Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Uncle Tom's Cabin - Day 3

Day 3 - Chapters 4-6

Wow, one minute I'm crying and the next I'm laughing out loud.  So my kids want to know what's going on.  I read part of Uncle Tom's Cabin aloud to RileyAnn and Ruben and they're hooked now too.

I believe Stowe set the scene of Chapter 4 in the slave cabin to build a case for Tom's character and faith.  It's apparent that the slaves have created a family amongst themselves and they look to Tom as a leader.  Not only as a man, but as a pastor or spiritual leader.  And by the end of Chapter 5, I could certainly see why.  Tom is a man of faith.  He was loyal and true to his master even when the tide turned on him.  It was hard to see the love and happiness inside that cabin and know the cold truth about what was going on outside with Mr. Shelby's dealings.

Upon further reading, it appears that Mrs. Shelby may truly be of christian faith.  It seems she had a real heart for the slaves and their reverence to the Lord.  Because the Shelby's have promised Tom freedom since he was a boy, Mrs. Shelby was beside herself with the notion that Tom may lose faith when he finds out he has been sold and will not be free. I wondered if the slaves will see Mrs. Shelby as a hypocrite?  Though it appeared as though Eliza certainly didn't. 

We got quite a chuckle when reading about Black Sam's attempt to stall the search for Eliza.  In light of the fact that Sam appears uneducated, his plan was quite bright.

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and comments.  Are you enjoying the book?

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