapter opens on the day that Tom is going to be sold; while the children are sleeping and Aunt Chloe is preparing for Mr. Haley’s arrival, Tom is sitting quietly, “with his Testament open on his knee, and his head leaning upon his hand” (Stowe, Chapter X). When Aunt Chloe finds herself no longer able to hide her pain towards the impending situation, she “lifted up her voice and wept” (interestingly enough, Stowe subtly references biblical text by inserting this quotation from Genesis 21:16). In response, Tom explains to her: “there’ll be the same God there, Chloe, that there is here.” (Stowe, Chapter X). In this interaction, Stowe is underlining Tom’s devotion to his religion, emphasizing that he has put his complete and utter trust in God. The beginning of this chapter is riddled with Tom’s involvement in practicing religion and in many ways, this technique helps him to maintain hope where it could have easily been lost. In this chapter, Stowe creates an overwhelmingly dismal atmosphere by expressing sadness from a variety of characters – from Aunt Chloe and their children to Mrs. Shelby and Master George. Not once, however, does Stowe represent Tom in this manner. Instead, she is able to portray his undying devotion to religion – to the idea that God will help him survive. Not only is Stowe utilizing this passage to demonstrate this fact, but she is also creating a parallel between Tom and God, who both are known for their faithfulness (Corinthians 1:9).
Aunt Chloe, who finds herself doubting her religion (as many slaves did), is quick to refute Tom’s claim that God will protect him, expressing the truth that “de [sic] Lord lets drefful [sic] things happen” (Stowe, Chapter X). Tom, however, responds to this with selflessness and a self-sacrificing attitude, explaining “I’m in the Lord’s hands…nothin’ can go no furder [sic] than he lets it;—and thar’s [sic] one thing I can thank him for. It’s me that’s sold and going down, and not you nur [sic] the chil’en. Here you’re safe;–what comes will come only on me; and the Lord, he’ll help me,—I know he will” (Stowe, Chapter X). Again, Stowe is emphasizing both Tom’s faithfulness towards his religion and his incredible practice of self-sacrifice. In the passage, Stowe even breaks herself free of the unbiased narrator position to express her admiration for the selfless Tom, claiming: “Ah, brave, manly heart,—smothering thine own sorrow, to comfort thy beloved ones!” (Stowe, Chapter X). Not only has Stowe allowed the audience to understand the critical role of religion in Tom’s life, but she has also created the Tom character to resemble God himself – a selfless individual who has given his life to protect those his loved ones.
Perhaps the most shocking characteristic of Tom arises during his conversation with Chloe about the immorality of slavery. When she begins to put the blame on Mr. Shelby, who, she explains, owed Tom his freedom years ago, Tom is quick to defend him, claiming “…it’s natur [sic] I should think a heap of him. And he couldn’t be spected [sic] to think so much of poor Tom….And he never would have let this yer come on me, if he could have seed it aforehand [sic]. I know he wouldn’t” (Stowe, Chapter X). Tom’s defense for Mr. Shelby does not end there. After being taken from the Shelby plantation by Mr. Haley, Tom has a brief encounter with George, who is devastated about the situation. After he threatens his father, Mr. Shelby, Tom is quick to defend him once again, exclaiming to George: “ye mustn’t talk so ’bout yer father!” (Stowe, Chapter X). Using Tom’s defense for Mr. Shelby despite the absolute truth that he is to blame for this dire situation, Stowe puts an emphasis on Tom’s Godlike forgiveness. In Daniel 9:9, it is stated that “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him”. This biblical passage demonstrates an incredible parallel between God and Tom, as if to express that he is God and that the slave owners are the common humans who are rebelling against him.
Throughout the controversial novel, Stowe not only explores the morality of slavery, but also uses religion to provoke the readers’ emotions. In many ways, she took an unlikely character, Uncle Tom, and created parallels between him and God, most notably seen when he is being taken from the Shelby Plantation and his family. This strategic technique implemented by Stowe allows for a deeper sense of emotional connection between the audience and Uncle Tom. Although it was written over one hundred years ago, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin “remains one of the most important activist texts in the nation’s literature” (Norton, Preface to the Text).