Critical Analysis of Uncle Toms Cabin and The Escape - Book Report/Review Example

Critical Analysis of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Escape,” Deboleena Rakshit, Academia Research, May 6, 2008 Themes in ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin deals with the plight of the Black slaves in America in the 19th Century. It poignantly describes the trials and tribulations of the majority of the slaves of the period, while trying to convince the contemporary White audience of the merits of a different way of life, one without slavery. We must remember this story was written in retort to the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which made it illegal to help any slave escape. (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/uncletom/context.html) Critics claim that this story is primarily an emotional tale not a completely realistic depiction of society at the time. Arthur Shelby and his wife are slaveholders. Among their slaves is a hardworking, devoutly Christian slave, Uncle Tom, the acknowledged protagonist of the story. The couple treats the slaves kindly and does not show any ‘unnecessary’ acts of dominance, preferring their unwavering loyalty instead. However, because of financial trouble, Shelby is forced to sell Uncle Tom to an obnoxious, inhuman slave trader by the name of Haley. Haley’s character in the story epitomizes the ‘Cruel Slave-Owner’. His coarse manners; his justification of the harsh treatment meted out to the slaves; and his complete lack of sensitivity to their sentiments are all designed to repel the readers and give them a vivid image of the perpetrators of slavery. Uncle Tom, though heartbroken at the separation, luckily finds another kindly owner in Mr. St. Clare and his daughter, the angelic Eva. The beginning of the story therefore is not as harsh and cruel as one would expect of a novel on slavery. However, this first, seemingly placid part of the book does not seek to justify the practice of slavery or to prove that it was alright to have slaves as long as their owners took care of them. On the contrary, Stowe strives to show the reader that even under the best of conditions, i.e. with a loving master and mistress, reasonably comfortable accommodation, and being raised with education, slavery was an oppressive practice and destroyed the lives of several innocent God-fearing men and women. This is more apparent when one considers the characters of the Shelbys a little more brutally. Under their veneer of gentle kindliness lie the traits of hypocrisy and weakness. Arthur Shelby, although unwittingly, is responsible for unleashing the chain of events which ultimately lead to the cruel demise of Uncle Tom. Had Shelby and his wife been a tad stronger in the face of Haley, who he dislikes instinctively and kept their promise of freeing Uncle Tom, he (Uncle Tom) could possibly have had a happier ending. The instance where Arthur Shelby seeks to console himself for separating Tom from his family by smoking a cigar also emphasize the fact that essentially the slaveholders remained untouched by the evil practice and it was the poor, laboring class of Black slaves whose lives were torn apart by it. Stowe implies that no matter how good the intentions of the masters, the interests of the slaves lay in freedom and the abolition of slavery. After the tragic death of both Eva and St. Clare, Uncle Tom is sold to the terrible plantation owner, Simon Legree. The cruelties inflicted on the black slaves at the plantation are perhaps a more eye-opening and revealing picture of the brutality of slavery. Throughout the story, and right to his own tragic death, Uncle Tom maintains his staunch faith in God. His faith, Eva’s saintly nature and innocence, the Shelbys kindly natures are all meant to emphasize the importance of Christian beliefs and actions and how they are in conflict with the very concept of slavery. (http://www.online-literature.com/stowe/uncletom/) Themes in ‘The Escape’: This play, written by William Wells Brown, is often considered one of the most authentic representations of the lives of slaves in 19th Century America. Brown, being having born a slave himself, depicts more realistically and brutally society under slavery. “Abolitionist, author and professional lecturer, William Wells Brown was born a slave on the plantation of John Young, a physician, near Lexington, Kentucky.” (“The Roots of African American Drama: An Anthology of Early Plays, 1858-1938.” Hamalian and Hatch. ISBN: 0814321429) The play begins with Dr. Gaines announcing to his wife that they were in for better days as he had been appointed the family physician by Wyman, his neighbor. Dr. Gaines and his wife repeatedly pray and hope for illnesses to befall more people so that, as Mrs. Gaines puts it, “business might prosper." Their speech makes it apparent to the reader that despite being part of the