The Role Of Jesus In Uncle Tom's Cabin
In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Evangeline St Clare and Uncle Tom are two characters that are portrayed as Christ figures. They are both depicted as these Christ figures, however, they differ in their physical descriptions and deaths, but are similar when it comes to their character’s actions as spiritual guides. Eva is described in the novel as having “long golden-brown hair that floated like a cloud around it” (Stowe 151) creating the image of her having a halo around her head. She is also described as “always dressed in white” (152) and looking like “something almost divine” (152) characterizing her as almost angelic and equating her description with Jesus’. Eva’s actions depict her as a Christ figure because she
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His description is more of the plainer, humbler side of Jesus than the heavenly one Eva is described as. Tom is described as being “large, broad-chested” (Stowe 27) with an expression of “kindliness and benevolence” (Stowe 27). Furthermore, Tom, like Eva, offers spiritual guidance to the other slaves around him. He serves as a sort of “patriarch in religious matters” (Stowe 35) on Shelby’s plantation likening him to Jesus offering guidance to his disciples. Depicting Tom, a black slave, as a Christ figure serves to show the readers that slaves have souls and morals too; they’re not just heathens as others viewed them. This illustration of slaves also having souls and being Christians works to appeal to the white audience that slavery is an evil because it enslaves fellow Christians. Tom’s death contrasts with Eva because there is bloodshed as he is physically beaten and suffers at the hands of Legree. But like Eva’s, Tom’s self-sacrificing death leads to the freedom and salvation of others. Tom takes these beatings in order to keep Emmeline and Cassy safe and his death ultimately leads to their salvation from Legree. Also when master George finds Tom and watches the life fade out of him, he resolves at that moment “to drive out this curse of slavery” (Stowe 429), which leads to him freeing all the slaves on his plantation. The parallel between Tom’s sacrifice and Jesus’ evokes more of an emotion in a Christian audience because they understand the magnitude of that kind of
His description is more of the plainer, humbler side of Jesus than the heavenly one Eva is described as. Tom is described as being “large, broad-chested” (Stowe 27) with an expression of “kindliness and benevolence” (Stowe 27). Furthermore, Tom, like Eva, offers spiritual guidance to the other slaves around him. He serves as a sort of “patriarch in religious matters” (Stowe 35) on Shelby’s plantation likening him to Jesus offering guidance to his disciples. Depicting Tom, a black slave, as a Christ figure serves to show the readers that slaves have souls and morals too; they’re not just heathens as others viewed them. This illustration of slaves also having souls and being Christians works to appeal to the white audience that slavery is an evil because it enslaves fellow Christians. Tom’s death contrasts with Eva because there is bloodshed as he is physically beaten and suffers at the hands of Legree. But like Eva’s, Tom’s self-sacrificing death leads to the freedom and salvation of others. Tom takes these beatings in order to keep Emmeline and Cassy safe and his death ultimately leads to their salvation from Legree. Also when master George finds Tom and watches the life fade out of him, he resolves at that moment “to drive out this curse of slavery” (Stowe 429), which leads to him freeing all the slaves on his plantation. The parallel between Tom’s sacrifice and Jesus’ evokes more of an emotion in a Christian audience because they understand the magnitude of that kind of