Melissa Kitko

Midterm Essays

11/01/01

3. Uncle Tom’s Cabin may be read as

a) an example of sentimental power. Which of these perspectives is closest to your reading of the novel today and which of these perspectives do you think most closely approximates the reasons for the success of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in the 1850’s?

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, can be read in a variety of ways. One of these ways is as an example of sentimental power and how its gentle force can change people and their ideas about slavery. The book is full of examples including the most powerful examples coming from Evangeline. Her interactions with Topsy, Miss Ophelia, and her father show just how much of a difference one individual person can make in changing the lives of others to become wholly against slavery.

Sentiment, as Stowe believed, led to individual action and many individuals added up to the whole of society. If each individual could believe that slavery was wrong and do something to change it, not involving politics or the law, but changing one’s own mind against slavery (Elbert, Lecture, 10/4/01). Sentimental power also includes, in Stowe’s vision, the need for religious conversion to truly change one’s soul to see the truth of right and wrong (Tompkins, p 90). Forming anti-slavery societies and making laws will do nothing to change slavery. Ultimately, as Stowe believed, slavery could only be changed by changing how people viewed it.

A key figure of the power of sentiment is Evangeline. Evangeline affects many people in the novel such as Topsy, Miss Ophelia, and her father. In the case of Topsy, she is bought by Augustine St. Clare for Miss Ophelia, who believed that severity and beatings were not the way to make a slave obedient and kind, as a sort of test to see if Miss Ophelia, with her northern principles can affect a change in Topsy for the better. The tempestuous girl, despite all of Miss Ophelia’s teaching and kindness still routinely causes problems on the plantation, ranging from little pranks to stealing things from the other slaves. Miss Ophelia declared finally after one such act of mischief that she had enough of Topsy and her mischief. Eva took Topsy into another room and talked to her, telling her that she loved her and wanted her to be good, “I love you, and I want you to be good,” (Stowe, ch. 25, p 409). Eva went on to explain that Jesus loves her as well and told her that she could get into heaven, “just as much as if you were white,” (Stowe, ch. 25, p 410). This event changed Topsy and she exclaimed that she would try to be good. Miss Ophelia, watching the whole event with Augustine through a window, realized that she had been prejudiced against Negroes even though she never truly realized it. She stated, “it’s a fact, I never could bear to have that child touch me; but I don’t think she knew it,” (Stowe, ch. 25, p 410). Even though she was a child, Topsy did realize that Miss Ophelia did not want Topsy to touch her as is evident when Topsy tells Eva, “she can’t bar me, ‘cause I’m a nigger! --she’d ‘s soon have a toad touch her!” (Stowe, ch. 25, p 409). Augustine St. Clare then states exactly what Stowe was trying to prove about sentimental power,

“I believe that all the trying in the world to benefit a child, and all the substantial favors you can do them, will never excite one emotion of gratitude, while that feeling of repugnance remains in the heart,” (Stowe, ch. 25, p 410).

Topsy realized that Miss Ophelia would not let any Negro touch her, and despite all the things she did for Topsy, the prejudice that she still harbored showed through. Only by Eva’s example of reaching out and physically touching Topsy did the slave girl finally realize that someone could love her. Eva, almost like a thirteenth disciple, uses an evangelical approach, telling Topsy that Jesus loves her, and the act of laying her hand on Topsy’s shoulder is equated with Jesus laying his hands on people to heal them (Stowe, ch. 25, p 410). This is another important part of sentimental power for Stowe, that religion is an important part of sentimental power and that for a true change to be seen, a conversion of the spirit must occur (Tompkins, p 90). After Eva’s death, Miss Ophelia solidifies the change that she knew she had to make after seeing Eva and Topsy together in that room. Miss Ophelia tells Topsy, “I can love you, though I am not like that dear little child,” (Stowe, ch. 27, p 432).

