Free Sample Essays > North American
A Reaction to Uncle Toms Cabin
Bible with Tom. He could not comprehend how Tom could believe in the Bible so completely. "I want to believe this Bible,--and I can't"(Stowe 300). St. Clare continued to read scripture and remembered his mother, who he thought was the embodiment and personification of the New Testament, more often. As he reflected on life and the meaning of the Bible, St. Clare became closer to his mother and Eva. One passage he read with Tom struck him very deeply. "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it not to me"(Stowe 309). This means that what a person does not do for another human being, he/she does not do for Jesus. St. Clare saw these verses in his own life and the rest of the evening remained absent and thoughtful. He realized that it was not enough to live a good life but do nothing to help his brethren. Later that night, while trying to break up a knife fight, he got stabbed and died. As he was dying he claimed he was coming home at last, a sudden light filled his eyes, and he said "Mother!" Tom and the Bible helped St. Clare deal with Eva's death and his own life. Tom had a major impact on the lives of both Eva and St. Clare, and his interpretations of the Bible gave them both new meaning in life as well as death.
Tom and his Bible also brought some comfort and strength to the beaten down slaves on Legree's plantation. The conditions on the plantation were so harsh and horrible that many of them had become low and cruel themselves and only looked out for themselves. The first thing Tom did was to make two women's supper before his own. He shocked them with his kindness and read from his Bible. "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"(Stowe 347). Out of all of the passages in the Bible this one they probably needed to hear most. It applied to their circumstances and went straight to their hearts. Tom helped fill others' baskets and refused to whip his fellow man. Actions certainly speak louder than words, and Tom continued to practice what he preached. He got his strength from his Bible and showed the desolate slaves what it meant to care for other human beings. Even Sambo and Quimbo, two slaves who had become so cruel they were compared to bull dogs, ended up crying when Tom died. They realized that their brutality had been wrong and wanted to learn about Jesus. Tom saved many souls of the men and women who had almost lost their humanity due to the cruelty of Legree. Out of all of the slaves on that plantation Tom helped Cassy the most. When she came to give him water after he had been beaten, he asked her to read some from his Bible. Cassy sobbed aloud when she [next page]