It is clear that Uncle Tom’s Cabin relies heavily on its characters, and as I read on, I was overwhelmed with the new characters being introduced. However, I think that the many characters serve to reflect Stowe’s ambition with this novel, which tries to reflect many opinions from people of many different racial and religious backgrounds. Every new character is a foil of another character and/or introduces a new argument or narrative into the discourse on slavery and religion’s role in it.
An explicit example of this is with Topsy and Eva. According to our narrator, the children are “representatives of the two extremes of society” (254). Eva is a child born into high society with a father who spoils her and does everything to shield her from the cruelties of the world. Topsy is a child who has been taken away from her birthparents and has only been treated as wicked (and has experienced many violent whippings, beatings, etc. by her previous owners). Furthermore, while Eva is often described as an angel and a perfect Christian child, Topsy is initially characterized by her “wild diablerie” (256) and devilish or wicked acts.
Much of this storyline focuses on why Topsy is this way; Miss Ophelia is always asking, “‘What does make you so bad, Topsy?”’ (289). Topsy acts in such a way because she truly believes that she cannot be loved or thought of as good because she is black. In particular, it was hard for me to read this quote: “‘If I could be skinned, and come white, I’d try then [to be good]”’ (290). Eva is able to unveil the answer because she both physically and emotionally connects to Topsy – touching her shoulder and expressing her true or heavenly love. It is here that marks Topsy’s shift in behavior to be more aligned with Eva.
This relationship seems to represent a victory of good over evil where the Christ-like act contributes to this breakthrough. The explicit takeaway from St. Clare is that “if we want to give sight to the blind, we must be willing to do as Christ did, – call them to us, and put our hands on them”’ (290-91). Stowe is arguing that readers must learn to accept every one as equals and to treat them as equals because Christianity presents this as a moral law or fact of life. Eva tells Topsy that “‘Jesus loves all alike”’ and “‘He will help you to be good”’ (290), which further adds to Stowe’s interpretation of the Bible. The introduction of Topsy continues the novel’s perspective that religion is a necessary part in dismantling slavery’s hold in society.
