Month: April 2024

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While Uncle Tom’s Cabin showed many slaveowners that treated their slaves well, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl depicts all the ways a slaveowner can abuse and torture their slaves. In particular, it shows the sexual harassment of female slaves, something which was only alluded to in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In this respect, Harriet Jacobs is much more forthright about the secrets of slavery, which she describes as being “concealed like those of the Inquisition” (35).

Jacobs starts by acknowledging preconceived notions of slavery, stating that Northern men are “proud, to give their daughters in marriage to slaveholders. The poor girls have romantic notions of a sunny cline… to what disappointments are they destined” (35). This shows how slaveowners are not only being cruel and violent to their slaves, but they are also deceiving their wives. The reaction of the “poor girls” mirrors the reaction Jacobs intends to elicit from her Northern readers, who were most likely unaware of this aspect of slavery. Jacobs goes on to describe how in the South, “women often marry a man knowing that he is the father of many little slaves… they regard such children as property, as marketable as the pigs on the plantation” (35). This simile, comparing the children of the slaveowner to “pigs”, shows the complete dehumanization of slavery. The slaveowner’s children that are born to his white wife are treated well, whereas his children born to his slaves are considered “pigs”. In addition, throughout the novel Jacobs shows the harassment of her slaveowner, Mr. Flint, and her own attempts to evade him. This context shows that not only were these children born from extramarital affairs, they probably were nonconsensual as well, coerced by the power a slaveowner holds over a slave. 

Jacobs then describes how “this bad institution deadens the moral sense… to a fearful extent” (36). This suggests that the nature of the slave institution has convinced southern men and women that the aforementioned behaviors are normal and acceptable. In fact, one can see a contrast between the southern women, who “do not trouble themselves about it”, and the northern women, who are disappointed that their husband “pays no regard to his marriage vows” (35). This contrast shows how being raised in a culture that accepts slavery can lead one to accept immoral actions. 

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In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the characters Mrs. Shelby and St. Claire are considered to be good people to their enslaved servants. They do not whip or abuse them. They treat them kindly and always ensure that they have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. This begs the question of whether or not there is such a thing as just and kind enslavement. Shelby and St. Claire represent a type of slavery that may not be as physically or verbally abusive to their servants, but still greatly dehumanizes them in an emotional context. Neither character treats their enslaved workers as equals, but instead, considers them to be a type of beloved pet that they can dote on and control as a master.

Mrs. Shelby demonstrates this dehumanizing relationship with her enslaved servant Eliza. Mrs. Shelby sees Eliza as a young woman whom she must instill Christian notions of family and guide towards spiritual salvation. The very first statement that Stowe writes on Eliza and Mrs. Shelby’s relationship reiterates these sentiments by stating “Eliza had been brought up by her mistress, from girlhood, as a petted and indulged favorite” (Stowe, 17). Stowe’s utilization of the words “petted” and “indulged” relate closer to a well-liked pet than a true mentorship or daughter-like relationship. You do not indulge or show great liking to an equal. Although Mrs. Shelby is kind to Eliza, the social hierarchy of enslavement is still prevalent in the Shelby household. This relationship does not harm the enslaved people physically or verbally but it does give Mrs. Shelby a sense of superiority over the enslaved servants. This, consequently, teaches the enslaved workers that they are biologically inferior to white people as their devoted “pets”. 

Likewise, St. Claire has a similar relationship with his enslaved servants as Mrs. Shelby does with hers. St. Claire is known to indulge his enslaved workers to the point of greediness and laziness (according to Marie St. Claire). One would believe that for an enslaver to treat his enslaved people with kindness, he must also treat them as people. In this case, as with Mrs. Shelby’s case, St. Claire regards his enslaved workers as beloved pets to dote on and not as people. After Marie St. Claire criticizes Mr. St. Claire for his indulgences, he responds “What’s the harm of the poor dog’s wanting to be like his master”. St. Claire outwardly compares his enslaved servant, Adolph, to a dog. St. Claire may indulge and act kindly towards his servants, but he certainly does not see them as people. This dehumanization may not be as outwardly barbaric to those who are enslaved, but it still supports a money-making institution that profits from selling humans by ensuring that black people know they are below white people. 

 

 

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Prejudice

Eliza and George happens happens to be the most daring among slaves – George is depicted as an intelligent man right at the start with a straight-up invention of a machine, and has classy manners, James Bond style which makes his master jealous, gives a powerful speech (“not my country”) to Wilson, gives a badass speech before gunning down Loker. Eliza has bold and successful journey while carrying Harry, making a daring jump across the Ohio river.

There are two ways of looking at this:

1. By making Eliza and George more white than black, Stowe is trying to make a point that the couple succeeded only because they look white, which makes blending in and receiving empathy from others easier, that it is a privilege to be white.
2. Stowe is ultimately biased in her perception of race, which is why Eliza and George, being of white ancestry, seem to be more active and make aggressive/bold moves in their resistance. Stowe could be implying that those of Anglo-Saxon blood are more capable, which is outrageous but would not be unthinkable at the time. Comparing Eliza and George to other slaves who are black, particularly Uncle Tom, we see there is a great gap between Stowe’s portrayal of the white slave couple and other slave characters. Eliza and George seems to be much more mature and realistic, and we get more accounts of their inner thought processes, while for Uncle Tom, his resistance is passive, and his mind is as pious as the bible itself.  That instance where he freaks out over St. Claire’s drinking problem was just hilariously comical to me, like it came out of a ancient Greek or Roman novel. Her portrayal of several black characters just feels a bit two-dimensional to me.

