Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a truly classic tale of morals and values as Harriet Beecher Stowe describes the hardship of slavery in the nineteenth century American south. The language is very colourful and captures the innocence of the enslaved black people. Eliza’s heartbreaking flight from Shelby’s farm in fear of being parted from her son illustrates the many hardships that African Americans had to endure. Stowe mocks the slave trader in both appearance and manner and portrays Haley solely as an evil businessman who has to contradict himself in order to secure his profit. The societal laws are also mocked as the wives of the decision-makers begin to rebel against politics and place moral Christian values higher than revolutionaries. The purchase of Tom to St. Clare gives us hope in that some men see the errors of society and aim to appear erratic but actually demonstrate compassion to their fellow man. It's a shame that he is upstaged by his wife Marie who is the epitome of everything she says. Stowe’s characters are well thought out and create great banter in their dialogue; which makes this for a very entertaining read.

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