Reading notes: Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Readingthe story is a miserable, despair, and desperate experience, with my“thought”depicting every scene that the evil and cruel slave owners flap their whip towards poor black people. I feel hurt when the evil’s whip is on them. I can’t imagine how desperate they are in those dark corners. This book provides a good approach for us to encounter and feel the real pain that Negroes had experienced a few hundred years ago, and thus we may feel how lucky we are today to enjoy the freedom and liberty that those people never imagined at their age.

According to the author, the stories mentioned in the book are mostly true stories in life. Sometimes I do hope that this isn’t a true story but a fiction, so that I might feel a bit less heavy-hearted.

Many countries may have notorious or disdainful history which are the big flaws in terms of civilization. For the Africans, the slavery system is an indelible memory that are deeply rooted in their minds and shouldn’t be forgotten for all human races.

The whole story could be divided into four main parts. The first period is when Tom is kept in Shelby’s family, where he was basically granted an equal and respectable life. In Shelby’s family, he had a wife and a son, even thought it was not affluent, at least he would not be separated from his family and endure hardships and tortures.

Then came the second period during which he was sold to another mater because of capital crisis in Shelby’s plantation. When reading this part, i felt nervous for fear of Tom’s being sold to a monster. However, there came a pleasing result that Tom was bought by a just and kind master who would not torture or punish his slaves. On the contrary, he just kept the slaves in his plantation and allow them to do what they want to do. It is an essential part of the story, which lays a strong foundation and contrast for the following part. Eva, the daughter of St Claire who is the new lord of Tom, became a great friend who strengthen his belief for god. During the time when Tom was staying with Eva, he found her kindness and merciless for all the poor and slaves. Eva, strongly feels sick for the slavery system, often prays for the god to lay mercy on those slaves. She firmly holds that one day, the freedom and liberty should come to the poor black people, for that is the right thing. Every human is born equal, no matter what color they are. That is what Eva believes. To put it simple, Tom is so lucky to be in St Claire’s family. The daughter’s influence and respect, the lord’s friendship, and the freedom that the lord promised him are all the things that make Tom be hopeful for his future life, for his family reunion. Those are the things that Tom always long for in his life. I believe that countless readers may feel excited and thrilled when reading this part. We all think that Tom would receive his freedom. However, that’s not how the story goes. The death of Eva and her father made all hopes perished. Without his mistress permit, Tom didn’t gain his freedom but was sold to another slave owner, Simon Legree. So this is the third part of the story that Tom lived dimly under the torture of his new master. Being a firm believer of Christianity, he never let go of praying for god. Actually, as i see, that is also a metaphor, which symbolizes the great and unbeatable belief for freedom and equality for all the slaves ( Africans). It’s a concept that the author wants to tell the mass that they should never discard hope. We may find support from the character uncle Tom. Besides, as i said above, a distinctive contrast lays between the second and the third part. That’s is the respect and the insult; the friendship and the torture. I maintain that this is a main stimulus for the detest, protest and denouncement for slavery system.

As for the last part, it is a closing one telling us the final fate of the main characters. To be frank, I was filled with agony when I read that Tom was tortured to death, without coming back to his families alive. I believe that it is not the result every reader wants. Before finishing reading the endings, I still have hope that Tom will finally gain the victory. Nevertheless, it’s partly a tragedy.

Tom’s death is another stimulus for the protest of slavery system, because the hope for freedom vanished as Tom was dead. But from my perspective, I feel that to some extend Tom didn’t fail. His belief for god didn’t fail in that his death triggered the master Gorge to set his other slaves free. Tom finally received his liberty in heaven and he will wait there for his families. Besides, in the ending, Gorge Harris and Eliza reunion with their families also denotes that slavery system would be sure to exterminate.