Andrea Gonzalez-Farias
English II
8th pd. M/W
1/23/14
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Essay
There isn’t a bigger love then that of someone giving himself up for others. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend”. In the Bible, Christ showed this great love for others. His affection extended to His actions, and he was full of blessings and hope; it knew no preference or favoritism. Even though he was a poor carpenter and nothing was expected of him, Christ gave Himself completely. In the same way that Christ was a “nobody” yet endeavored to show love, Uncle Tom, despite being a slave, endeavored to do the same. In the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe presented Uncle Tom as a Christ figure by demonstrating the godly characteristics of selflessness, faithfulness, and love.
Uncle Tom had never really cared for himself. He mostly thought of others. In several instances, Tom gives up his comfort and wellbeing to save others. In the beginning chapters, Tom was sold along with Eliza’s child so that the rest of the slaves in the Shelby plantation would not be sold off. In a rush to escape, Eliza told him that he should run away before their new master, Haley, took them away, but he refused because he wanted Eliza and her child to be safe and not get in trouble. The pain he did experience in that change was not because he feared for his wellbeing, but because he had to the people he loved behind. He wanted to stay in the place and with the people he knew so well and cherished so much. Later on, Haley spoke to Tom and inquired after his plans to escape but “Tom assured Haley that he had no present intentions of running off” (Stowe 10). This quote implies his deep care for his previous master and his intention of sacrificing his comfort for the safety of the other slaves at the Shelby plantation. This gave the master relief because Tom was such a good slave. He could have run away at any given moment because...