STUDY QUESTIONS

1. How does Stowe use racial and gender stereotypes in her

characteriation o! Uncle To"# Topsy# $ittle E%a# Elia# &eorge#
and Si"on $egree' Do any o! these characters challenge co""on
stereotypes' How'
(. )hat are e*a"ples o! racial stereotyping in Uncle Toms Cabin?
Do they detract signi!icantly !ro" the no%el' So"e critics ha%e
clai"ed Uncle Tom's Cabin pro"otes racial stereotypes and
generaliations. Do you agree or disagree' )hy or why not'
+. There are se%eral re!erences to the so,called -hristian support o!
sla%ery. -o"pare and contrast the so,called -hristians to the
characters who li%e truly -hrist,li.e li%es. /E*a"ple0 The Qua.ers
who help all "an.ind# whether the recipient is deser%ing or not.1
2. 3uch o! the dialogue in the 4oo. is gi%en o%er to a de4ate on the
"orality o! sla%ery. 3ost o! the sla%e owners !eel that they are
5a4o%e5 the sla%e traders. Is this true' )hy do you thin. that so
"any "e"4ers o! the clergy de!ended sla%ery'
6. The critic -ynthia )ol!! in her article 73asculinity in Uncle
To"8s -a4in9 discusses how gender roles !or 4oth "en and
wo"en were 4eing rede!ined during the l:6;8s. She writes that the
a4olitionists# Harriet <eecher Stowe included# wanted "asculinity
rede!ined !ro" the aggressi%e# co"petiti%e# con=uest "odel o!
colonialis" to one o! 7!raternal lo%e9 or sel!,sacri!ice !or the
co""unity and sensiti%ity to the needs o! others. Discuss "ale
characters !ro" Uncle Toms Cabin# one in each category. )hat
actions and characteristics help de!ine the"'
>. Discuss the di%ergence o! the plot in ter"s o! the"e. How do the
two storylines in!luence and a!!ect the a4olitionist the"e'
?. -o"pare and contrast the personalities o! &eorge Harris and Uncle
To". E*plain how each "an@s personality directs his Aourney in the
no%el.
:. St. -lare could ha%e 4eco"e a saint# a re!or"er or a "artyr instead
he 4eco"es 5a piece o! dri!twood.5 Busti!y this state"ent with
re!erence to Cugustine St. -lare@s character. )hat the"atic
purpose does he ser%e'
D. -o"pare and contrast the !our sla%e owners who ha%e signi!icant
roles in To"@s story /Shel4y# Haley# St. -lare# and $egree1.
1;.There are se%eral "otherEchild stories in the no%el. $ist so"e o!
these stories and co"pare the" to the saga o! Elia and Harry.
11.-hildren play a large part in the story o! Uncle To"@s -a4in. )hat
do E%a# Topsy# &eorge Shel4y# Harry# and Henri=ue each
sy"4olie' )ould the story ha%e 4een the sa"e i! their characters
had 4een adult'
1(.Discuss the death scenes o! 4oth E%a and Uncle To". In what ways
are they si"ilar' In what ways are they di!!erent' )hy do you
thin. that the author de%oted so "uch ti"e to these death scenes'
1+.So"eti"es Stowe as the narrator o! Uncle Tom's Cabin will
address her audience directly as 5you5 and 5dear reader.5 )hat is
the e!!ect o! these direct appeals !ro" the writer to the reader'
)hy do you thin. Stowe uses this techni=ue'
12.Fead the author@s notes at the end o! Uncle Tom's Cabin a4out the
origin o! her characters and the e%ents o! the story. How "uch o!
the story is 4ased on !act' )hich incidents does she speci!ically
say are 4ased upon actual e%ents'
16.Stowe closes her no%el 4y urging that all her readers in%ol%e
the"sel%es in the struggle against sla%ery0 5There is one thing that
e%ery indi%idual can do,,they can see to it that they feel right. Cn
at"osphere o! sy"pathetic in!luence encircles e%ery hu"an 4eingG
and the "an or wo"an who !eels strongly... is a constant
4ene!actor to the hu"an race.5 )hat do you thin. Stowe "eans 4y
5!eeling right5' )hat .ind o! audience is she appealing to' Do you
thin. her strategy is e!!ecti%e'
1>.Harriet <eecher Stowe had had a child die 4e!ore she wrote Uncle
Toms Cabin, and critics ha%e noted the strong the"e o! "aternity
in the no%el. -ite speci!ic instances o! this the"e and e*plain how
Stowe uses the" to ad%ance the central thesis o! the no%el.