Uncle Tom's Cabin
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Analysis Learning Goals:
Identify and Define motif in literature Determine motif unique to individual texts Analyze the purpose of motif to prove theme in literary texts Define Romanticism Analyze the characteristics of Romanticism to prove theme Synthesize the characteristics of Romanticism with Antebellum Era patterns and issues to determine how Romanticism was responding to the Antebellum Era Evaluate the characteristics of Romanticism's effectiveness in changing reader's minds Identify and Define Slave Narratives Compare the strategies and effectiveness of slave narratives to white portrayals of slavery |
Listen to Ms. Ringelspaugh read Uncle Tom's Cabin aloud:
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Cheat sheet: You can even skip most of chapter 14. Please do read pages 165, "Among the passengers . . .," to page 169, " . . .for which they were bargaining." This will cut chapter 14 in half. In the audio, I've read the whole chapter.
Cheat sheet: In chapter 15, you can skip pages 181, "There she is . . ." to page 184, "' . . .he'll never get drunk." This will cut chapter 15 in half. In the audio, I've read the whole chapter.
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Chapter 19 and 20: What is the responsibility of the North and northern people?
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Chapter 5 and 6: What are the rules for being a 'Christian' for slaves? What are the rules for being a 'Christian' for white slave owners?
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We skip Chapter 16, which gives more detail about Marie, the meanest, whiniest, most selfish and self-centered lady that ever lived and Chapter 18, which focuses on the running of the St. Clare household, including telling the story of Old Prue, a slave from a neighboring plantation, who was "kept to breed chil'en for market," whose children subsequently were "sold as fast as they got big enough" and who now escapes into drunkenness and repeatedly exclaims, "'I wish't I's dead.'" We skip Chapter 21, which gives us a glimpse back at the Shelby estate, still missing Tom, and Aunt Chloe, who is now baking pies and cookies for money, then saving that money so she can buy her husband back. We also skip Chapter 22, where Eva and Tom talk religion, and Chapter 23, where the St. Clare family go visit Augustine's brother, Alfred, and his son, Henrique, who are vigilant and violent racists and treat their slaves horribly. Eva really doesn't like that uncle and cousin very much.
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Chapter 25, 26, and 27: What is the point of Eva? What is she supposed to teach us? Who is Harriet Beecher Stowe speaking to with Eva?
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Chapter 7 and 8: Who (what group in society) is morally and physically responsible for saving the slave? Who is responsible for ensuring their freedom? |
Chapter 31, and 32: What makes the perfect villain?
We skip Chapter 28 and 29. In Chapter 28, everyone is mourning Eva and St. Clare is getting ready to sell Tom back to the Shelby's in Kentucky. St. Clare and Tom grow closer and closer to each other. Ophelia asks St. Clare to give Topsy to her, so Ophelia can take her north and set her free. St. Clare goes to take a nap on the porch with the paper, and suddenly dies of a heart attack, seeing his mother beckoning him to heaven in the bright light of death. His last word, literally, is "Mother!"
In Chapter 29, Marie, cold, callous, and convinced that everyone is plotting against her, sells all the slaves. Chapter 30 sees Tom and all the other slaves back at the slave market. |
Chapters 9 and 11: What is the bystander's responsibility? Otherwise entitled: Harriet Beecher Stowe takes a political position.
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Chapter 33, 34, and 35: What is the purpose of Cassy? Why introduce her and spend so much time on her?
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Chapter 13 and 17: What? There's a railroad that runs underground!?! How do you know where the stops/stations are?
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Chapter 38, 39, and 40: What is the purpose of Tom? What are we supposed to learn from him?
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Chapter 37: According to Harriet Beecher Stowe, what is religion's purpose in fighting slavery? |
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We skip chapter 36, where because Cassy asks Legree to stop being so cruel to Tom, Legree is even more cruel to Tom. Tom responds, "Mas'r, I know you can do dreadful things; but, after ye've killed the body, there an't no more ye can do. And O, there' all ETERNITY to come, after that!" (sic) Legree doesn't like that answer so much, saying, "I'll make ye give out!" Tom responds, "Ye may whip me, starve me, burn me; it'll only send me sooner where I want to go. The Lord Almighty will help me." Legree really doesn't like that answer.
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Listen to the audio of Uncle Tom's Cabin, from Libri Vox:
Listen to the audio of slave narratives, from Libri Vox:
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A Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas, by Fredrick Douglas
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs |
The Narrative of Sojourner Truth, by Sojourner Truth
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa, the African, by Olaudah Equiano |
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Slavery Essay Prompt:
Compare Uncle Tom's Cabin to a the slave narrative(s) of your choice. How accurate is Stowe's portrayal of slavery? Is Uncle Tom's Cabin or the slave narrative more effective at proving Stowe's themes?