Everyone:
Continue with your scheduled reading.
Prepare support for a position on the following.
What character or characters are least representative of the sentimental ideal? How? Why do you think Beecher-Stowe would make characters that did not follow the popular aesthetic?
PERIOD SIX: PLEASE DO THE FOLLOWING IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE:Respond to the following in a well-supported paragraph
PROMPT
Keeping in mind what we know about the sentimental culture of the mid-19th century, how are the principle female characters in Uncle Tom’s Cabin similar? Did the author intentionally create this similarity and, if so, why?
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Mrs. Shelby, Mrs. Bird, and Rachel Halliday are alll very similar. They express many sentimental ideals, and are all slighty different versions of the same character: the "perfect wife/mother. They seem to all act on exaggerated femenine emotion and act on the emotion. However, Ms. Ophelia, and Eva, who I believe to be the principle female characters in the story, display unsentimental qualities. Ms. Ophelia is an educated woman, who is motivated by rationality and a sense of duty, rather than the bleeding-heart of the ideal sentimental women. Also, while Eva's moral perfection and innocence is highly idealized, one could argue that she does nt match the sentimental ideals because she does not know her place. Eva believes highly in racial equity and steps out of her sentimental "place" when she says that Henrique is "be[ing] so cruel and wicked to poor Dodo" (p.289). An idealized sentimental woman would have recognized the male as her superior and kept her mouth shut instead of speaking her mind, even if though she was right. I believe that Stowe made this similarity unintentionally because the two characters each make a different point. Eva is one of the most moral characters in the book, yet one could argue that she does not mesh with th culture, showing that being sentimental does not make you a good person. However, Ms. Ophelia represents Stowe's targeted audience: white northerners. Stowe uses Ms. Ophelia to try to make white northerners take more of a stand and be more moral.
I think Miss Ophelia fits in with the ideal sentimental woman. She is very assiduous. All she does is cook and clean. She also cares a lot for her family. She agreed to leave her home in New England to help raise her cousin's daughter. This shows that she would make sacrifices for her family. Miss Ophelia differs from Eva. Eva is not the ideal sentimental woman. I think Stowe intentionally created this difference in order to make various points about stereotyping women and slaves. I think that Stowe makes a very good point using Eva. As Alex said, Eva is the most moral character in the book. She cares for others. On page 287, she tells her mother, "'I'd sell [the jewels], and buy a place in the free states, and take all our people there, and hire teachers, to teach them to read and write.'" This shows that Eva is a compassionate, caring little girl. However, Eva does not fit in with the sentimental ideal woman. She speaks her mind, and the things she says often disagree with what society had decided to be correct. Stowe's point is that the sentimental woman is not the ideal woman, and, like Alex said, "being sentimental does not make you a good person."
The principle female characters in Uncle Tom’s Cabin all share a similar trait in keeping with the sentimental culture – they are all very nurturing and caring. Mrs. Shelby cares very much for Eliza and her son, Harry. On page 14, she says, “I would as soon have one of my own children sold,” in reference to her or her husband selling Harry to a trader. She cares for Harry and Eliza almost as much as her own children, and can’t bear the thought of them being sold. Eliza, in turn, is also a very nurturing mother to Harry. Even though she is leaving a relatively happy life in Mr. Shelby’s house and people she loves and cares about, she has to do it, because, “stronger than all was maternal love,” page 56. Lastly, Eva, St. Clare’s daughter, is a very caring person. She has relationships with all of the slaves, and tries to help them out whenever she can. She also decides to teach Mammy how to read, so that she can learn from the Bible herself. However, there is one character that doesn’t fit with the sentimental culture: Marie St. Clare. She constantly finds fault with all of the slaves, even when they are doing their job well, and she often puts down her daughter and doesn’t express much emotion towards her. This contrast is made by Stowe to highlight the fact that women who conform to the sentimental culture make better people – the care more for their children, they are influenced more by religion, and most importantly, they are the most opposed to slavery.
I agree with what Sarah said, about the women. The two characters I see as the most similar are Eliza and Mrs. Shelby. They both seem to have that motherly instinct if you put it that way. Mrs. Shelby treats her slaves almost like her own kids. They are like the sons and daughters that she never had. I also think that Eliza is the same and that they both seem to rub off on each other. The way that they both react when Harry and Tom are sold is similar. Eliza would never sell Harry or let anyone take him, and Mrs. Shelby thinks the same of her slaves. The way they seem to work together when Eliza runs away is interesting. While Eliza is trying to escape, Mrs. Shelby is trying to delay the search for her. The two of them know what they had to do and when to do it. In this way I think that these two characters are most alike.
