Uncle Tom's Cabin By Harriet Beacher Stowe: Summary

“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beacher Stowe exemplifies the struggles of two Negro slaves’ fight for freedom. This novel focuses on an older man by the name of Tom, and a young mom, named Eliza. Both characters start out in Kentucky, both owned by a kind-hearted man named Mr. Shelby and his wife. Mr. Shelby is in great debt, and to clear up his name of any bad marks financially, he seneds for a slave trader called Mr. Haley. The slaves choosen to be sold are the innocent young Harry, whom is Eliza’s only son; and a faithful and loyal man called Tom. Eliza overhears the plan to sell her son, and in a whim of frightfulness and sorrows she plans to leave for Canada. That very day her husband, George sends word that he planned to leave, and so

Haley sends out slave catchers to capture Eliza. Eliza is almost captured but manages to escape by divine providence. When Mr. Haley returns empty handed he finds that Tom is still there. Tom had decided not to run away as he was faithful to his owner (Mr. Shelby) and believed in doing what was right.
Tom and Haley leave for the south and go down to Mississippi by ferry. While on the ferry, Tom saves the life of a sweet young girl named Eva, who falls over the side of the boat. He jumps into the water without any hesitation, and rescues the girl. The girl pleads with her father (a kind man by the name of St. Augustine). Tom is bought by St. Augustine and begins a new life in the south.
While St. Augustine is a gentle man, his wife is not, and ends up treating the slaves in a more contemporary manner. The slaves work very hard under St. Augustine’s wife, and when a new slave joins by the name of Topsy, she makes it her personal goal to soften the girl into being a kind hearted Christian. Eva also make great attempts to change Topsy’s rambunctious personality. Eva soon falls very sick, and on her deathbed she leaves each of the slave a lock of her beautiful hair, and makes her final wish that Tom will be set free. She dies of Tuberculosis soon

Clare family (St. Augustine’s family), St. Augustine write in his will for Tom to be freed, but that day he is killed in a fight and the papers are destroyed. In the coming days Tom, and the rest of the Slave hands working in the St. Clare home are sold.
Tom is sold to an evil man named Mr. Legree who uses slaves disposably. He works hard to harden Tom’s gentle hearted manner through very painful beatings, so that Tom can one day be an overseer. During this time Tom pleads with two prostitutes on Legree’s plantation to flee and to go to get a better life. They are able to escape in a heart racing chapter. When Legree finds out he blames Tom, and then beats him to death. The new master of the Kentucky plantation (George Shelby) goes to by Tom back, only to end up burying him instead.
In the meantime, Cassy and Emmilene (the prostitutes) make it on a ferry to Canada. The same boat incidentally is carrying Mr. George Shelby who tells them his story. They piece all of the clues together and Cassy discovers that Eliza is her daughter. Emmilene and Cassy go to Canada to unite with Eliza and George. The story ends on a bitter sweet note, crying over the death of Tom and rejoicing over the new lives of Cassy, Emmilene, George, Eliza and their son Harry. This novel gives a good look into the struggle of an everyday slave and defined the rejoicing that occurs in