Harriet Beecher Stowe: A Preacher in Disguise by Blair Austin
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, at a time when women were not allowed to preach in most Protestant churches. Rather than preaching from a pulpit, Stowe disguises her identity as a preacher in her novel, and, in doing so, she successfully “preaches” to thousands of Americans and people all over the world. In this carefully crafted novel, Stowe focuses mainly on two slaves, a middle-aged man named Tom and a young woman named Eliza, who both come from the same owner in the state of Kentucky. Her story follows them as they endure the evils of slavery, and, through their stories and the stories of all the other characters in the novel, Stowe captures the reader and illustrates clear points about the wrongs of slavery, thus fueling the abolitionist movement. In the novel, she goes about her “preaching” in a nontraditional and subtle manner by using religious typology, by speaking directly to the reader, by including common religious themes, and most importantly, by having her strong characters do the true “preaching” through dialogue. Stowe uses all of these techniques to overcome the exclusion of women from the pulpit and to convince readers to feel and to act in regards to slavery.
To begin with, Stowe uses provocative religious typology to “preach” to her audience about the ills of slavery. The readers of Stowe’s time would have been very familiar with the Bible and would have immediately recognized the biblical allusions Stowe was making throughout the novel. Two of the most powerful examples of typology in the novel come in the characters of Eva and Tom. Stowe uses typology to show how both of these characters are Christ-like figures in the story. Eva is the daughter of Augustine St. Clare, one of Tom’s owners, and, although still a child, Eva has an uncommon air about her and impacts the lives of many characters. Throughout the novel, in the things she says and the way she acts and is described, she is a symbol of Jesus. Eva loves all her father’s slaves dearly, but she has particular affection for Tom. Eva and Tom quite often read and discuss the Bible together, and despite Eva’s young age, she has a very mature understanding of spiritual matters. She is the quintessential expression of Jesus’ words when he says, “I thank thee, O Father…because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25 KJV). It is ironic that Eva, a young child, can teach adults lessons about the evils of slavery and about being true Christians. The scenes of her sitting with Tom and reading the Bible bring to the mind of the nineteenth-century reader the story of when Jesus’ parents found him teaching in the temple as a boy. Just as Jesus had profound wisdom to teach to adults, Eva teaches adult characters, such as her father and adult readers, about Christianity. Perhaps the most striking typological aspect of the character of Eva is her death. In one instance when her death is foreshadowed, Eva talks about how she identifies with Jesus wanting to die for her when she says, “‘I’ve felt that I would be glad to die for them, if my dying could stop all this misery. I would die for them, Tom, if I could’” (Stowe 240). In essence, Eva fulfills these prophetic words because, through her untimely death, she brings about change in the hearts of some of the characters and she pricks the heart of the reader. Eva is, in a sense, sacrificing herself so others will stand up against slavery and will choose to truly live as Jesus did.
Stowe also uses Christ-like typology throughout the novel in the character of Tom. Tom is a picture of Jesus throughout the novel as he is constantly faithful, constantly trusting in God, and constantly extending grace and kindness to everyone along his path. For example, in one of Tom’s conversations with Cassy, it appears as though he is like Jesus and she is the “woman at the well” (John 4 KJV). Just like Jesus, Tom wants her to find the “living waters” that will truly save her soul (319). In fact, Stowe portrays Tom as the true Christian “missionary” in the novel, as he chooses to reach out to his fellow slaves and try to share with them the hope of the Gospel. Stowe writes that Tom longs to “pour” himself out “for the relief of their woes” (342). Through the amazing compassion he shows, many of their lives are changed. The most powerful typological scenes about Tom are before his death, and they mirror the death of Jesus. Just like Jesus, Tom is taunted and spit upon (339). As the cruel slaveholder Legree, Tom’s final owner, sneers at Tom, Legree is symbolic of the devil who tries to tempt Tom to betray Emmeline and Cassy. In the most pivotal scene of the entire novel, Tom is beaten nearly to death, and just as the beatings begin, he speaks the very dying words of Jesus: “‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit!’” (357). Stowe is not allowing the reader to miss what is really going on here–this is a spiritual battle. As Stowe compares Tom to Jesus, she makes the strong point that slaveholders are essentially persecuting Jesus.
