Re-Entry.mp3
About Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Published in 1852, this was first an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. It helped feed the abolitionist in the 1850’s. This play was anti slave book that became one of the most popular novels of the day a few years later. Even though the book was extremely popular more people saw the play than read the book. The play still held most of the same morals as the playwright and proved quite powerful towards the anti-slave movement.
Plot
Arthur Shelby, a farmer in Kentucky, has to pay of large debts and might lose everything he owns. Arthur desides to sell two of his slaves, Uncle Tom and Harry, to Mr. Haley the slave trader. Emily, Arthurs wife, has a strong relationship with some her slaves and promised Eliza, Harrys mother and Emily’s slave, that Harry would not be sold. Eliza hears this conversation and wars Uncle Tom and his wife. Eliza and her son Harry escape are run North hoping they can become free with her husband in Canada. Haley the slave trader chases after Eliza. She manages to escape after crossing the frozen Ohio River. Haley then hires a man named Loker along with his gang to capture Eliza and Harry and bring them back to Kentucky. Eliza and her son make it to a settlement and are joined by her husband George and start to head to Canada. George and Eliza are being chased by Loker and his men. George shoots Loker and his men flee. Eliza gets everyone to bring Loker to be healed in the next settlement they go to.
Uncle Tom Leaves his family as Haley puts him on a boat to Mississippi to be sold in the slave market. Tom Meets a girl named Eva, who is quick to befriend him. Later Eva falls in the Mississippi and Tom saves her. Because of this Eva’s father agrees to buy Tom from Haley. When they reach New Orleans St. Clare and his cousin Ophelia talk about slavery and St. Clare buys Topsy, a girl who was abused by her old master, and Ophelia starts to teach her. Tom lives with this family for two years while Eva becomes very sick and then dies. Her death affects everyone that knew her. Later St. Clare is stabbed while trying to settle a fight and dies. St. Clare’s wife sells Tom to a plantation in Louisiana owned by Loker. Tom gets in trouble when her refuses to whip a fellow slave and the owner of the plantation attempts to destroy his faith in god. Tom dies after making some new friends , Cassy and Emmeline, They take a boat and travel to Canada. Cassy realizes that Eliza is her long lost daughter. They all travel to France and move to Libera.
Our thoughts
We felt that this play was very interesting and held very strong morals and themes towards anti-slavery. We could tell that this play probably eye opening to people of that era and this play changed peoples mind. Even though the characters and plot were melodramatic and over the top we could still sense the realistic qualities in the play. We all had different ideas how this play would be staged and what direction the director would go with in today’s society.
