The Sentimental Novel and The Sentimental Novel and Uncle Tom’s CabinUncle Tom’s Cabin

English 441English 441Dr. RoggenkampDr. Roggenkamp

1850s explosion of 1850s explosion of literary marketplaceliterary marketplace

Fiction normalized as reading Fiction normalized as reading material of choicematerial of choice

Spectacular boom of Spectacular boom of sentimental fictionsentimental fiction: fiction : fiction written largely by women, about written largely by women, about women, for womenwomen, for women

American Sentimental FictionAmerican Sentimental Fiction Chief formula: “Home & Chief formula: “Home &

Jesus”Jesus” Overly emotional, Overly emotional,

unbelievable coincidences, unbelievable coincidences, tidy endings, marriage plots, tidy endings, marriage plots, inconceivable number of inconceivable number of tearstears

Saintly heroines; overcome Saintly heroines; overcome travails with help of religiontravails with help of religion

Ultimate goals: motherhood, Ultimate goals: motherhood, morality, marriagemorality, marriage

““Pious to a repulsive degree” Pious to a repulsive degree” (F. L. Mott).(F. L. Mott).

Image: Frontispiece, Image: Frontispiece, The Wide, Wide WorldThe Wide, Wide World, Susan , Susan Warner, 1850.Warner, 1850.

Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe 1811-18961811-1896 Daughter of famous Daughter of famous

minister, sister of six minister, sister of six ministers, wife of minister ministers, wife of minister and college religion and college religion professorprofessor

Mother of six young Mother of six young children in 1851children in 1851

Home and Jesus Home and Jesus personifiedpersonified

Motivation: Motivation: Fugitive Slave Law of 1850Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

Part of Compromise of 1850 – would Part of Compromise of 1850 – would territories be admitted to Union as free territories be admitted to Union as free or slave?or slave?

Made all people in all states party to de Made all people in all states party to de facto support of slaveryfacto support of slavery

Give food, shelter, assistance to Give food, shelter, assistance to fugitive slave: $1,000 fine and 6 fugitive slave: $1,000 fine and 6 months jail ($21,000+ today)months jail ($21,000+ today)

Composition HistoryComposition History Contract with Gamaliel Bailey, Contract with Gamaliel Bailey,

National EraNational Era (one of largest (one of largest weekly newspapers of day)weekly newspapers of day)

Expected 3-4 installment storyExpected 3-4 installment story Ended up 49 installments, June Ended up 49 installments, June

1851 – April 18521851 – April 1852 Difficulty of seeking out book Difficulty of seeking out book

publisher publisher Readers’ role: keep it coming!Readers’ role: keep it coming!

THE book that really “mattered” for THE book that really “mattered” for nineteenth-century readersnineteenth-century readers

(Image: University of Virginia, UTC site)

Made Stowe an early international megastarMade Stowe an early international megastar Sales: 10,000 in first week; 300,000 by end of 1852; outsold Sales: 10,000 in first week; 300,000 by end of 1852; outsold

only by Bible—even bigger sensation in Great Britainonly by Bible—even bigger sensation in Great Britain Plays, songs (20+ in 1852 alone), card games, puzzles, Plays, songs (20+ in 1852 alone), card games, puzzles,

poems, print edition after edition, etc.poems, print edition after edition, etc. Films: 1902, one of first done; 1927, most expensive silent Films: 1902, one of first done; 1927, most expensive silent

film everfilm ever

Anti-Uncle Tom NovelsAnti-Uncle Tom Novels At least 27 published 1852-1860 Happy slaves (“servants”) and

benevolent, parental masters Aunt Phillis's

Cabin; or, Southern Life As It IsBy Mary Henderson Eastman [Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co, 1852]

Uncle Robin in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston

By J. W. Page [Richmond: J. W. Randolph, 1853]

African-American Response African-American Response MixedMixed

Many praised anti-slavery messageMany praised anti-slavery message Others: Criticism of “colonialization” Others: Criticism of “colonialization”

idea and of racist stereotypesidea and of racist stereotypes Some see Tom as overly docile; Some see Tom as overly docile;

others read him as symbolically others read him as symbolically triumphant and powerfultriumphant and powerful

Read Stowe as Ophelia—a woman Read Stowe as Ophelia—a woman distinctly uncomfortable with idea of distinctly uncomfortable with idea of racial equalityracial equality

ColonizationColonization Martin Cross, poem in Martin Cross, poem in Frederick Frederick

Douglass’ PaperDouglass’ Paper, March 25, 1853:, March 25, 1853:

Talk not to me of colonizationTalk not to me of colonizationFor I’m a free man of this native landFor I’m a free man of this native landNot of Africa’s burning sun and sandNot of Africa’s burning sun and sandWe hereby make our proclamationWe hereby make our proclamationThat we’re opposed to emigrationThat we’re opposed to emigrationThis is the land which gave us birth—This is the land which gave us birth—Our father’s graves are freedom’s earth.Our father’s graves are freedom’s earth.

A book that “mattered” . . .A book that “mattered” . . . Power to shape “story” of Power to shape “story” of

African-American African-American experience in minds of white experience in minds of white readers / viewersreaders / viewers

Ultimate points: saintliness Ultimate points: saintliness of Little Eva; faithfulness of of Little Eva; faithfulness of Uncle Tom; minstrelsyUncle Tom; minstrelsy

Uncle Tom becomes the Uncle Tom becomes the stereotype “Uncle Tom” stereotype “Uncle Tom” because of “revisions” of because of “revisions” of texttext

““Tom shows”Tom shows”

The Bottom LineThe Bottom Line

Positively embroiled and embedded in whole web of Positively embroiled and embedded in whole web of literary, social, and cultural contextsliterary, social, and cultural contexts

Story told and retold through shifting contexts: Story told and retold through shifting contexts: original newspaper text, book text, 1850s original newspaper text, book text, 1850s responses, continued responses today, countless responses, continued responses today, countless other media (plays, songs, poems, films, other media (plays, songs, poems, films, advertisements, cookware, paper dolls, etc. etc. advertisements, cookware, paper dolls, etc. etc. etc.)etc.)

Uncle Tom ArtifactsUncle Tom Artifacts

More Uncle Tom ArtifactsMore Uncle Tom Artifacts

More Uncle Tom ArtifactsMore Uncle Tom Artifacts

Tom in AdvertisingTom in Advertising

Tom in Advertising, 3Tom in Advertising, 3

Recommended Web ResourcesRecommended Web Resources

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun05.htmlhttp://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jun05.html

http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/sitemap.htmlhttp://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/sitemap.html