Uncle Tom's Cabin

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mikesx50
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Uncle Tom's Cabin

Post by mikesx50 »

Easy to see why this book had such an impact and why it is considered to be a contributory factor to the American Civil War. Just so thought provoking and to think it is a commentary on what was considered acceptable - by some - just 160 years ago.
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readergirl295
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Post by readergirl295 »

It may have been, but as a Civil War reenactor, slavery was not the only reason. People think that slavery was the only reason, but it wasn't. The Confederacy wanted to have their own rights, and didn't want the government to take away more of their rights, including the right to own slaves. :|
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Love2talk7293
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Post by Love2talk7293 »

Yes I agree that the war started as the South wanting independence but slavery was also a hot button issue. This book was very influential in changing the course of the war by giving an emotional appeal to the human heart. I don't think anyone can read this without feeling for all of the characters and getting very attached to them. It further reinforces how horrible slavery is and how equal we all are as human beings. We all have goals, hopes, and dreams. Ultimately we all want to be free to pursue those dreams.
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gali
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Post by gali »

I have read this book and loved it. Another book with the same theme that I found even better was "Roots" by alex haley. Both books effected me.
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FNAWrite
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Post by FNAWrite »

I won't hijack this thread, but will say that slavery permeated almost every reason the South had for going to war.

"their own rights"? The Confederacy in particualr wanted "their own right" to establish slavery in the territories and their claimed "right" to prohibit free states from granting freedom to persons within their own borders. Do you dispute that these Southern states so concerned with state's rights pushed through the Fugitive Slave Act which required under penalty of law that my ancestors in New Jersey give aid to slave trackers and boutny humters? What about new jersey's rights?

It's been decades since I read "Uncle Tom's Cabin". I recall it as a very hard read, which, again from my recollection, is not unusual for works from this period.
mikesx50
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Post by mikesx50 »

Interesting that specific piece of legislation should be quoted. We meet Senator Bird in Chapter 9 who voted in favour of this Bill, yet was only too keen to assist the fleeing Eliza. This typifies the conflict which many of the characters "grapple"with between their abhorrance of slavery and a reluctance to challenge the "system".
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Post by saouad »

I think it's important to recognize that this work of fiction is part of a larger emancipation body of literature aimed at humanizing slaves and in fact drawing sympathy and compassion for their plight.

As such, I think its objective is not so much literary as it is political. As such, from a literary point of view, characters and dramatic tension are sometimes oversimplified, though they remain aptly compelling and so serve the novel's purpose.
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Post by acasto »

I read this when I was younger, so I just thought it was cute. I didn't know there was so much more in this story.
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Post by KLyons1 »

It had enough impact at the time that there's a story* that when Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe he commented that she was the 'little** lady who wrote the book that started this great war.'

*But when I Googled to find the quote, I learned that there's no historical documentation to support the story.

**The author was diminutive in stature, so IF this was the phrasing (if it occurred at all), Mr. Lincoln was not being patronizing.
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KLyons1
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Post by KLyons1 »

It had enough impact at the time that there's a story* that when Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe he commented that she was the 'little** lady who wrote the book that started this great war.'

*But when I Googled to find the quote, I learned that there's no historical documentation to support the story.

**The author was diminutive in stature, so IF this was the phrasing (if it occurred at all), Mr. Lincoln was not being patronizing.
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PashaRu
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Very compelling book, but the character of Eva annoyed me. She was too good, and everything involving her was a bit too sentimental and spread a bit thick.
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bibliomaniac_23
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Post by bibliomaniac_23 »

Uncle Tom's cabin is a heart rendering book and it succeeds very well in showcasing the grime reality of slavery in America in those days. Though the book is essentially dark, there are parts of it which allow the nature of truly heroic individuals to shine through. It is a book that speaks about exploitation, misery and heartbreak. But apart from this, it also showcases the triumph of the human spirit over all adversaries.
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Melissa Coffield
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Post by Melissa Coffield »

Very well put.

-- 15 Apr 2015, 15:54 --

To the person who read it when they were young; I was the same. When I re-read it a couple months ago I realized how much I had missed and not understood. Re-read it as an adult
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Stevefromtheblock
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Post by Stevefromtheblock »

I read this book a few years ago and liked it. It is not only classic literature, but important from a historical perspective as well.
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Post by godreaujea »

I have had this book on my (physical) bookshelf for a while. I need to pick it up! I have a fascination with African American literature, especially during this time period. So tragic.
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