Over the weekend, Flavorwire posted a thought-provoking article in honor of the 163rd anniversary of the publication of an iconic American novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I actually didn’t read this book until I got to graduate school, and it’s interesting to examine its many layers through the lens of relatively distant literary history. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s work probably wouldn’t be well received today, as its sentimentality would not withstand our current post-modernist sensibilities. The book is overtly emotional, however, for good reason. It was intended to humanize the anti-slavery movement in the mid-1800s, bringing to life fictional versions of families, both enslaved and enslaving, that really existed in America but had never before received such powerful depictions. Stowe’s work was an immense bestseller and a prominent impetus for the Civil War a decade later.
Whatever we may think of the text as 21st century readers, we have to place it in its context at the time and respect the undeniable power of the written word to portray humanity in ways otherwise unrealized. Stowe's work literally helped change a nation. How amazing is that! Books have the power to change the world, for good or ill (see my March 4th post for more on this topic). And it is up to us as good readers and thinkers to seek out ways to either create new literature or employ existing literature not only to understand the world as it is, but to envision it as it could be. Enjoy the article, and give Uncle Tom’s Cabin a chance if you have the time.
Whatever we may think of the text as 21st century readers, we have to place it in its context at the time and respect the undeniable power of the written word to portray humanity in ways otherwise unrealized. Stowe's work literally helped change a nation. How amazing is that! Books have the power to change the world, for good or ill (see my March 4th post for more on this topic). And it is up to us as good readers and thinkers to seek out ways to either create new literature or employ existing literature not only to understand the world as it is, but to envision it as it could be. Enjoy the article, and give Uncle Tom’s Cabin a chance if you have the time.