Although Stowe creates characters and scenes that bring out strong feelings in the heart of the reader, she does not allow the reader to become self-righteous. One way that she does this is by speaking directly to the reader at key points in the novel. At these points, Stowe is still “preaching” to her audience; however, she is not at a pulpit but in her parlor. It has been said that Uncle Tom’s Cabin could be seen as a “letter to the nation” (Hobbs). Thus, rather than beating the pulpit and yelling at them, Stowe is more conversationally and personally prodding at her readers. One striking occurrence of this technique is before the scene of Tom’s beating where Stowe writes, “What brother-man and brother-Christian must suffer, cannot be told us, even in our secret chamber, it so harrows up the soul! And yet, oh my country! these things are done under the shadow of thy laws! O, Christ! they church sees them, almost in silence!” (358). Stowe is challenging her readers to wake up and see what they are allowing to happen because of their apathy and their lack of not doing what they ought as Christians. Beyond dropping these convicting lines into the mind and heart of the reader throughout the novel, the final chapter in the novel consists of Stowe addressing the reader alone. There, Stowe takes on more of a “preaching” tone; however, at this point she has won the attention and respect of her nineteenth-century audience, and she takes that opportunity to drive her final points home.
Similar to a typical nineteenth-century sermon, Stowe’s novel also includes common religious themes of judgment, salvation, eternity, and so on. One particular example of the idea of “judgment” comes when Augustine St. Clare, one of Tom’s owners, reads a Bible passage to Tom about judgment. In the passage, it explains that those who never cared for “one of the least of these” will be sent to eternal damnation (Matthew 25:31-45 KJV). In shock, St. Clare says of those people in the passage: “‘Tom, these folks that get such hard measure seem to have been doing just what I have,– living good, easy, respectable lives; and not troubling themselves to inquire how many of their brethren were hungry or athirst, or sick, or in prison’” (270). Here Stowe is forcing the reader to look at that familiar passage of Scripture and realize that, if they are doing nothing for the “least of these” (in this context, the slave) then they are not truly Christians (Matthew 25:45 KJV). This passage leads to a change of heart in St. Clare, and Stowe is hoping it will do the same for the reader. Stowe also promotes concern for the spiritual condition of the slave through all that happens at Legree’s plantation. In one particular scene, Tom is talking to Cassy about how he does not want to give in to Legree and become cold-hearted and cruel (313). Tom attempts to talk to Cassy about believing in God, but Cassy has experienced too much wickedness towards her in her life as a slave. She asks Tom, “‘But why does [God] put us where we can’t help but sin?’” (314). Tom responds by saying that they do have a choice; however, Stowe shows how many of the slaves feel as though their souls have been sold and they have no control over anything, particularly their morality. Stowe is showing the readers that they will be judged and held accountable for how they have corrupted the slaves and contributed to their moral depravity.
In addition to the techniques she uses, perhaps one of the most powerful ways that Stowe “preaches” in this novel is through using other voices to express her beliefs–the voices of her characters. Instead of Stowe talking, it is the beloved character that has touched the heart of the reader, giving his or her opinion. Stowe makes clear statements of her opinions through comments that are uttered by characters, even characters of lesser significance to the novel as a whole. For example, in the conversation about the Fugitive Slave Act between Mr. and Mrs. Shelby, the original owners of Tom and Eliza, towards the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Shelby urges her husband that it is his duty as a Christian to stand up against it. He claims that it would be a “great public evil” to break that law, and Mrs. Shelby retorts, “‘Obeying God never beings on public evils. I know it can’t. It’s always safest, all round, to do as He bids us.’” (69). Here Stowe is making a clear point about Christianity and politics. Stowe also uses character dialogue to “check” the reader at some points and keep him or her from placing total blame on any certain characters. One example of this is when the diabolical slaveholder Legree is transporting his new slaves to his plantation on a boat. Two passengers on the boat dialogue about Legree, and one of them is critical of his brutality. The other one responds saying, “‘It is your respectability and humanity that licenses and protects his brutality’” (295). Stowe senses the reader is siding with the man criticizing Legree, and she stops the reader by showing him or her that all the blame does not lie with the cruel slaveholders but with those who do nothing to stop it as well. Stowe subtly slides in her strong beliefs to make points that catch the readers and really make them think about their own lives in relation to the ideas present in the novel.
