Lecture Notes: "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Introduction

Publication: Originally a newspaper series in 1851, published as a book in 1852.
Purpose: Written to expose the horrors of slavery and spark debate, especially after the Fugitive Slave Law.
Impact: Had a significant influence on the world and the abolitionist movement.

Uncle Tom: Head slave on the Shelby Plantation; Christian; has a family.
Eliza Harris: Personal maid to Emily Shelby; married to George Shelby with a son, Harry.
Mr. Shelby: The plantation owner in debt to a slave trader.
Young George Shelby: 13-year-old son of the Shelbys; a strong Christian.
Haley: Slave trader to whom Mr. Shelby owes debt.
Eva: Young girl who befriends Tom.
Simon Legree: Tom's final brutal master.
Cassie: Fellow slave under Legree; escapes to freedom.

Conflict: Mr. Shelby must sell slaves to pay off debt.
Choices:
- Uncle Tom decides not to run to protect his family.
- Eliza escapes with her son Harry to avoid being sold.
Eliza's Escape: Crosses the Ohio River to evade capture, aided by abolitionists and the Underground Railroad.
Tom's Journey:
- Initially bought by Eva's father after saving Eva.
- Promised freedom, but sold again to Simon Legree after Eva and her father die.
Final Days of Tom:
- Refuses to betray Cassie despite being beaten.
- Dies before young George can buy his freedom.
Reunion: Cassie, Eliza's mother, escapes slavery and joins Eliza's family in Canada.

Sacrifice and Endurance: Tom's sacrifice for his family's freedom.
Escape and Survival: Eliza's and Cassie's stories of running away.
Evils of Slavery: Exposing the harsh realities and moral dilemmas faced by those involved.

Real-life Basis: Stowe's stories were fictional but based on real events.
Call to Action: Stowe urges readers to recognize the evil of slavery and act against it.

Mention of further analysis on the origins of stories within "Uncle Tom's Cabin".