Day 13-15, Chapters 36-45
Well, we've come to the end of Uncle Tom's Cabin and it's bittersweet. I usually like the satisfaction of finishing things, but finishing this book was different. I feel a little bit like I've lost a friend. I felt such an attachment to the characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin. This is definitely what you'd call a living book. It's made a huge impact on our family.
"Tom gazed, in awe and wonder, at the majestic patience of the face; the deep, pathetic eyes thrilled him to his inmost heart; his soul woke, as, with floods of emotion, he stretched out his hand and fell upon his knees, - when, gradually, the vision changed; the sharp thorns became rays of glory; and, in splendor inconceivable, he saw that same face bending compassionately towards him, and a voice said, "He that overcometh shall sit down with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my father on his throne." --- Chapter 38, page 388-389 Uncle Tom's Cabin
I thought this scene was profound. Tom was so strong in his faith up to that point, but when he began to falter, the Lord spoke and gave him the comfort and strength to carry on. Harriet Beecher Stowe portrayed Tom's likeness to Christ in his willingness to die for the salvation of others.
Then to top it off, in what would seem his darkest hour, Tom forgave his tormentors...."and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us." I was absolutely dumb struck by the beauty of this dark moment. And then Sambo and Quimbo accepting Christ and Tom praying for their salvation...oh my. I just stopped....at the end of Chapter 40, I just stopped reading. The Farmer and I looked at each other. The kids were quiet. There was stillness and silence....a pause. It just happened, and seems so fitting now thinking back.
I've learned patience from Uncle Tom's Cabin. I've learned about peace and contentment when one believes in the Lord. It isn't that I didn't know these things before reading this book. It's just that I feel them on a deeper level now. I found the book to be spiritually healing....and this was the sweetness in the bittersweet.
Please consider reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, the full unabridged version, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Then leave a comment here about how it affected your life.
Oh wow!!! Thank you for sharing this. :) I will certainly place Uncle Tom's Cabin on my reading list and request it from the library. We are on our second go around on The Little House on the Prairie series, and we will need to find something new to eventually read. ;)
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed Sunday!
I actually plan for my son to read this in the fall. Should I consider reading it aloud or just discussing it together? He's 15 and my next oldest is 9.
ReplyDeleteHey Jessica,
ReplyDeleteIt really depends on your son's reading level. I think an average 15 year old could read it on their own, but even our older dd, who was an above average reader liked listening to the audio of Uncle Tom's Cabin while following along in her book. There is a lot of dialog with southern dialect in the story and it is a bit challenging to read, particularly for us here in the Midwest. My next younger kids were younger than 9 when I read it aloud, but there were some questionable parts for those age of children that I would either skim over or ad lib rather than read aloud, if you know what I mean. Sometimes, I would read ahead and summarize for the younger kids. It really is better for high school through adult.
Hope that helps,
Melissa