One of the major characters for whom Stowe crafts strong homiletic dialogue is the character of St. Clare. St. Clare is not the most “religious” character in this novel; however, Stowe uses him to do some of the most profound “preaching” in the novel. St. Clare verbally “wrestles” with a lot of the major issues, such as whether or not slavery is “right” or “wrong,” how to handle things if all slaves are freed, and so on. St. Clare has many important conversations with Miss Ophelia, his cousin from the North, in particular, as they discuss what to do about slavery. In crafting these conversations, one point that Stowe is making is that the North and the South each have contributed to the problem of slavery. She also makes the point that the Church is guilty as well. For example, when St. Clare gives Miss Ophelia the slave girl, Topsy, to “educate,” Miss Ophelia doesn’t want her and doesn’t know what to do with her. St. Clare responds to this by saying, “‘That’s you Christians, all over!–you’ll get up a society, and get some poor missionary to spend all his days among just such heathen. But let me see one of you that would take one into your house with you, and take the labor of their conversion on yourselves!’” (208). Through this conversation, Stowe is “preaching” about the Church’s lack of concern for the state of the slave’s soul and their hypocrisy in sending missionaries to other parts of the world and ignoring the ones they can minister to right outside their doors. Perhaps the strongest “preaching” from St. Clare’s mouth comes when he says this: “‘My view of Christianity is such…that I think no man can consistently profess it without throwing the whole weight of his being against this monstrous system of injustice that lies at the foundation of all our society’” (272). He goes on to say that the “the apathy of religious people on this subject” has led him to question associating himself with so-called “Christians” at all (272). These are harsh words for the nineteenth-century Christian reader to hear, and in them, Stowe is calling upon them to evaluate their own lives and see if they are being hypocritical.
The words that come out of young Eva’s mouth are also cleverly crafted to make points about slavery and about Christianity. As a child, Eva is a perfectly honest character who speaks from her heart. Stowe uses her pure and simple comments to show her adult Christian readers what Christianity should really look like. For example, she tells her father, St. Clare, that being a “Christian” is “‘loving Christ most of all’” (253). Also, in her conversation with her cousin Henrique, she pleads with him to love his servants. She asks him, “‘Don’t the Bible say we must love everybody?’” (237). Henrique responds with this, “‘O, the Bible! To be sure, it says a great many such things; but then, nobody ever think of doing them,–you know, Eva, nobody does.’” (237). This is a biting comment to the nineteenth-century readers, particularly because they realize, perhaps, that what Eva said was true but that they behave more like Henrique than they would like to admit. In addition, Eva’s character and speech are juxtaposed with those of her mother, Marie, a self-absorbed despot. At one point, Eva is trying to talk to Marie about the state of slave girl Topsy’s soul and Marie just brushes her off and continues to worry about herself. Eva asks, “‘But, mamma, isn’t God her father, as much as ours? Isn’t Jesus her Saviour?’” (249). Through the pure heart of a child, Stowe is convicting readers of their prejudice against the slaves and showing them that souls are being lost because of their neglect.
The time when Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a critical time in our nation’s history. Even beyond the fact that she was forbidden to preach in that era, Stowe recognized that traditional sermons were not making a difference in regards to the issue of slavery. She saw the need for a new tactic and that tactic was the sentimental novel. Stowe “preaches” in disguise in the novel by incorporating religious typology, by involving and addressing the reader, by using familiar religious themes, and by crafting dialogue between characters that “preaches” for her. This novel rips at the heart of this young nation, convicting them of their wrongs and challenging them, as Christians, to stand up and do what is right. It is a “sermon” that truly awakens America.
