Uncle Tom's Cabin Religion

In comparison with the views of historians as well as historical documents, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was highly accurate in depicting the lives and attitudes of slaves. In most cases, slaves were treated as lowly subjects that did not have the same rights as whites; families were separated, they did not receive an education, and they were abused mercilessly. Common responses to slavery included rebellion, defiance, and some submission. The slaves were able to use their religion and love for family to cope with the harsh lifestyle that accompanied slavery. The novel overall was more of an attack on the subject of slavery in general, rather than only an attack on southerners. However, there were instances with specific attacks on southerners. To begin

Religious practices and mentioning of God were common throughout Stowe’s novel and was the main method of coping for the slaves. Eliza constantly looked to God for hope and even explained to her husband “…if you only trust in God, and try to do right, he’ll deliver you,” (Stowe 23). There was a group that also gathered often in Uncle Tom’s cabin to sing worship songs and pray together. Tom was a patriarch figure for religion, with his prayer having “touching simplicity” and “childlike earnestness” that was enriching and reassuring for those who were listening (Stowe 37). Stowe also suggested that when slaves were with their families, they found comfort and love and they needed nothing else. George valued his family and when he was with them, he felt “rich and strong” (Stowe 213), and that was his coping mechanism for being

Fitzhugh was a slavery enthusiast and sought to encourage people to take his side. To sum up his view, he believed the slaves of the South were “the happiest, and in some sense, the freest people in the world” (Fitzhugh). It is clear in Stowe’s novel that she in no way conveyed the slaves as happy people, but rather distraught ones. One idea that does prove similar is the way slaves were looked upon; they were lesser peoples than whites. Fitzhugh argued that blacks were “unfitted for the mechanic arts, for trade, and all skillful pursuits,” and they needed a lower level job so that the whites could take over the more difficult jobs in life. This displays his idea of superiority over the black people, just as Stowe conveyed Haley’s attitude toward the