Despite this triumph with Topsy, there is one who Eva had not been able to reach; her father. On her deathbed, Eva asks her father if he is a Christian, telling him that he is, “so good, I don’t see how you can help it,” (Stowe, ch. 26, p 422). Her father questions her what being a Christian is to which she replies, “Loving Christ most of all,” but to Augustine, “It was a feeling which he had seen before in his mother; but no chord within vibrated to it,” (Stowe, ch. 26, p 422). Despite Augustine being a benevolent master to his slaves, he did not believe in God and did not ever have a conversion of the spirit as Topsy did. Although he gives Topsy wholly and in writing to Miss Ophelia, Augustine does not free his own slaves who are left to the wills of his wife after his death, proving that he was not completely converted, and his sentiment did not change.

Throughout the novel, Eva shows only love and kindness to all she meets, however, she says in a chapter appropriately titled, “Foreshadowings,” that things, “sunk into her heart; they went down deep,” (Stowe, ch. 24, p 403). Eva eventually dies and her father is devastated, but chooses to hide his feelings and sorrows and continue about everyday life. Even after Eva’s death, Augustine still does not have that religious conversion necessary for true sentimental power; an example of good intentions without evangelical conversion. Tom becomes deeply concerned with his master and follows him around all the time. He confronts Augustine in the library and St. Clare tells Tom, “I want to believe this Bible, --and I cannot,” (Stowe, ch. 27, p 435). Tom goes on to recount his story of how he left the Shelby plantation and how he has faith that the Lord will take care of him. He also confesses that he would do anything to, “see Mas’r a Christian,” (Stowe, ch. 27, p 436). Tom posesses an evangelical power similar to that which Eva had, but it still is not enough to change Augustine until it is too late. Augustine is brought home, having been stabbed while trying to break up a fight. Tom stays by his side and is asked to pray by Augustine himself. Finally, as Augustine is mumbling softly, singing part of a hymn, the doctor mentions that his mind was wandering, but Augustine exclaims that “No! it is coming HOME, at last!” (Stowe, ch. 28, p 456). Perhaps, given more time, Tom might have been able to affect a change in Augustine and give him that religious conversion which would have in turn allowed Augustine to free his slaves without having any qualms whatsoever. It can be argued that Stowe uses Augustine as an example of how harmful a good man can be if he does not believe in God and posess true sentiment. St. Clare’s intentions were good, but he did not have the faith necessary to follow through and do what he should do.

These two opposite examples of Topsy and Augustine St. Clare prove the goodness of sentimental power and what can happen without it. Considering that the audience of Stowe’s book and original serial publications were mainly Christian, white, women readers, those in the domestic sphere, one could easily assume the popularity and success of the novel can be attributed to her use of sentimental power throughout the book. Typically women are thought of as being the more feeling and caring and loving gender while men are typically those of strength and reason. Although Stowe herself did not agree with the formation of anti-slavery societies to combat slavery, the members of such societies undoubtedly read the book and praised Stowe for writing the novel, but chastised her for using sentimental power as the cornerstone of changing the state of slavery in the nation. True, laws can change the legality of slavery, but even though slavery has been illegal for quite some time now, there is still a sentiment of prejudice against slaves. In acknowledging this, one can see that Stowe had a valid point regarding the necessity of changing people’s minds to truly make a change, and that legislation does not necessarily truly change the state of things. Sentimental power is truly a powerful device, and in using it in her novel, Harriet Beecher Stowe attracted a large audience to her novel, bringing it the success that it did.

4. In several of our texts the question of “silence” and how it is embodied works to expose cultural and social politics in mid nineteenth century U.S. society. Here are some examples:

c) Frado is silenced by Blocks of wood and then by a kitchen towel in her mouth; she then hides away and speaks only to her dog, Fido. Who reports her words to a greater audience (us!)? Why is he the reporter?

Choose at least one text in which a character or several characters embodies “silences” and discuss the ways in which these silences “work” to reveal cultural and social relations of dominance and subordination. Who is silenced and who cannot hear in your text? What is the relationship between your analysis and Takaki’s discussion of iron cages?