The sentimental culture of the 19th century was heavily stressed through family. A woman was expected to abide to certain expectations created by men: to be a good mother, cook, clean, care for children, etc, which was a stereotypical portrayal of the gender. In “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, the women, in one way or another all have maternal instinct. For example, as Calvin previously stated, Mrs. Shelby mothers her slaves, and it is out of maternal instinct to help others, especially if they’re younger and can relate to your care for children. Eva’s love for slaves was shown through her love regardless of skin color. She cared for all, Tom, Dodo, Marie, Ms. Ophelia and her father. Ms. Ophelia in ways cared for Topsy even though she was a difficult child, and tried to get rid of her prejudices towards blacks. Even Marie, though self-centered and vain, when her child was ill expressed motherly love. Last, Eliza, the most obvious maternal character risked her life for the life of her child. I think that Stowe created this similarity on purpose to show that no matter what skin color you are, women would always have an aspect of unconditional love. Through this, I think that he could possibly be expressing abolitionism because he’s stated through Eliza that blacks have the same qualities as whites, one of them being motherly love.
The principle female characters, Mrs. Halliday, Mrs. Shelby and Eva in Uncle Tom’s Cabin are similar in the sense that they care all care for people and they realize when someone else is in need of help and comfort. This is shown on page 198 when Eva gives Mammy her vinaigrette when she sees the pain that she is in. Mrs. Halliday also shows this characteristic when she takes in Eliza on page 146. I think the author did intentionally create this similarity to show that there are people in the south who care about slaves and dislike slavery. One of the reasons Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the novel was to gain support for the ending of slavery. She might have reasoned that if she showed the readers of the book that there were also abolitionists in the south they (the readers) might think that becoming an abolitionist was an even better cause because they would think that even people who used it thought that it was bad.
umm... its ten o'clock on sunday...
this is due by tomorrow...
WHY HAVENT MORE PEOPLE RESPONDED YET???
WE HAVE HAD SINCE THURSDAY TO DO THISSS!!
sorry. i'm really bored. And I'd like to thank jenny for quoting me (and agreeing with me! so thats acknowledging me TWICE baby! yes!)
i hope the rest of you respond in time!
haha! this is like a reality show : the race to respond to the blog. The contestants who do not respond in time are eliminated.
lol!
well...
this comment isnt really necessary, but i feel like posting it anyway.
hey. did you guys notice that even though i posted this at 10:10. it says i posted it at 9:10?
guess it must not be eastern time.
ohhh so that means people could try to trick you (mr. fuller) and repond to the lod at 1:00 AM the next day, technically making them late, but unles you have read this, you would never know!!!!!
In class we discussed how one of the key components in sentimental culture is this concept of a caring motherly figure when we read through the poetry. One of the characters in Uncle Toms cabin in which I believe conforms to this ideal is Mrs. Shelby. This is illustrated especially well at the beginning of chapter 5, which for me is on pages 37- 39, when Mrs. Shelby worries and frets about her slaves being sold to “that sort of person,” Haley. Especially on page 37, she is appalled that her husband would do such a thing as can be noted when she states, “how can you do that to that creature? You cannot be serious!” Her motherly connection to the slaves is shown on page 39 when Mrs. Shelby cries, “Why not make a pecuniary sacrifice? …I have cared for them… how can I ever hold my head again among them?” This quote proves that although the sacrifice she is willing to make is not as great as the one made in the poem The Snow Storm, A Ballad, Mrs. Shelby is willing to give up her own economic comfort, to make “these creatures,” the slaves joyous, and to keep a family together. Mrs. Shelby had promised to grant Tom his freedom, and she feels a motherly connection and it is her job as a Christian woman, not to allow him to be sold to Haley.
Keeping in mind what we know about the sentimental culture of the mid-19th century, how are the principle female characters in Uncle Tom’s Cabin similar? Did the author intentionally create this similarity and, if so, why?
I must agree with the previous postings in saying that women in Uncle Tom's Cabin are indeed very similar. The principle female characters such as Ms. Ophelia, Mrs. Shelby, Eliza,and Rachel Halliday all seem to possess "motherly traits" as they are caring and hardworking. Mrs. Shelby understands that her slaves are humans with souls and cares very much for them, especially for Eliza and her son, Harry. She even says, "If I could only at least save Eliza's child, I would sacrifice anything I have" (Stowe 43). Mrs. Ophelia shows the sentimental female trait of being hardworking. The text describes her labor as "from daylight till dark, with the energy of one who is pressed on by some immediate urgency..." (Stowe 224). In addition, the woman are very religious. Eliza expresses the importance of having faith God, telling George, "...if you only trust in God, and try to do right, he'll deliver you" (Stowe 27). I believe Stowe created these similarities intentionally in order to point out that even though these women had a few of these positive sentimental traits, they encountered hardships as well as the other characters in the book. She wanted to express the troubles that even "good" women have to face in their lives.
oops sorry my computer isnt doing what i want it to. i posted that last comment before i was done, but this is my full comment below.
