Major Works Data Sheet
Title: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe
Date of Publication: March 20, 1852
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Adventure
Characteristics of the genre:
Some of the characteristics of historical fiction include that the story references a historical event, and the conflict is shaped by a problem that took place in the same time period as the book.
Historical information about the period of publication or setting of the novel:
The 1850s was a time of great conflict between The North and The South that was set to lead up to the election of Abraham Lincoln and the secession of the south right after. The decade in general was filled mainly with conflicts between abolitionists and anti-abolitionists. Once published
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Shelby, in a debt slaveholder selling Tom, a faithful Christian, trustworthy and honest man. He also sells Harry who is the young son of his wife’s favorite slave, Eliza. After being informed out the deal Eliza decides to take Harry and attempt to run to Canada and have them both be reunited with Eliza’s husband George there. Tom does not run, once again because he is an honest man. While being transported to The South, Tom meets a little girl named Eva who he saves from drowning. Because of this Eva’s father ends up buying Tom for her. Tom and Eva grow fond of each other, and Eva treats her slaves well, even teaching one to read. Eva soon grows ill and dies of tuberculosis, leaving the whole St. Clare family and its slaves devastated. Tom is then promised his freedom, but Mr. St Clare is killed before he manages to finish all the papers. Tom is then sold to Simon Legree who is very violent to his slaves, and even tries to harden Tom into being an overseer for the plantation, which doesn’t work. Tom eventually convinces two female slaves to escape, but is beat to death soon after. The two escaped slaves end up telling their story to Mr. Shelby who the happen to end up on the same ship. It is then revealed that two slaves on the ship are related to Eliza and George and end up travelling to Canada, eventually being reunited with their whole family. Mr. Shelby returns home without Tom, devastated, he soon after grants all of his slaves freedom. …show more content…
his masters. In terms of Eliza’s family they went through a lot to get to Canada such as going through the Quaker settlement and George when he was in the hotel. The family eventually was reunited to gain their freedom in Canada. When it came to Tom, he was a lot different than Eliza, he was a very honest man and did not run even when he had the option to at the beginning of the story. He instead intended to have his freedom granted by his masters, which was almost granted to him twice. His attempt at good behavior drove him there but ended with his own death from not letting his faithfulness be changed by his last master Legree. He lives on after as a memorial for Shelby’s ex-slaves to stay honest and