Uncle Toms cabin research paper
David Harris
Professor Lavender
ENGL 2327
6 August 2014
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Research Paper Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is extremely entwined with American history. The popularity and response from the nation shortly after the publication of the novel was remarkable. It the nation’s first real best selling book. Unquestionably, the novel is one of the most controversial and influential novels in American history. Stowe wrote the novel in response to the fugitive slave act and her intent was to persuade her audience that slavery was intolerable. Her goal was a success. In the first year, three hundred thousand books were sold in America and a million were sold in Great Britain. One of Stowe’s greatest accomplishments with writing the novel was that she was able to reach out to those who were indifferent about slavery. After reading the book, people who did not care weather slavery was abolished or not, became abolitionists. Stowe hastened the outbreak of the civil war because of this. At the beginning of the war, Lincoln referred to Stowe as the “little lady who started the war.” The war probably would have started a couple years later if it was not for Stowe. During this time there were many abolitionist works of literature but Uncle Tom’s Cabin was by far the most popular. Many critics have tried to discuss why it was such a landmark novel and what made this piece of literature outstanding. (Piacentino, Hedrick) John West describes Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a novel full of prudence. Stowe was very crafty when writing the novel. She did not want the content merely to denounce slavery. Doing so would m alienate the Americans who were indifferent about the subject of slavery. West points out that in order to persuade the indifferent audience, Stowe took the virtue of prudence very seriously. By using the virtue of prudence, she was able to craft a novel that was able to persuade the undecided to be against slavery rather than alienate them (West). The
Professor Lavender
ENGL 2327
6 August 2014
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Research Paper Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is extremely entwined with American history. The popularity and response from the nation shortly after the publication of the novel was remarkable. It the nation’s first real best selling book. Unquestionably, the novel is one of the most controversial and influential novels in American history. Stowe wrote the novel in response to the fugitive slave act and her intent was to persuade her audience that slavery was intolerable. Her goal was a success. In the first year, three hundred thousand books were sold in America and a million were sold in Great Britain. One of Stowe’s greatest accomplishments with writing the novel was that she was able to reach out to those who were indifferent about slavery. After reading the book, people who did not care weather slavery was abolished or not, became abolitionists. Stowe hastened the outbreak of the civil war because of this. At the beginning of the war, Lincoln referred to Stowe as the “little lady who started the war.” The war probably would have started a couple years later if it was not for Stowe. During this time there were many abolitionist works of literature but Uncle Tom’s Cabin was by far the most popular. Many critics have tried to discuss why it was such a landmark novel and what made this piece of literature outstanding. (Piacentino, Hedrick) John West describes Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a novel full of prudence. Stowe was very crafty when writing the novel. She did not want the content merely to denounce slavery. Doing so would m alienate the Americans who were indifferent about the subject of slavery. West points out that in order to persuade the indifferent audience, Stowe took the virtue of prudence very seriously. By using the virtue of prudence, she was able to craft a novel that was able to persuade the undecided to be against slavery rather than alienate them (West). The
Cited: Oliver, Egbert S. "The Little Cabin of Uncle Tom." College English 26.5 (Feb. 1965): 355-361. Rpt Piacentino, Ed. "Stowe 's Uncle Tom 's Cabin." Explicator 58.3 (Spring 2000): 135-138. Rpt. in Children 's Literature Review West, John. "Going back to Uncle Tom 's Cabin. (Civil War)." Books & Culture July-Aug. 2003: 26. Literature Resource Center