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Debunking Myths on the Treatment of African Americans in Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

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Invitation to Heaven
“I would not attack the faith of a heathen without being sure I had a better one to put in its place.” (Harriet Beecher Stowe) Harriet Beecher Stowe is an author during the 1800’s, who was well known for promoting the abolition of slavery. After the fugitive slave law was passed by congress in 1850, she actively challenged slavery by writing the novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Uncle Tom’s cabin instantly became a bestseller in the United States. Through the novel, Stowe was able to express her opinions and debunk many myths about how African Americans were treated as slaves. One conception Stowe sought to inform society, was how to live a life that would qualify for an acceptance into heaven. There were many …show more content…

Claire believed every word that her minister spoke. This led her to believe in the ideology that only Whites made it into heaven. She used the bible and the words of the minister to prove her thoughts, as shown in the above quote. As the novel continues, life became unbearable for Marie St. Clare. She always complained of being sick and having no one to love. Stowe creates a plot where both Marie’s husband and daughter die. This leaves Marie behind on earth to rot in misery, while her family enters an afterlife that seems to be more beautiful. Stowe uses this plot to prove to the reader that God does punish white people for their actions. Even though Marie St. Clare was white, God didn’t favor her and would still punish her no matter what race she was. Stowe hoped that through this example, the reader would understand that God judged everyone equally when it came to deciding who would be accepted into heaven.
During the time of slavery, the view that God supported white’s actions was passed down and engrained into the minds of many slaves. This allowed the institution of slavery to eliminate the opinion that African Americans are viewed as equal to Caucasians in God’s eyes. Many slaves lost hope that they were even human beings. One character who felt this way for a long time was George Harris. George Harris said that “[White people] are members of churches, expecting to go to heaven; and they get along so easy in the world, and have it all their own

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