gentility and being born with “a silver spoon in my (Mrs. Gaines) mouth,” the couple are nothing more than a greedy, shallow and cruel pair. The way in which Dr. Gaines, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Walker and the rest talk of the slaves as being only slightly better than pack animals again emphasize the mentality of the richer classes of the time. Slaves are thought of as mere commodities to be sold when prices are high in the market and bought only after careful ‘examination’ as in the case of Big Sally and Sam. Mr. Walker even looks at Sam’s teeth as he “allers judge a nigger’s age by his teeth, same as I does a hoss.” The hypocrisy of these gentlemen is very stark throughout the play. For instance when separating Sam from his wife, Mr. Walker claims it hurts his “tender heart” to see him and Sally crying and promises them to buy a ginger cake for consolation. Even the clergyman, Reverend Pinchen is not above selling a few of his slaves to pay for “travelling expenses.” Another touching aspect of this play is Cato, the slave’s urge for respectability. He announces with great pride that he is the doctor and even takes offense when the patients doubt his claim. After the scuffle with Bill, Cato is more pained at the damage of his coat than having been bitten and scratched! “Oh, dear me! Oh, my coat- my coat is tore!” The secret love between Melinda and Glen, which despite the obstacles in their way remains strong as they ultimately succeed in escaping to Canada, via the Ohio river with the help of a ‘Quaker’ family, that of Mr. and Mrs. Neals. This aspect of the play, similar to the relationship between George and Eliza in Uncle Tom’s Cabin lends a touch of romance to an essentially grim topic. One could also see it as proof that the authors thought love did ultimately triumph over all obstacles. Commonality of Themes: There are certain themes and ideas which, quite understandably, run common in both the stories. The first and most important would be the depiction of the evils of slavery; the desire for freedom from enslavement and its expression as wistful sighs or angry curses, passive reconciliation or determination to break free; the treatment and perception of slaves by the Whites: both the ‘benign’ and the ‘cruel’ owners; these are some of the themes, issues and conflicts in the two works. 1. Perception of the Blacks: In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, we see the hardened slave-trader Mr. Haley talk of Black slaves as being insensate creatures: “These critters aint like white folks, you know; they gets over things, only manage right.” This typifies the mentality of the Whites, even the most liberal of them, towards their slaves. Running through the play is a constant idea urging the readers, the targeted White audience of the time, to start thinking of the Blacks as fellow beings. Eva’s innocence, in which she thanks her good fortune for having a house full of slaves because they are more people to love, is a gentle reminder of the same idea of brotherhood. The interaction between Eliza and George, which is both passionate and intensely human, seeks to bring out the similarity between them and any other pair of lovers, irrespective of the color of their skins. In The Escape, Dr. Gaines considers selling of his slaves before they contract cholera, which will mean a huge monetary loss. Mrs. Gaines repeatedly flogs Hannah, her maid, and then curses her for tiring her out! The examination of Sam and Big Sally, includes looking at their teeth to ascertain their age, asking Sam to dance to show how supple he is and humiliating them with questions of religion which they cannot answer. Mr. Right is insulted and ridiculed for quoting the Constitution and suggesting that slavery be abolished. All these instances portray the reality of the period in a stark, and often poignant manner evoking pity and anger. In both the stories we see the subtle effort at drawing parallels between the Whites and the Blacks and establishing the fact that they were, after all, not that different! By portraying similar emotions felt by both, similar reactions to situations, similar aspirations and desires Stowe and Wells successfully manage to convince the readers, and perhaps even persuaded their contemporary audiences of the imaginary differences between the races. Their works have been instrumental in bringing about the abolition of slavery, not just as a law but as social stigma as well. 2. The Desire for Freedom: Does the human desire for freedom from bondage and enslavement transcend all other concerns? This is another question which is dealt with in these texts. Considering the character of George in Stowe’s story or Glen in The Escape, one would be tempted to say yes. Would the bestiality and prolonged oppression faced by the slaves inevitably lead to a mass protest, a seething “volcano”? Logically, one would conclude, yes. But, if