UncleTom'sCabin(1852)-PiousoldUncleTomissoldbyhiswell-intentionedKentucyownerMr.Shelbyinfinancialstraits.HeisboughtfirstbytheidealisticAugustineStClare.InhisNewOrleanshouse,UncleTommakesfriendswithStClare'sdaughter,thesaintlyLittleEva,andherblackfriend,theimpishTopsy.'Neverwasborn!'persistedTopsy...'neverhadnofather,normother,nornothin'.Iwasraisedbyaspeculator,withlotsofothers.'Evadiesinahighlysentimentaldeathscenefromaweakenedconstitution,andSt.Clareiskilledinanaccident.TomissoldtoSimonLegree,aYankeeandabrutalcottonplantationowner.Twoofhisfemaleslavespretendtoescapeandgointohiding.TomwillnotrevealtheirwhereaboutsandLegreebeatstheunprotestingTomtodeathjustbeforeShelby'ssonarrivestoredeemhim.AparallelplotcenteresonEliza,herchild,andherhusbandGeorgewhoescapetofreedominCanadausingthe'undergroundrailroad.'OtherimportantcharactersareMissOpheliaSt.Clare,aNewEnglandspinster,andMarks,theslavecatcher.Thereligiosityofthestoryanditsdubiousconclusion,inwhichmostofthesurvivorsdisappearbacktoAfricatobecomemissionaries,contributedtoashiftofattitude.'UncleTom'wasusedpejoratively,meaningwhitepaternalismandblackpassivity,unduesubserviencetowhitepeopleonthepartofblackpeople.Whenmodernistcriticsargued,thatliteratureshouldnotaimtoeffectsocialchange,Stowe'snovelwasfarfromtheirfieldsofinterest.However,inthe1970sUncleTom'sCabin,withitsstrongfemalecharacters,startedtoattracttheattentionoffeministcritics.Stowe'sradicalChristianvision,basedonmatriarchalvalues,foundnowdefenders.Tom'spassivitywascomparedtoGandhi'sstrategyofpeacefulresistance.用心爱心专心