Works Cited
Hobbs, June. Lecture on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. English 231B: American Literature Survey 1.
Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, NC. 15 November 2010. Lecture.
Stowe, Harriet B. Uncle Tom's Cabin: Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Contexts Criticism.
Ed. Elizabeth Ammons. New York: Norton, 1994. Print.
To begin with, Stowe uses provocative religious typology to “preach” to her audience about the ills of slavery. The readers of Stowe’s time would have been very familiar with the Bible and would have immediately recognized the biblical allusions Stowe was making throughout the novel. Two of the most powerful examples of typology in the novel come in the characters of Eva and Tom. Stowe uses typology to show how both of these characters are Christ-like figures in the story. Eva is the daughter of Augustine St. Clare, one of Tom’s owners, and, although still a child, Eva has an uncommon air about her and impacts the lives of many characters. Throughout the novel, in the things she says and the way she acts and is described, she is a symbol of Jesus. Eva loves all her father’s slaves dearly, but she has particular affection for Tom. Eva and Tom quite often read and discuss the Bible together, and despite Eva’s young age, she has a very mature understanding of spiritual matters. She is the quintessential expression of Jesus’ words when he says, “I thank thee, O Father…because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25 KJV). It is ironic that Eva, a young child, can teach adults lessons about the evils of slavery and about being true Christians. The scenes of her sitting with Tom and reading the Bible bring to the mind of the nineteenth-century reader the story of when Jesus’ parents found him teaching in the temple as a boy. Just as Jesus had profound wisdom to teach to adults, Eva teaches adult characters, such as her father and adult readers, about Christianity. Perhaps the most striking typological aspect of the character of Eva is her death. In one instance when her death is foreshadowed, Eva talks about how she identifies with Jesus wanting to die for her when she says, “‘I’ve felt that I would be glad to die for them, if my dying could stop all this misery. I would die for them, Tom, if I could’” (Stowe 240). In essence, Eva fulfills these prophetic words because, through her untimely death, she brings about change in the hearts of some of the characters and she pricks the heart of the reader. Eva is, in a sense, sacrificing herself so others will stand up against slavery and will choose to truly live as Jesus did.
Stowe also uses Christ-like typology throughout the novel in the character of Tom. Tom is a picture of Jesus throughout the novel as he is constantly faithful, constantly trusting in God, and constantly extending grace and kindness to everyone along his path. For example, in one of Tom’s conversations with Cassy, it appears as though he is like Jesus and she is the “woman at the well” (John 4 KJV). Just like Jesus, Tom wants her to find the “living waters” that will truly save her soul (319). In fact, Stowe portrays Tom as the true Christian “missionary” in the novel, as he chooses to reach out to his fellow slaves and try to share with them the hope of the Gospel. Stowe writes that Tom longs to “pour” himself out “for the relief of their woes” (342). Through the amazing compassion he shows, many of their lives are changed. The most powerful typological scenes about Tom are before his death, and they mirror the death of Jesus. Just like Jesus, Tom is taunted and spit upon (339). As the cruel slaveholder Legree, Tom’s final owner, sneers at Tom, Legree is symbolic of the devil who tries to tempt Tom to betray Emmeline and Cassy. In the most pivotal scene of the entire novel, Tom is beaten nearly to death, and just as the beatings begin, he speaks the very dying words of Jesus: “‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit!’” (357). Stowe is not allowing the reader to miss what is really going on here–this is a spiritual battle. As Stowe compares Tom to Jesus, she makes the strong point that slaveholders are essentially persecuting Jesus.