In class we discussed how one of the key components in sentimental culture is this concept of a caring motherly figure when we read through the poetry. One of the characters in Uncle Toms cabin in which I believe conforms to this ideal is Mrs. Shelby. This is illustrated especially well at the beginning of chapter 5, which for me is on pages 37- 39, when Mrs. Shelby worries and frets about her slaves being sold to “that sort of person,” Haley. Especially on page 37, she is appalled that her husband would do such a thing as can be noted when she states, “how can you do that to that creature? You cannot be serious!” Her motherly connection to the slaves is shown on page 39 when Mrs. Shelby cries, “Why not make a pecuniary sacrifice? …I have cared for them… how can I ever hold my head again among them?” This quote proves that although the sacrifice she is willing to make is not as great as the one made in the poem The Snow Storm, A Ballad, Mrs. Shelby is willing to give up her own economic comfort, to make “these creatures,” the slaves joyous, and to keep a family together. Mrs. Shelby had promised to grant Tom his freedom, and she feels a motherly connection and it is her job as a Christian woman, not to allow him to be sold to Haley. Although I am not sure if Stowe was intending to exemplify the Mrs. Shelby in a more motherly, and a better light than her husband, because, we have established that Mr. Shelby maybe put on the same level as Mr. Haley for selling his slave, however his wife, stands up to this, and this is the first time in the story we see anyone truly voice their opposed opinions about what is going on with slavery. I believe that in order to do something like that, and make Mrs. Shelby so strong, the author must understand that this is a case of a woman disagreeing with her husband, she stays rooted to her beliefs. Which proves a lot about a woman, seeing as this book was written prior to the women’s rights movement.
I agree with Sarah, in the thought that Mrs. Shelby, Eliza, and Eva St.Clare are the similar principle females in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Each female possesses motherly qualities that were expected of them due to the sentimental culture of the mid-19th century. For example, on page 39 Mrs. Shelby expresses her thoughts on how she had been like a Christian mother to all of the slaves. "I have cared for them...to certain ruin of body and soul!" This passage shows how Mrs. Shelby followed the Christian path as well as the path of a good mother (sentimental culture of the mid- 19th century) and how she feels that she has lived by these stanards and values her entire life. On page 42 Eliza shows her maternal instinct when she begins to quickly pack very few of her belongings and runaway. She says, " 'Poor boy! Poor fellow! They have sold you, but your mother will save you yet!" She lives by the mid-19th century values by putting her child's safety first and foremost, as well as having a strong belief in God, which was demonstrated when she jumped across the river with all the ice. Last, but not least, Eva St.Clare, though she is not a mother still parallels with Eliza and Mrs. Shelby. Since she lives in a house with so many slaves, her "children" or family are the slaves living in her household. Though she does not take care or particular responsibility for one specific slave or set of slaves, she still treats them with respect and cares for them as if they were her own mother and father. For example, on pages 197 to 198, Eva gives Mammy some sort of medication to help clear up her (Mammy's) headache. Even though Marie St.Clare strongly disagrees with Eva's actions and demands that she immediately take it back, Eva prolongs the request until her father steps in to help her. This shows how Eva opposed slavery and felt that everyone should be treated on the same level.
I also agree with Sarah in the sense that Stowe used the similarities to show how slaves should be treated, to show Blacks and Whites on an equal scale. Stowe was able to show slavery in three different perspectives, one from a grown slave owner, one that had the view of an actual slave, and another as a little girl living with both opinions of slavery. This helped Stowe use Marie St.Clare as a contrast, to show her readers how horrific and disgusting the institution of slavery was overall. By using similarities and contrasts, Stowe was able to show the differences of the females as well as their role in mid-19th century life on a wider range.
I find similarities in the characters of Mrs. Shelby, Eliza, and Mrs. Bird. Mrs. Shelby is a Christian woman who tries to follow God's will to the mark. She doesn't like slavery as many people do like it. She didn't approve of the selling of Eliza and Uncle Tom. Mrs. Shelby was very glad when she learned that Eliza had escaped. I found that the two characters who were most similar, though, were Eliza and Mrs. Bird. They each have a calm and gentle nature unless confronted with something about slavery or their children. When Eliza had learned of her son, Harry, being sold, she took him and fled with her life to try and save him. Mrs. Shelby, who's normally calm and persuavive is confrontational when it comes to issues on slavery. They each have also had the pain of child loss and that helps them to understand each other. Although Mrs. Shelby and Mrs. Bird live in the southern areas of the U.S., they are like northern women and would try to do anything to try and prevent slavery because of their religion. With God's religion, they believe slavery is unjust. Mrs. Bird is so religious that she doesn't own a slave.
Stowe conformed some of the characters to the sentimental ideal to make clear the protagonists in the book. Eliza and Eva in particular are portrayed as very sentimental, making them, because of the culture at the time, the most likeable. Since Eva is young and Miss Ophelia says that she, “never saw a better child,”(page 188) she easily fits into the sentimental ideal. Eliza, whose run across an icy river (page 68) to save her child shows her maternal dedication, similarly fits this ideal. Since both Eliza, being a slave, and Eva, who plays with Tom (page 194), are opposed to slavery, their similarity to the ideal of the time is supposed to lead the readers to believe that anti-slavery is the position of the sentimental, and therefore the best one. This book is a work of propaganda, and Beecher Stowe uses Eliza and Eva’s character’s well in supporting her position.
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