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A Reaction to Uncle Toms Cabin
went beyond that of any minister because of its simplicity and truth. Through scripture Tom learned to be content with whatever state he happened to be in. During his most difficult struggles at the hands of Legree, he stood by his beliefs. Tom realizes that while his body may belong to Legree, his soul will always belong to God. After Tom had been beaten, Jesus' words came to him, "He that overcame shall sit down with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my father on his throne"(Stowe 389). The courage Tom received from God and the Bible allowed him to have victory over Legree and let go of the physical being. "--who shall separate us from the lobe of Christ"(Stowe 417)! Tom's suffering changed an instrument of degradation into a symbol of glory. The words and meaning of the Bible had such a profound effect on Uncle Tom's life that it enabled him to alter the lives of many human beings.
The Bible verses used at just the right times added a dramatic and touching aspect to Tom and the world around him. Without the references to the scripture death could never have seemed so peaceful and enlightening and the slaves who were almost completely lost to cruelty could not have been saved. Stowe used Bible verses to effectively make both serious and complex points. When someone picked up a Bible to read to Tom, the verses they read always related directly to them and their experiences. The Bible contains so many pages that if this were merely a coincidence than it is extraordinary. But because Tom was compared to Christ through his death, maybe, Tom knew the words that would touch each person's soul and they had not been coincidences. Stowe wanted to show how important religion was for both slaves and their masters. Stowe's novel, published in 1851, contained ideas that in that time were both inconceivable and on many people's minds. Uncle Tom's Cabin, a pre-Civil War novel, infuriated many Southerners and some Northerners as well. Some of the ideas were far ahead of the time and some of the stereotypes were offensive and the book angered many Yankees. Stowe may even have contributed to the start of the Civil War with her revolutionary book about slavery. The novel still has a huge impact today and contains highly debatable issues. Uncle Tom's Cabin is a famous American novel that has just as much relevance now as it did over a hundred years ago. Slavery has been a major part of both American history and culture and Stowe had the ability to present it in a very moving way.