Silence is defined as “the condition or quality of being or keeping still and silent,” and as the “refusal or failure to speak out” (http://www.dictionary.com). In these two definitions it is evident that silence can be either passive or active. In the case of the character Frado in Our Nig she is both forcibly silenced by her mistress and opts for silence on her own accord for various reasons. Her silence, and lack thereof, tells the reader much about the cultural and social politics of the Bellmont household as well as the time in which the narrative is set.

Frado’s first act in the story is that of speech rather than silence. Her mother, Mag, asks her if she would like to go to the Bellmonts’, and Frado simply answers “No” (Wilson, ch. 2, p 19). One would imagine from this example that future encounters would be much the same, with Frado speaking out her opinion. However it is her actions after this event that demonstrate more closely what happens in the years spent with the Bellmonts. Frado decides to run away with a friend of hers to avoid being sent to the Bellmonts; a voluntary act of silence and making herself invisible to her parents, her would-be betrayers. This silent protest falls on the “deaf” ears of her parents, and she is eventually found and brought to the Bellmonts’ as originally planned. This can be seen as a change in the perception of Frado by her parents. She once had been a “pretty mulatto” (Wilson, ch. 2, p 14) and now was a “black devil” (Wilson, ch. 2, p 16) in the eyes of her mother. No doubt Mrs. Bellmont saw the child as not being white or free after she was abandoned by her mother and felt no remorse or guilt for subjecting her to an odd sort of slavery. Frado was not legally bound to Mrs. Bellmont, but being uneducated and not knowing the whereabouts of her family, had nowhere to go but to suffer through living with the harshness of Mrs. Bellmont. Keeping silent in order to hide the real person inside was her only recourse in surviving so many years of beatings and severity.

Frado realized she had been abandoned at the Bellmonts’ and that she would probably never see her mother again. Mrs. Bellmont commences to give Frado more and more chores to do and warned her that if she departed from the rules, she would receive a whipping (Wilson, ch. 3, p 29). Soon enough, Frado was given a whipping by Mrs. Bellmont because she, at first, “wept aloud” over her “sad fate” but eventually kept her discontent silent (Wilson, ch. 3, p 30). The book recounts Frado’s first bad beating as coming just after Mary Bellmont had fallen into the river and then blamed Frado for pushing her. Frado spoke out and exclaimed that she did not push Mary and told her side of the story. Mrs. Bellmont, of course, believed Mary and the two of them beat Frado “inhumanly” for her lack of silence and propped her mouth open with a piece of wood, forcing silence from Frado since she had not been silent and told the truth earlier (Wilson, ch. 3, pp. 34-35). In this case, it is hard to imagine that even if Frado had remained silent, she would have escaped a beating; it was inevitable. Mrs. Bellmont is an example of one who does not want to hear or is deaf. She is not literally deaf, but refuses to hear the truth of what Frado has to say and also rejects Jack's testimony for Frado. Another example of this is while James is talking to Frado, having found her after she ran away to hide from Mrs. Bellmont. Frado says, "They won't believe what I say," implying the deafness of others around the Bellmont household such as Mary and even Mr. Bellmont in his refusal to actively listen to Frado and make the necessary changes for her health and safety (Wilson, ch. 4, p 51).

Jack eventually buys Frado a dog as part of his resolve to, “do what he could to protect her from Mary and his mother,” (Wilson, ch. 3, p 37). Fido becomes, “the entire confidant of Frado,” (Wilson, ch. 4, p 41). Frado told him all of her troubles and believed that he truly listened to her and understood all of her sadness. She also taught him tricks and he followed her around loyally wherever she went. Frado does not talk exclusively to Fido though, she does talk to others including Jack, James, Jane, and Aunt Abigail. Jack was pleased with himself, that he had given her the dog, “a gift answering his intentions,” (Wilson, ch. 4, p 42). Jack’s intentions were to protect Frado from Mary and Mrs. Bellmont which he seems to have done to an extent. Frado now has Fido to trust in, who cannot and will not betray her to either of her two oppressors.

