Uncle Tom's Cabin Research Paper

Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852. It was published in an abolitionist editorial and had an astounding effect on the country. The authors intent of the novel was to exploit slavery for the monstrosity that it is by demonstrating how the practice pulls people away from Christianity and their morals, destroys families, and

The author conveys how slavery was an evil institution by showing how it propels people to abandon their faith and values. Taking into consideration that this novel was written in the antebellum period, the prevailing religion was by far, Christianity. Harriet Beecher Stowe uses this to her advantage by revealing multiple cases in which all classes of people turn their back on their Godly beliefs due to the corrupt nature of slavery. For instance, St. Clare reveals to Tom that he can no longer believe, that he doesn't see anything when he prays

Tom, the most religious character in the book, at one point confessed that it was vain to serve God (p. 329). Even though Tom was a self-made preacher, he was still vulnerable to betray his beliefs after suffering the treatment of slavery. George Harris is another example of this changing mindset. He told Eliza that he has endured too harsh of punishment to still be a christian (p. 16). George also considers God to be on the side of whites, unable to see the terrible treatment that they impose on slaves (p. 163). This was a common belief that Stowe used to capitalize her point with. Many slaves felt that they had no place to believe in God because He is against them and doesn’t protect them from sin. A third character who was turned atheist by slavery is Cassy, the slave mistress to Legree. She told Tom that when is was a girl she used to pray and love God, but now she has seen the devil and the evils of man so she no longer believes (p. 311). A prime All of these examples prove how slavery forces people away from