Females

Females’ moral power in Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Abstract:Although Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin before the widespread growth of women?s rights movement of the late 1800s, the readers can also regard the book as a specimen of early feminism. In that work, females tried their best to find salvation for their morally inferior relatives. So the moral power of females in that book can not be neglected. This paper analyzes the moral power of females from the perspective of family i.e. daughters, wives and mothers.

Key W ords:moral power, female, influence

1.Introduction

Uncle Tom?s Cabin is a famous novel about the American slavery. Lincoln said it is “a book that made this great Civil War.” At that time, women?s social level was much lower than men. For instance, women had no right to vote. However, in family, women have a quiet but powerful influence on men around them. So the moral power of females in the book can?t be neglected.

2.The moral power of females

From the perspective of fami ly, females? roles within Uncle Tom?s Cabin can be divided up into daughters, wives and mothers. Those females play a pivotal role in shaping the morals, values and actions of their fathers, husbands and sons.

2.1 The moral power of the daughter-----Evangeline (Eva)

Evangeline is one of the major characters in the book. She is an absolutely perfect little girl-----a completely moral being and a Christian. On the contrary, her father St. Clare, a son of a wealthy planter, doesn?t believe in God. He saw th e evil of slavery but nonetheless tolerated and practiced it.

The little Eva influenced her father?s actions. Eva lamented the existence of slavery. On the boat, she asked her father to buy Tom, who was going to be other people?s slave. “…My papa can buy you?, said Eva, quietly; …and if he buys you, you wilt have good times. I mean ask him to, this every day.?” (189). In Eva?s eyes, there

is no difference between blacks and whites. She wanted to help black Uncle Tom live a good life by the way of buying hi m. Eva?s father bought Tom as Eva?s request because he dotes on his daughter.

Eva also influenced her father?s morals and values. Because of disease, Eva was going to die. Before she passed away, she said she wanted everyone around her can become Christian s because she believes Jesus would help Christians. Eva?s death influenced her father very much. St. Clare began to think about the meaning of life. “? Dear little Eva-----poor child!? said St. Clare, …She had set her little simple soul on a good work for me.?” (398). Eva?s spirits made St. Clare understand all people in the world are equal. So he wanted to give his slave Tom free as soon as possible. “…My duty, I hope, to the poor and my own servants, for whom I have yet done nothing, and perhaps, at some future day, it may appear that I can do something for a whole class.?” (399).

The lovely little girl, made a great influence on his father-----a master of slaves. She succeeded in changing her father?s actions, morals and values.

2.2. The moral power of wives

2.2.1Mrs. Bird

Mrs. Bird is the wife of Senator Bird. She is more morally trustworthy than her husband. In the book, Mrs. Bird used her influence to convince her husband-----the people with voting rights-----of the evil of slavery. “…Y ou ought to be a shamed, John! Poor, homeless, houseless creatures! It?s a shameful, wicked, abominable law, and I?ll break it, for one, the first time I get a chance; and I hope I shall have a chance, I do!?” (103). But at that moment, Mr. Bird accepted laws such as the F ugitive Slave Act. “…But, Mary, just listen to me. Y our feelings are all right, dear, and interesting, and I love you for them; but, then, dear, we mustn?t suffer our feeling to run away with our judgment.?” (103). However, Mrs. Bird condemned slavery as c ontrary to Christianity. She thought it?s her responsibility to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to comfort the desolate and to follow Bible. Through several heated argument and discussion, finally Mr. Bird was influenced by his beloved wife, who insisted that people should follow their conscience and the Bible rather than an immoral law.

2.2.2Mrs. Shelby

Mrs. Shelby is one of the novel?s many morally virtuous and insightful female characters. Similar to Mr. Bird, she is also a loving Christian woman who does not believe in slavery. Different from her, her husband, an owner of slaves in Kentucky nonetheless tolerates and perpetuates slaves though he is an educated, kind and good-hearted man. Mrs. Shelby persuades Mr. Shelby to help their slaves Eliza, Eliza?s child and Uncle Tom. Within the book, we can clearly see the power of the little woman Mrs. Shelby from her success of both saving slaves and influencing her husband, one of the males who control the whole world at that time.

2.3 The moral power of mothers

2.3.1Legree’s mother

Within the novel, Stowe reveals that mothers play a pivotal role in shaping their son?s values and beliefs. Everyone has the things which make him dreadful, even including Legree, a ruthlessly evil master on a plantation. H e often see his mother?s pale face after he drunk too much in the deep night and then sprung from his bed in horror. He felt guilty of the sin that he never comes home but once after he broke from his mother while his mother forgave him before her death. P erhaps Legree?s mother?s perfect love is the most fearful torture for Legree.

Two Legree?s slaves took advantage of his guilt about mother to devise a clever way to escape Legree?s plantation, and then succeeded in getting the freedom.

Legree?s mother, this little woman influenced her son so much even after death. Her love made Legree, a barbaric and loathsome man feel guilty and anxious. What?s more, to some extent, Legree?s mother indirectly help slaves be free. In that way, we can say that the mother indirectly affect the world around her.

2.3.2St. Clare’s mother

Similar to Legree?s mother, St. Clare?s mother also had a profound influence on her son?s spirit. Due to her, St. Clare reflected upon the meaning of life again and again. “…It puts me in mind of mother?, he said to Miss Ophelia. … It is true what she told me; 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.? ” (359). St. Clare was educated

by his mother?s soul. Thereaf ter, St. Clare realized he should spread love in the world as his mother.

3.Conclusion

Although, in 1800s, females? social status was much lower than males?. It seemed that females could just be housewives and couldn?t affect the world around them. However, Stowe portrays these females as moral, trustworthy and courageous. These women-----lovely daughters, perfect wives and kind mothers attempted to find salvation for their morally inferior fathers, husbands and sons who would one day develop into prominent decision makers. The moral power of females can not be neglected because they directly or indirectly influenced the decisions that affected the world around them, and perhaps influence males to end the institution of slavery.

W oks Cited

Harriet Beecher Stowe.Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 北京：清华大学出版社，2008.