Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

"One of the greatest productions of the human mind."
-Tolstoy

Dear Mr. Tolstoy,

I know that you are perhaps the greatest novelist who ever lived, but I have a question: REALLY?

Your friend,

Jonathan

When talking about this book, it's important to draw a line between the words "important" and "good". This isn't always easy to do. For example, when we talk about the works of James Joyce, which are certainly both important and good, the two terms are inextricably linked. Why are they important? Because they're so good. Why are they so good? Among other things, because of the important literary inventions found in them. Their importance and goodness have everything to do with one another.

When talking about Uncle Tom's Cabin, however, I think we can draw a very clear line. Put simply, it is undoubtedly important, but I would argue that it's not good. Stowe's book changed America, the world even. And it changed them for the good. To argue otherwise would be ridiculous. As literature, however, it just doesn't hold up. I make no secret that I'm not a huge fan of 19th century American literature in general. It almost hurts my conscience to say so, but this may be the worst of the worst. The main problem, it seems to me, is in the characters. The bad guys are so very bad, and the good guys are so nauseatingly good. "Uncle Tom" has justly become a by-word in America for a black man who is obedient to the point of being used. He's absurd. Little Eva, the white daughter of a slave owner who loves Tom and everybody (yes, EVERYBODY) falls fatally ill and gives a speech to everyone about how they should love each other before she dies, giving a lock of her hair to everyone. Stowe makes sure to let us know (as she does elsewhere in the novel) that literally everyone in the room is crying as this is happening. This kind of generalization pervades the novel and becomes tiresome and even dangerous. She generalizes about blacks, how they are more emotionally susceptible to events around them, etc. Given that this was a different time, I still can't believe some of the things she says about black people, especially as someone who is supposedly advocating for them. I would look up some example passages, but I don't want to waste my time. And what is her idea of a resolution at the end? After most of the main characters have been freed, they all go to Africa. Stowe's ideal: set the slaves free, and then they need to get out of our country.