Possible Influences

Speaking of Greek & Roman novels, Stowe’s portrayal of characters’ actions and emotions feel very inspired by early ancient Greek & Roman literature. If you’re familiar with some of those novels or stories, you’d find that they tend to have very dramatic displays of emotions – characters fainting from love, joy, heartbreaks; characters falling on their knees and literally tearing their clothes and crying, pulling their hair from emotional distress, or refusing to eat or to even live just because they have a crush on some unearthly attractive person, etc. I can’t help but see some of these qualities in Stowe’s portrayal of emotions. To give a few examples: Sam with his speech  about deceiving Haley to help Eliza escape, Eliza fainting from joy when she learns that George was coming, and of course, Uncle Tom kneeling, crying and begging St. Claire to give up drinking.

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The white saviorism in Uncle Tom’s Cabin is abundant, beginning with the fact that Harriet Beecher Stowe, a white author, penned the novel. There are the “good” slave owners and excuses made for others. The slaves that escape are helped by pious white people. And most obviously, George is the ultimate white savior as Tom lays dying. While Tom’s martyrdom certainly parallels that of Jesus, there are also elements of George being the lord and savior. When George arrives, Tom says “Jesus can make a dying-bed/ Feel soft as downy pillows are” (425), implying that George is his savior. He then says

“Bless the Lord! it is,–it is,–it’s all I wanted! They haven’t forgot me. It warms my soul; it does my old heart good! Now I shall die content! Bless the Lord, oh my soul!” (426).

That George is seen as a divine blessing feels absurd to me, considering his family is at fault for Tom’s death. Yet as Tom is killed at the hands of white men, in the institution of slavery, a white man, and Christianity, are still portrayed as his savior.

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One of the most surprising arguments Stowe presents in her novel is that Northerners, even though they do not own slaves or run plantations, may be just as, or even more, racist than their southern counterparts. This most clearly plays out in the dichotomy between St. Clare and Miss Ophelia. While St. Clare is the son and brother of plantation owners and owns his own slaves as well, he is also ideologically opposed to the system itself, and he has many moments throughout the novel where he divulges about his feelings on the matter. However, being a Southern aristocrat, he doesn’t see anything he as an individual can do to uproot the system, and so he continues owning slaves as he always has. At the beginning of her part of the novel, Miss Ophelia solely views slavery as wrong, and she criticizes St. Clare frequently for continuing to keep slaves. Regardless, she is clearly a racist and describes frequently her disgust towards the black slaves in the house, including, eventually, Toppy. It takes her a long time, and the religious persuasion from Eva and her death for Miss Ophelia to begin to actually care for Toppy and view her as a human being. This goes to show that sometimes Southerners are actually more invested in the abolitionist cause than Northerners are (even when they actively own slaves and refuse to do anything about the system themselves).

This is a very complex point that Stowe makes, and it is one that is, in my opinion, has gotten a bit lost in history. As we discussed in class last week, much of what we learn in school about slavery and the civil war is that the North was the “good” side and the South was the “bad” side. However, it was much more complicated than that in actuality, and I find it impressive that Stowe was able to effectively relay this point and portray antithetical characters such as St. Clare and Miss Ophelia. 

Also of note, though slightly off topic to my main point, is that Stowe, through St. Clare, also compares the institution of slavery to English capitalism. “He is as much at the will of his employer as if he were sold to him. The slave-owner can whip his refractory slave to death,—the capitalist can starve him to death. As to family security, it is hard to say which is the worst,—to have one’s children sold, or see them starve to death at home.” This further extends her argument that there is no one set of “bad guys” in the history of slavery and oppression. Similar systems of discrimination and abuse are happening throughout the country and around that world, just under different names and disguises. 

 

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As Tom begins his journey through the Middle Passage and into his “new way of life,” he continues to ask the question “Is God here (358)?” Each time that Tom interacts with a new character, he attempts to give them solace by reminding them of God’s presence, but he is quickly told by each of those people that God is not at the plantation. In the cabins, one woman tells Tom that she wishes she knew where to find the Lord and when Tom reminds her that the Lord is everywhere she replies, “I know de Lord an’t here (358).” Another woman later replies to his insistence on the Lord’s presence and reminds him “The Lord never visits these parts (362).” As Legree threatens to whip Tom again for not obeying, Tom asks for the Lord’s help and in this moment of anguish, Cassy appears as an apparition. She rests a “cold, soft hand” on Legree and wills him to stop this violence which leads to Legree leaving Tom alone. 

I was really interested in Stowe’s imagery that the only true evidence of the Lord that the reader has seen at this point is Cassy’s kindness and strength despite their conditions. In her abolitionist themes, Stowe crafts an image of the true presence of the Lord as the bonds that form between those who are enslaved and the endurance of their humanity despite attempts to convince them that they are inhuman. Stowe appeals to the religious nature of the reader and shows that while the scene of slavery argues against the existence of God, the humanity of those like Tom and Cassy makes them agents of the Lord.