从《汤姆叔叔的小屋》分析奴隶制对摧毁奴隶母亲的影响

摘 要19世纪的美国，以美国南部为主的农庄主，压榨奴隶的情况越演越烈。《汤姆叔叔的小屋》是一部呈现了美国19世纪奴隶制真实状况的反奴隶制小说。小说中，除了汤姆叔叔这个主要角色之外，作者斯托夫人还着重描写了奴隶母亲的悲惨人生。无论是对孩子、家庭或整个种族而言，奴隶母亲都是黑人奴隶中至关重要的一个群体。奴隶母亲守护自己的孩子，保护家庭，守护整个奴隶群体。即使奴隶制从身心上摧毁了奴隶母亲，践踏了她们的人性，剥夺了她们的权利，破坏了自然法则，奴隶母亲仍然承担着守护的责任。 奴隶母亲无论作为生产工具，还是繁殖工具，都是奴隶主的财产。作为私有物，她们承受着奴隶主的折磨，由此害怕他们。奴隶制的盛行使得美国社会出现了许多泯灭人性的事情。以奴隶母亲为例，她们不能成为真正的母亲，家庭支离破碎，失去人的尊严。奴隶母亲所受的遭遇是整个奴隶群体遭遇的典型，因此，可以深刻揭露奴隶制的罪恶。而且，奴隶母亲越是柔弱，就越能激起读者的同情。奴隶母亲身上自带的道德力量能够揭露奴隶制度假象，体现奴隶制要被废除的必要性。

毕业论文关键词： 《汤姆叔叔的小屋》；奴隶制；奴隶母亲；母爱；摧毁

1. Introduction

1.1 Brief introduction to history of slavery in American

Slavery had existed in American since colonial period. Since first 20 black slaves were sent to Jamestown, Virginia by Mayflower (a ship which carried black slaves to American), many states admitted legality of black slaves. Slaves live miserable life far from their homeland. Their life can only sustain 7-8 years, ascribing to work load, poor living condition and so on. Hence, slaves attempt to escape. Then, slaveholders realized they needed laws to make slavery system firmly, and restricted slaves. Law in North Carolina in 1715 announced that as long as any black slave builds a house, even if took an excuse of religion, the plantation owners and slaveholders should be fined 50 pounds (Chidester, 1988: 143). Georgia State legislated that slaveholders can whip their slaves, if they make any reason for assembly. Later The Fugitive Law was established. The law permitted slaveholders that went to Northern Free States to take runaway slaves back. Eventually contradiction provoked confliction of slavery in 1850. 

Under the torture and darkness, slaves were afflicted by slaveholders. Thus, most of them attempted to deprecate unfair treatment. They conducted many revolts, but didn’t work at all. It would be hard to keep peace and harmony on the basis of slavery in unfair society, unless being abolished. 

1.2 Brief introduction of Uncle Tom’s Cabin 

Uncle Tom’s Cabin is an antislavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe which plays a significant role in accelerating the process of the slavery abolishment. The novel receives considerable attention from literary scholars because of tremendous influence on slavery. The suffering of Tom and other slaves give a strong impression to arouse the public sympathy. To some extends, Uncle Tom’s Cabin is recognized as the trigger of Civil War and the accelerator to lay the groundwork of Civil War. Although the function of the novel is amplifying, it does provoke antislavery movement in American. 

The story happens in Kentucky, the central part of American, in mid-19th century. Tom is a devout slave whom belonged to Mr. Shelby. He is sold to cover Shelby’s debt, but dies at the end. Besides Tom, slave mothers in the novel also take crucial roles, such as black maid Eliza. The author shapes them like woman warriors. Slave mother can work as much as male slave, foster children by themselves, and fight against slavery system.