Uncle Tom's Cabin

Ok, this book, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is on every list out there for teens to read. I never had much desire to pick it up... well until now as I continue learning about the Civil War. Found it at my libary on audio.


I am about 8 chapters into it and the audio rendition is read by Rebecca Nicholas. This woman has a wonderful talent for voices- black, white, male, female, she captures them all.

What I knew about this book was that it was an instant best seller and helped to show the plight of the slaves and cement the Abolitionist's cause prior to the Civil War. That was about all I knew.

What I have found is that HBS manages to really humanize these slaves. They are people, with souls, feelings and lives. She also portrays the owners as not all bad, but all misguided.

I found it very telling when she said of some kind owners, who treated their slaves well, educated and nurtured them (a rarity), that even though these particular slaves had it better than some, the institution could not be forgiven. Their lives were still in the hands of others.

Today I got curious about who HBS was, so did some google-ly research. Turns out she was a prolific writer and had a supportive husband. More than half of her children died before her and some had addictions. She lived a tough life, but being raised by a father who was anti-slavery and encouraged discussion at home, she came to believe in certain values and write about them throughout her life.

I love this- I see shades of a home full of atmosphere of learning and disucssion. Something we try to foster here, too. It seems like whenever I look into people who make a difference in the world, they have backgrounds that caused them to think.. rarely did they just go through the motions of a standard education.

Here are some quotes from some bios I found. Her mom died when she was five, but her family had a large impact on her life.

...After the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Stowe became an internationally acclaimed celebrity and an extremely popular author. In addition to novels, poetry and essays, she wrote non-fiction books on a wide range of subjects including homemaking and the raising of children, and religion. She wrote in an informal conversational style, and presented herself as an average wife and mother. ...

...She was fortunate in having the support of her husband Calvin Stowe who always encouraged his wife in her career. This kind of support from a husband was unusual at the time when women were not expected to have a career outside the home...

...In 1820 Lyman (her father) preached anti-slavery sermons in response to the issue of whether Missouri should be admitted to the union as a slave or a free state. Lyman's dynamic preaching, religious energy and commitment had a profound impact on all of his children. He encouraged an intellectual environment at home and would often lead family debates on important issues of the day....


...She (her sister Catherine) argued that running a home was as complicated as running an office and that young women should be instructed in these duties the same way boys should be instructed in careers outside the home. Catharine also stressed the importance of written expression. Her students spent many hours composing essays. As a result of Catharine's teaching methods, Harriet received an unusually fine education, and, under her sister's guidance, began to develop her talent as a writer....