Bookreport Uncle Tom’s Cabin

2014-09-25

Age: 13
Discription: We had to read a book and report on it for English on school. I decided to read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, because we saw the movie in class and that made it easier 😛 This is the little review I wrote back then.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Also known as: Life Among the Lowly

Before I begin with this review, we need to establish what I am reviewing. In class we saw a movie named Uncle Tom’s cabin. However, the movie is based around the book; Uncle Tom’s cabin (Aka: Life Among the Lowly).
To avoid confusion, I will first address the book and then the movie. Also, I will use Life Among the Lowly when information is given of the book and Uncle Tom’s Cabin when I am talking about the movie.

Life Among the Lowly

This book was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852.

It was also Inspired by the slave narrative: 

The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself.

A slave narrative is a story based on an eyewitness account of slavery. So you can say that the book is based on a book which is based on a real story.

This book was intended as an open response against a law that not only commanded policemen to catch escaped slaves, but even penalised them for not catching enough slaves.

The book quickly became popular and even the second best selling book in the 19th centuries.

It had a significant impact among the people and was one of the reasons for the start of the American Civil War that caused the slaves to be freed.

In honor of this book, numerous movies were made that based themselves on this book.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

The Story:

This story is mainly based around the character Tom.

Tom is a slave on a farm in Kentucky, run by the familie Shelby.

Compared to most slaveholders, he has a good live.

He is also befriended with the son of the slaveholder George Shelby

This however all changes when the owner of the farm started to have financial problems. 

With no other immediate options he sold Tom and Harry (A young child of another slave).

When the mother of Harry (Eliza) eavesdropped the conversation about selling the slaves, she decides to flee with her child.

Tom is sold, and transported on a boat.

A girl, who is also on board hears Tom singing. 

Whilst in conversation, a piece of fence breaks off and girl (who’s name is Eva) falls down into the river.

Tom immediately jumps after her and saves her from drowning.

Eva’s father decides to buy Tom and becomes his second owner. Just like Tom’s first owner, the father of Eva (Augustine) is a nice guy and relatively good for his slaves.

Meanwhile, Eliza and her child are brought to a monastery where they reunite with Harry’s dad George and continue their voyage to freedom.

Eva begins to feel sick and shortly after she dies.

Augustine upset by this event, pledges to free Tom.

Augustine is however killed later that evening.

Augustine’s wife decides to make some money because her man died and sells Tom on the market.

Tom is bought by an evil slaveholder named Simon Legree.

Simon just likes to earn money and has no problem harassing or assaulting slaves to get the job done.

Tom is a good worker but because of his nice character he is set up by Simon to hit another slave. He refuses and is therefore later beaten to death. George Shelby arrives just too late to buy him back.

Conclusion:

Even though you might not like the ending or the praising of God, this is a educative and emotional movie that did have an enormous impact on conscious of the people and made them think twice about slavery.

I do recommend reading the book or watching one of the movies.

Not specifically for entertainment, but more for education