Mr. Shelby In Uncle Tom's Cabin

534 Words3 Pages

"Mr. Shelby had the appearance of a gentleman; and the arrangements of the house, and the general air of the housekeeping, indicated easy, and even opulent circumstances." (Chapter 1, page 4) this quote describes one of the characters in Harriet Beecher Stowe's famous novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. There is a stark contrast between Mr. Shelby Mr. Haley, and Mr. St Claire. The novel describes Mr. Shelby's kindhearted, pragmatic, and responsible personality. The story indulges the reader with the details of Mr. Haley’s ruthless, greedy, and unsympathetic characteristics. The story also sheds light on Mr. St Claire's compassionate, indifferent, and indulgent behavior. Mr. Shelby is a kind-hearted responsible and pragmatic slave owner. Mr. Shelby is extremely kind-hearted he was reluctant to sell his slaves knowing they would be going to worse homes he only did so because of financial struggles. Mr. Shelby is responsible not only for his slaves but for his family as well. He is very pragmatic, he is very practical, and is always trying to find ways to mitigate the negative effects of slavery by allowing the slaves to marry and providing them with decent living conditions. "He did not like it that they [slaves] should fail in their respect to him, yet he resolved to treat them with indulgence." …show more content…

Haley is the opposite of Mr. Shelby he is a ruthless, unsympathetic, and greedy slave trader. Mr. Haley is ruthless in the ways he treats the slaves that he sells he treats them poorly and even admits to beating them into submission." Mr. Haley was a brutal, selfish man, not to be trusted over an inch." (Chapter 7, page 59). He treats the slaves like things or property and not people. He is unsympathetic in the ways he treats not only the slaves but also the families he is taking the slaves away from not only their owners but also their husbands, wives, siblings, and children. Mr. Haley is a greedy man he does not care how his actions affect others, only how they benefit