Although Stowe creates characters and scenes that bring out strong feelings in the heart of the reader, she does not allow the reader to become self-righteous. One way that she does this is by speaking directly to the reader at key points in the novel. At these points, Stowe is still “preaching” to her audience; however, she is not at a pulpit but in her parlor. It has been said that Uncle Tom’s Cabin could be seen as a “letter to the nation” (Hobbs). Thus, rather than beating the pulpit and yelling at them, Stowe is more conversationally and personally prodding at her readers. One striking occurrence of this technique is before the scene of Tom’s beating where Stowe writes, “What brother-man and brother-Christian must suffer, cannot be told us, even in our secret chamber, it so harrows up the soul! And yet, oh my country! these things are done under the shadow of thy laws! O, Christ! they church sees them, almost in silence!” (358). Stowe is challenging her readers to wake up and see what they are allowing to happen because of their apathy and their lack of not doing what they ought as Christians. Beyond dropping these convicting lines into the mind and heart of the reader throughout the novel, the final chapter in the novel consists of Stowe addressing the reader alone. There, Stowe takes on more of a “preaching” tone; however, at this point she has won the attention and respect of her nineteenth-century audience, and she takes that opportunity to drive her final points home.
Similar to a typical nineteenth-century sermon, Stowe’s novel also includes common religious themes of judgment, salvation, eternity, and so on. One particular example of the idea of “judgment” comes when Augustine St. Clare, one of Tom’s owners, reads a Bible passage to Tom about judgment. In the passage, it explains that those who never cared for “one of the least of these” will be sent to eternal damnation (Matthew 25:31-45 KJV). In shock, St. Clare says of those people in the passage: “‘Tom, these folks that get such hard measure seem to have been doing just what I have,– living good, easy, respectable lives; and not troubling themselves to inquire how many of their brethren were hungry or athirst, or sick, or in prison’” (270). Here Stowe is forcing the reader to look at that familiar passage of Scripture and realize that, if they are doing nothing for the “least of these” (in this context, the slave) then they are not truly Christians (Matthew 25:45 KJV). This passage leads to a change of heart in St. Clare, and Stowe is hoping it will do the same for the reader. Stowe also promotes concern for the spiritual condition of the slave through all that happens at Legree’s plantation. In one particular scene, Tom is talking to Cassy about how he does not want to give in to Legree and become cold-hearted and cruel (313). Tom attempts to talk to Cassy about believing in God, but Cassy has experienced too much wickedness towards her in her life as a slave. She asks Tom, “‘But why does [God] put us where we can’t help but sin?’” (314). Tom responds by saying that they do have a choice; however, Stowe shows how many of the slaves feel as though their souls have been sold and they have no control over anything, particularly their morality. Stowe is showing the readers that they will be judged and held accountable for how they have corrupted the slaves and contributed to their moral depravity.
In addition to the techniques she uses, perhaps one of the most powerful ways that Stowe “preaches” in this novel is through using other voices to express her beliefs–the voices of her characters. Instead of Stowe talking, it is the beloved character that has touched the heart of the reader, giving his or her opinion. Stowe makes clear statements of her opinions through comments that are uttered by characters, even characters of lesser significance to the novel as a whole. For example, in the conversation about the Fugitive Slave Act between Mr. and Mrs. Shelby, the original owners of Tom and Eliza, towards the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Shelby urges her husband that it is his duty as a Christian to stand up against it. He claims that it would be a “great public evil” to break that law, and Mrs. Shelby retorts, “‘Obeying God never beings on public evils. I know it can’t. It’s always safest, all round, to do as He bids us.’” (69). Here Stowe is making a clear point about Christianity and politics. Stowe also uses character dialogue to “check” the reader at some points and keep him or her from placing total blame on any certain characters. One example of this is when the diabolical slaveholder Legree is transporting his new slaves to his plantation on a boat. Two passengers on the boat dialogue about Legree, and one of them is critical of his brutality. The other one responds saying, “‘It is your respectability and humanity that licenses and protects his brutality’” (295). Stowe senses the reader is siding with the man criticizing Legree, and she stops the reader by showing him or her that all the blame does not lie with the cruel slaveholders but with those who do nothing to stop it as well. Stowe subtly slides in her strong beliefs to make points that catch the readers and really make them think about their own lives in relation to the ideas present in the novel.
