Uncle Toms Cabin:Good vs. Evil

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 11th grade February 2008

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When judging the traits of various characters, it is said that there is good, evil, and a "gray area". This argument, I'm afraid, is very deceptive. A person is either good, or evil, there is no in between. However, on each side of the spectrum lies a ladder of just how good and how evil one truly is. Harriet Beecher Stowe gives us a perfect example of this in her book: Uncle Tom's Cabin.

This book was written in the nineteenth century and portrays slavery in the south. It presents you with the common life of slaves as well as the trials and tribulations they are faced with every day. This book was purposely written to be very covertly persuasive. Throughout the book Stowe aspires to compel the reader to step out of their skin, their comfort zone, and realize what is really going on around them. In regards to good and evil, Stowe does a magnificent job illustrating each step of the ladder.

At the very top of the "ladder of goodness" we will find Uncle Tom knocking at heavens door. Uncle Tom is portrayed to be more human than slave-like, and more angelic than human. He is by far the embodiment of goodness. Instead of seeking revenge, he prays for the person who inflicts pain and horror upon him. The sacrifices he makes, and the hardships that he swallows depict Christ himself. He is wholesome, harmless, and extremely forgiving.

Stowe uses religion as a weapon to keep the audience attentive, while making them feel in some way connected with the characters in the story. At the time this book was written it was I Flores 2 dyllic to be a "good" Christian. What other people thought and said mattered. Impressing others was the "norm" and appearing...