Fido becomes two very important things for Frado. Relating to the class discussion of the story of Joseph from the Bible, “the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison,” (Genesis 39:21). Since the story of Frado can be equated with that of the story of Joseph, it is easy to take this passage from the Bible and apply it to Frado and Fido. Fido can be seen as the silent protector, or Lord, for Frado since she had no religious teaching at the time to show her otherwise. The dog showed her steadfast love and “listened” to anything she had to say, followed her around constantly, just as God was with Joseph all the time and showed him love. Fido was an excuse to be out of the house and teaching the dog new tricks which by no means put her in favor with the keeper of her prison, Mrs. Bellmont, but allowed her an escape from any troubles she encountered from her jailer. Mr. Bellmont even makes the reference to Mrs. Bellmont about being Frado's jailer, "Do you know where she is? Is she your prisoner?" (Wilson, ch. 4, p 47).

Fido can be seen in another view as well. The word mistress is used to describe Frado in her relation to Fido. After Frado runs away following a beating by Mrs. Bellmont regarding the incident with the small wood, Fido was coaxed by Jack to find Frado to bring her dinner after Mr. Bellmont remarked that the dog would not, "do what his mistress forbid him," (Wilson, ch. 4, p 49). Perhaps Frado can be seen from Fido's point of view as a kind mistress, everything that Mrs. Bellmont was not. Fido has no mentioned color or even breed in the book, and he is certainly not Frado's slave. He is free to go about as he pleases, but chooses to stay with Frado and follow her around loyally. The dog, it seems, is capable of pure, true love for Frado without bias while others in the Bellmont household try to do what they can for Frado, but fail in the long run, never actually changing the state that she is forced to live in under Mrs. Bellmont.

Mrs. Bellmont eventually sells Frado’s dog, and Mr. Bellmont buys him back for Frado. Fido then became, “a more valuable presence than the human beings who surrounded her,” (Wilson, ch. 6, p 62). However, it is interesting that shortly after this reference to the dog, Frado begins to go to church meetings with Aunt Abigail and there are no further references to Fido from there on. It can be assumed that God has taken the place that Fido once held as the confidant and listener to Frado’s problems.

Mr. Bellmont finally steps up out of his shadow of Mrs. Bellmont and tells Frado, whose health is not what it used to be, that avoiding a whipping or beating at any cost only when she is sure that she does not deserve it. In this case, Mr. Bellmont breaks his silence somewhat to help Frado despite the fact that his traditional role of head of the household is not necessarily wholly his. He is in fear of what his own daily life would be like if he spoke up to help Frado and make her life easier. Frado, upon Mr. Bellmont’s advice, breaks her submission to Mrs. Bellmont and when Mrs. Bellmont attempts to beat her with a stick from a bundle of wood, Frado shouts back for her to stop, “strike me, and I’ll never work a mite more for you,” (Wilson, ch. 10, p 105). Finally, after years of submission to Mrs. Bellmont, Frado finally spoke up and made herself more of an equal to Mrs. Bellmont rather than someone who could be beaten inhumanely as she was.

The novel clearly indicates that the peculiar institution of slavery is apparent even in the “free” north. All of the human characters in this novel are forced into or choose silence at one point or another. Frado hides her true self with this mask of silence to keep from losing it altogether from the cruelty of Mrs. Bellmont. Her dog, Fido, is her one true confidant who cannot betray her until she learns about God and becomes pious, which, in turn, changes her demeanor towards her aggressors, giving her strength to speak out against the wrongs done to her. Mrs. Bellmont and her lack of silence causes her to be deaf to the truth that was audible around her and blind to Frado’s humanity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly. New York:

Penguin Group, 1981.

Tompkins, Jane P. Sensational Designs. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.

Wilson, Harriet E. Our Nig; or, Sketches from the Life of a Free Black. New York:

Random House, 1983.