One of the major characters for whom Stowe crafts strong homiletic dialogue is the character of St. Clare. St. Clare is not the most “religious” character in this novel; however, Stowe uses him to do some of the most profound “preaching” in the novel. St. Clare verbally “wrestles” with a lot of the major issues, such as whether or not slavery is “right” or “wrong,” how to handle things if all slaves are freed, and so on. St. Clare has many important conversations with Miss Ophelia, his cousin from the North, in particular, as they discuss what to do about slavery. In crafting these conversations, one point that Stowe is making is that the North and the South each have contributed to the problem of slavery. She also makes the point that the Church is guilty as well. For example, when St. Clare gives Miss Ophelia the slave girl, Topsy, to “educate,” Miss Ophelia doesn’t want her and doesn’t know what to do with her. St. Clare responds to this by saying, “‘That’s you Christians, all over!–you’ll get up a society, and get some poor missionary to spend all his days among just such heathen. But let me see one of you that would take one into your house with you, and take the labor of their conversion on yourselves!’” (208). Through this conversation, Stowe is “preaching” about the Church’s lack of concern for the state of the slave’s soul and their hypocrisy in sending missionaries to other parts of the world and ignoring the ones they can minister to right outside their doors. Perhaps the strongest “preaching” from St. Clare’s mouth comes when he says this: “‘My view of Christianity is such…that I think no man can consistently profess it without throwing the whole weight of his being against this monstrous system of injustice that lies at the foundation of all our society’” (272). He goes on to say that the “the apathy of religious people on this subject” has led him to question associating himself with so-called “Christians” at all (272). These are harsh words for the nineteenth-century Christian reader to hear, and in them, Stowe is calling upon them to evaluate their own lives and see if they are being hypocritical.
The words that come out of young Eva’s mouth are also cleverly crafted to make points about slavery and about Christianity. As a child, Eva is a perfectly honest character who speaks from her heart. Stowe uses her pure and simple comments to show her adult Christian readers what Christianity should really look like. For example, she tells her father, St. Clare, that being a “Christian” is “‘loving Christ most of all’” (253). Also, in her conversation with her cousin Henrique, she pleads with him to love his servants. She asks him, “‘Don’t the Bible say we must love everybody?’” (237). Henrique responds with this, “‘O, the Bible! To be sure, it says a great many such things; but then, nobody ever think of doing them,–you know, Eva, nobody does.’” (237). This is a biting comment to the nineteenth-century readers, particularly because they realize, perhaps, that what Eva said was true but that they behave more like Henrique than they would like to admit. In addition, Eva’s character and speech are juxtaposed with those of her mother, Marie, a self-absorbed despot. At one point, Eva is trying to talk to Marie about the state of slave girl Topsy’s soul and Marie just brushes her off and continues to worry about herself. Eva asks, “‘But, mamma, isn’t God her father, as much as ours? Isn’t Jesus her Saviour?’” (249). Through the pure heart of a child, Stowe is convicting readers of their prejudice against the slaves and showing them that souls are being lost because of their neglect.
The time when Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a critical time in our nation’s history. Even beyond the fact that she was forbidden to preach in that era, Stowe recognized that traditional sermons were not making a difference in regards to the issue of slavery. She saw the need for a new tactic and that tactic was the sentimental novel. Stowe “preaches” in disguise in the novel by incorporating religious typology, by involving and addressing the reader, by using familiar religious themes, and by crafting dialogue between characters that “preaches” for her. This novel rips at the heart of this young nation, convicting them of their wrongs and challenging them, as Christians, to stand up and do what is right. It is a “sermon” that truly awakens America.
Works Cited
Hobbs, June. Lecture on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. English 231B: American Literature Survey 1.
Gardner-Webb University, Boiling Springs, NC. 15 November 2010. Lecture.
Stowe, Harriet B. Uncle Tom's Cabin: Authoritative Text Backgrounds and Contexts Criticism.
Ed. Elizabeth Ammons. New York: Norton, 1994. Print.