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A Reaction to Uncle Toms Cabin
she read the following verse. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,"(Stowe 359). She told Tom about losing her children and the barbarous masters she had had. Cassy did not believe that God could let these things happen and that God could not be here. Many people claimed she had the devil in her. Cassy told Tom to give up; that Legree would win. Through Tom's courage and ability to fight Legree, Cassy slowly realized the power of God. She offered Tom the chance to run away but he refused it, only telling her to remember to love our enemies. Legree beat Tom to death because he would not tell him about Emmeline and Cassy's plan to escape. Through Tom's martyrdom, Cassy saw the strength and victory that God can grant. After being reunited with her daughter, Cassy became a Christian. Tom's work to help other people and his death to save and protect other human lives, made possible by his belief in the Bible, made him comparable to Jesus Christ. Again, Tom and his Bible are able to change people lives for the better and deeply affect the emotions of those who most need help.
Uncle Tom had the ability to touch many people through the words of the Bible only because the Bible touched his own soul so completely. He continuously found his strength and hope in the Bible and when he had nothing else in the world he still had this faith. At the beginning of the novel in Uncle Tom's cabin, they would meet often to sing and read scripture. He excelled in prayer and had a lot of respect in religious matters. They would read in Revelation about the coming of Christ and his kingdom in which the faithful would be redeemed, and the scripture would bring joy to everyone. When Tom got sold he said, "Pray for them that 'spitefully use you, the good book says"(Stowe 53). Even when bad things happened to him, he could turn to the Bible do what it said. Tom read only the New Testament and his innocence and ignorance prevented him from allowing other people's views from affecting his own. While Tom traveled on the boat to the south, he would study over his Bible. He remembered how God would "come out of his place to save all the poor of the earth"(Stowe 140)! Tears dropped on his Bible as he read that Jesus went to prepare a place for him at God's house. Tom never even thought to question the Bible because if it were not true, he could not live. To be so trusting and believing of things he had never seen amazed many people, but to Tom it seemed to be all of life. He quoted scripture to even the poorest, most lonely people. Tom had an uncanny ability to always have the person listen to or read just what they needed to hear at that exact moment. His understanding of the Bible went [next page]