Literary Analysis

Religion is such a big theme within Uncle Tom’s Cabin for good and bad reasons. The Shelbys instill religion in the slaves that they own which results in slaves that can be fully trusted and who can carry on that faith even when they are in not ideal situations. Uncle Tom is the most religious character throughout the entire book. When first introduced to Uncle Tom he is described as “a sort of patriarch in religious matters (Stowe 27)” which right away gives readers a sense of the Christ-like figure that’s been talked about in class and that was mentioned in comments of some reviews. It was mentioned in one of the reviews that in the book the characters are either good Christians, bad Christians, or a wannabe Christian and I think that is true. The Shelbys are very good Christians, Mrs. Shelby is quoted saying, “’O, Mr. Shelby, I have tried-tried most faithfully, as a Christian woman should do- to do my duty to these poor, simple, dependent creatures’ (29),” that shows that she really is a Christian woman, but is also problematic. The stereotypical Christian that everyone thinks of is always caring, kind, doesn’t say a bad word about anyone the question arises how can Mrs. Shelby speak like that about the slaves her husband owns if she claims to care so much. Stowe uses the religious aspect to provoke some thought, because what she said wasn’t “Christian-like” but in the same sentence she calls herself a Christian woman.

As the story progresses the masters the Uncle Tom experiences get progressively worse, Mr. Shelby was great, St. Clare was great but his wife wasn’t, and then to Legree which we all know is the worst place Tom has been at, but as the places get worse for Uncle Tom his faith gets stronger. He knew that God was testing him and although his faith seemed to waiver at times, he stuck with it even when he was basically on his death bed, “’The Lord God hath sent his angel, and shut the lion’s mouth for this time,’ said Tom (323).” I think Stowe uses Tom to show what good religion can do, no one else seems to be as pure and perfect about religion as Tom and there’s plenty more instances were religion is playing a role in this book and none of those will compare to the faith of Tom. I can see why Stowe does that, throughout the book those with the best faith are the slaves, for the most part, and it makes sense because at the time this book was being written whites didn’t think slaves were good people or even equal, but by showing that slaves have one of the best faith out of anyone it gives a common ground for whites and blacks, just like in the Appeal, in Four Articles says whites can’t bare blacks enough to worship God together. Religion is used in such a variety of ways throughout the book and I think that’s a reason that some readers at the time were so drawn in, it’s relatable to them and it shows so many different variations of Christianity.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin. Mineola, NY: Dover Pubublications, Inc., 2011. Print.
Walker, David. Walker's appeal in four articles. Salem, NH: Ayer, 1989. Print.