A Critical Appraisal of ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Abstract

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Negro Life in the Slave States of America,has been hailed as an anti-slavery novel that helped to lay the groundwork for the Civil War in the US. The novel was published in 1852, and was originally serialized in an anti-slavery newspaper, The National Era. Uncle Tom’s Cabin has been considered the best-selling novel and the second best-selling book of the 19^thcentury, following the Bible.

In literary studies Uncle Tom’s Cabin has been hailed as an example of the significance of the role of literature as an agent of social change. The novel has helped popularize a number of stereotypes about Blacks. These include the dutiful, long-suffering servant, “Uncle Tom,” who is always faithful to his white master or mistress; and the affectionate and loyal Black woman servant “Mammy.”