Uncle Tom’s Cabin How realistically and credibly does Stowe present Stowe presents slavery in the only way she knows how, by using the facts. Several sources of other works in American literature contrast on to how Stowe presents slavery in her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The elements of slavery are driven through the reflections of theme, characterization, and setting to show that the way slavery is presented is not contradicting. Through the character of Mrs. Shelby, Stowe seems to use her opposition against slavery the most. Mrs. Shelby’s character realizes that slavery is unfair, unjust, and most of all unchristian. This theme of opposition of slavery can be compared to that of Henry David Thoreau, a transcendentalist in early American history. Thoreau was the author of a book entitled “Civil Disobedience” in which he expressed his views against slavery and the way the government did nothing to put an end to it. I bring up Thoreau because he was like Mrs. Shelby in a way. They both sided with the slaves, rather than go with the majority to say that slavery was a just cause. Deep down, morally, they knew it was wrong to control the life of another human being and not give them the freedom in which God intended for all. Thoreau tried to fight slavery in different ways than Mrs. Shelby, but they both had the same intent, to treat everyone equal regardless of their skin color. Thoreau went to the source of the problem, the government. This is where Thoreau was able to try and get through to a higher authority. He did this by gathering protests in Massachusetts where a slave was being held for fleeing from the south for a chance at freedom. Where as Mrs. Shelby posses the same ideas as Thoreau, but she helps slaves in other ways. Mrs. Shelby does in fact go against the government though, at this point in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” she helps slaves try to escape ...
