It is said that literature can be a catalyst for social change. So, although many of the elements in Uncle Tom’s Cabin would not be politically correct by today's standards, the literary and political significance of the book cannot be denied. When Harriet Beecher Stowe writes her best-known book, it is her reaction to the political climate of the time.
At the time, the government is enabling the abuse of slaves legislatively. In 1850, another Fugitive Slave Act is passed, an act which punishes people who aid runaway slaves and reduces the rights of both fugitive slaves and free blacks. Beecher Stowe, an abolitionist, is inspired by the passage of this law and atrocities she witnesses and interviews she conducts. Her goal is to expose the inhumanity of slavery.
Considered the first widely read political novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin inspires a new genre of literature. Years later, people who write novels of this nature would later be called muckrakers because they stir up the public. Upton Sinclair, who wrote The Jungle, acknowledges Beecher Stowe as the inspiration for his book. Just as she exposes the ills of slavery, Sinclair exposes the ills of the workers in meat-packing plants.
Rachel Carson, the environmentalist and writer of Silent Spring, also says that she was inspired by Beecher Stowe. Just as Beecher Stowe serves as a catalyst for people to reexamine the institution of slaver, Carson writes about the affects of pollution on the environment before it becomes the major issue it is today. Nevertheless, Uncle Tom's Cabin could be considered the first of its kind.
People study literature from the standpoint of the various literary theories. Uncle Tom's Cabin is no exception. Naturally, because the writer is a woman, feminist theory is used to analyze this literary work. Before women are allowed to vote and have limited freedoms, Beecher Stowe is an educated woman who teaches at a female academy. The book illustrates a world where white men have the power over not only their slaves but their entire households.
One character, Simon Legree, is ruthless in his treatment of Tom and treats female slaves as if they are there for his sexual gratification. His all-powerful presence in the novel serves as a symbol of white male’s dominance over the bodies of other human beings. Thus, Beecher Stowe demonstrates the affects of slavery on women.
The fact that we still read and talk about Uncle Tom's Cabin shows its literary and social value. High schools and universities continue to analyze the merits of this novel. If longevity is a testament to literary significance, then Harriet Beecher Stowe's literary work passes the test.
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