Uncle Tom himself be considered. A dignified, middle-aged gentleman who, although a slave, did not really resent working for the Shelbys. In fact Arthur Shelby’s young son, Mas’r George is his beloved friend and tutor. When he leaves the Shelby household, he is genuinely heartbroken. They are his family and the thought that he might have been exploited by them does not occur to his simple, Christ-loving heart. In the same way, his wife too does not feel the need to protest against slavery. As far as she is concerned, she is happy cooking treats for her Mas’r George, who in turn boasts to his friends about their cook’s prowess in the kitchen. They represent the group of slaves fortunate enough to have had relatively kind and generous owners. However, you could also call them short-sighted, as they did not really ever look beyond the possibility of enslavement. They accepted, rather docilely, the state of affairs as being inevitable and unalterable. In sharp contrast are the characters of Eliza, George and Melinda and Glen in The Escape. These young slaves, from relatively different backgrounds all have the same burning will in them to escape. They all cherish their precious and fragile dreams of escaping to Canada, where they shall finally be free. This theme represents the ideal of independence and how much we, as humans value it. It makes us ponder about what our own courses of action may have been in similar situations. Most of us, fortunately, are born free, under no obligations to anyone. Reading these stories, one realizes suddenly the immense value of freedom and wonder whether we really cherish it as passionately as we should. Contrasting Ideas: Although the overall theme in both Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Escape is the complete denouncement of slavery there is a marked difference in the treatment. In the former, Uncle Tom represents the non-violent, passive, almost subservient victim of slavery. His tale evokes pity rather than provoke anger. His faith in God, although severely tested, remains unbroken till the end. Tom would rather see Heaven, as granted to every good Christian soul, than to raise a voice against what he probably saw as his destiny. The story, throughout, is more of an emotional appeal to tug at your heartstrings than a tale of valor and heroic rebellion. And it is here where Stowe’s critics find fault. They think her portrayal justifies the practice of ‘benevolent’ slavery i.e. where the owners are reasonably kind and thoughtful. They say that Uncle Tom’s behavior proves him to be subservient to the Whites and a man who seeks their approval for his every deed. However, this is a rather inaccurate not to mention unkind, judgment to make. Stowe’s representation, as already mentioned, was directed against slavery in toto. Through her characters of Shelby and St. Clare, well-meaning but rather ineffectual, she shows that slavery in any form needed to be uprooted. The only good of the slaves lay in their complete and inalienable freedom. The play, on the other hand, is a more biting, and complex tale. The Gaines’ treatment of their slaves, Mrs. Gaines’ sadistic streak, Dr. Gaines’ irrational behavior prompted by his infatuation with Melinda; the character of Cato and his polar shift to complete devotion to and utter contempt of his owners: all these make the play a multi-faceted treat for the observer of human nature. Added to this, the writer’s claim in the preface that the story is in fact real, specifically the characters of Melinda and Glen, lend it an authenticity which perhaps is missing in the former. It also has a more ‘savage’ tone to it. For instance, when Cato at the end of the play announces how we would like to bash up his master! At the risk of sounding sexist, this difference in the tone of the two pieces, may have possibly been due to the respective gender of their authors. The play also has contains many speeches in the dialect of the erstwhile Black slaves, which again is an effective insight into the nature, thoughts and beliefs of the oppressed slaves. A Recurring Motif: In both the novel and the play one finds the Ohio river and the country of Canada being represented as the haven of these slaves. Both Glen and George speak wistfully of their plans to head across the river into the free land of Canada where they shall, at long last, breathe free. The ‘Quaker’ families too are instrumental in the role of the ‘helpers’ who assist the slaves reach their destination. This reflects the general perception of those associated with the Religious Society of Friends, as being kindly and helpful, good Samaritans. References: 1. http://www.online-literature.com/stowe/uncletom/ 2. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/uncletom/context.html 3. “The Roots of African American Drama: An Anthology of Early Plays, 1858-1938.” Hamalian and Hatch. ISBN: 0814321429 Read More