- 上一篇：政治生态伦理对《第二十二条军规》和《纸牌屋》的对比研究
- 下一篇：从《虎妈猫爸》和《成长的烦恼》浅析中美家庭教育的差异
1 Introduction
1.1 An Introduction to Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was an American female author, who was best known for her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852). It is said that President Lincoln once met Mrs. Stowe during the Civil War and said to her, “So you are the little woman who wrote the book that made this big war.”
This novel comes from her experiences. When she visited Kentucky, she witnessed the miserable life of slaves and was shocked. She was also affected by her farther, who was a pastor with strong antislavery emotion. Later, she moved to Maine with her husband and was excited at the discussions about antislavery there. Later, she wrote all that misery and her sympathy into her novel.
The novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin generated great social impact as soon as it came out. Mrs. Stowe was discussed as an outstanding female who showed great insight and influence at the critical moment in American history.
H.B. Stowe is a prolific writer, and her other major works include The Pearl of Orr’s Island (1862), Oldtown Folks (1869) and My Wife and I (1871).
1.2 An Introduction to Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in 1852 and became the bestselling novel at once.
This novel tells the different lives of some black slaves. Uncle Tom is the leading character. He is loyal and kind, being sold by his owner to pay a debt. What’s worse, Tom is sold for several times, and eventually he dies of the white owner’s maltreatment. Another female character is Eliza. She chooses to escape after hearing that her son would be sold. She encounters much danger on the way of escaping but she finally protects her son and gets freedom. Another young man is George, who decides to battle for freedom and finally lives in a free country with his family.
Later, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was translated into 22 languages and aroused keen public response of fighting against American slavery. This book contributed a lot to the outbreak of the Civil War because it brought the dark parts of South plantation slavery to the public. The miserable life of blacks described in this book did arouse wide sympathy around the world. What’s more, this book also stirred rebelling consciousness of slaves, so it helped lay the foundation for the ending of slavery in America. It was seen as the most influential anti-slavery novel in that period.
2 Literature Review
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, caused great sensation in the mid and late 19th century in America after its publication and ranked the bestseller only second to the Bible in that period. No one can argue that it was one of the most influential books in American literary history. This novel describes the dark living conditions of American blacks and exposes hideous features of some slave owners. To a large extent, Uncle Tom’s Cabin paved the way for the American Civil War and helped end the slavery. It is even said that President Lincoln once met Mrs. Stowe and said to her: “So you are the little woman who wrote the book that made this big war.” For such a great novel, lots of researchers have given their reviews.
In decades after its publication, it received numerous criticism from the literary circle. Many of them focus on its historical influence to American society. For example, Moira D. Reynolds once presented a review at its cultural, political and religion impacts to the mid-nineteenth century of United States, and he asserts this novel as a vital antislavery tool (1986). David S. Reynolds emphasizes the book’s impact from a larger sense, not only to the Civil War but also to worldwide political events, and even to events in the following 20th century. He also explores Mrs. Stowe’s background and he thinks that Mrs. Stowe’s religious visions plays a fundamental role in the creation of the novel (2011).