Uncle Toms Cabin brief summary and why the novel is so important to Essay

Uncle Toms Cabin brief summary and why the novel is so important to American history - Essay Example He also saved her life when she fell on water causing her father, St. Clare, to buy him from a slave trader (Weinstein 12). Major events in the second are the hunting of Eliza’s family and Tom’s life with St. Clare in New Orleans. While on escape, Eliza met George her husband but could not manage to escape to Canada because Locker, the slave tracker, trapped them. In New Orleans, Eva became ill after Tom had stayed with them for two years. Before she died she saw a vision of heaven which after sharing, it caused the other characters to purpose to change their lives. St. Clare’s cousin Ophelia ended her prejudice against the blacks. The third part is about Tom as Simon Legree’s slave. Legree hates Tom because he refused to whip a fellow slave and decided to beat him viscously and crush his faith in God but Tom persevered. Tom encouraged Cassy, a fellow slave, to escape with Emmeline. He refused to tell Legree where Cassy has gone which caused him to order that Tom be killed. While dying, Tom forgave the overseers who where beating him. This humility caused them to become Christians (Weinstein 26). The final section is about Cassy’s and Emmeline’s ride to freedom where they met George Harris’ sister. On reaching Canada, Cassy discovered that Eliza was her child who was sold when young. Being united again as a family, they travelled to France and finally to Liberia. Mr. Shelby went back to Kentucky and freed all his slaves. According to Grant (267), this novel is of great importance in the American history because it contributed to laying the groundwork for the civil war. The characters were used to personify different views of slavery by allowing those who were not slaves to hold varied views and actions in regard to slaves. For example, St. Clare bought a black slave called Topsy and had him educated by Ophelia his cousin who hated black slaves. The Shelby family related well with their slaves whereas Legree is seen to be inhuman