RACISM IN STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
Maret 29, 2020
Oleh: Karina Hanum Luthfia
(Mahasiswi S3 Kajian Amerika UGM dan Dosen Sastra Inggris Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Image Courtesy of The Library Congress
Uncle Tom’s Cabin published in 1852 was written by White American, Harriet Beetcher
Stowe. The novel was associated to the groundwork of the civil war between
Southern and Northern America toward African American as a slave. The novel
advancing an issue of cultural materialism from which the opposition between
White American and African American was portrayed involutedly. The main
character, uncle Tom, was depicted on being a faithful slave with his
kind-hearted masters Shelbys (Stowe: 1852). The portrayal of a normal and happy
life was on purpose exposed by Stowe to elucidate the perspective of African
American slaves since how sweet-tempered the master, they were still doing an
evil thing, slavery.
The trajectory of uncle Tom was followed when uncle Tom lived with St.
Claire family. On this passage of the story, uncle Tom experienced the
distinguished treatments from Augustine St. Claire and Marie St. Claire, the
wife. Stowe brought the binary opposition existing on this family into two
distinguished elements, which are pro abolition and pro-slavery. Stowe (1852)
portrayed that Eva St. Claire in togetherness with Augustine St. Claire
explicitly stated that uncle Tom should have been freed since as a human being,
he deserved to be free. However, Marie St. Claire’s perspective was opposed to
the idea that uncle Tom was born to be a slave since he was an African
American. The narration ushered the consciousness of choice from which barely
realized by the slaves, especially who lived in the mansion within the master.
The racism issue then developed coating in physical violence when uncle
Tom lived in the plantation of Simon Legree. Domination, oppression, violence,
and racism were explored in consequence of the unconscious danger of slavery in
uncle Tom’s context, since at the beginning, uncle Tom mostly achieved a good
living. The portrayal of the trajectory came to an end onto the choices
provided in the novel, whether uncle Tom decided to stay in the plantation,
murdered by Simon Legree, and dies as a slavery, or escaped and migrated to the
Northern America and be freed as portrayed on the story of Eliza Haris and
Harry Haris.
The realization of choice then led into the civil was between Southern
and Northern America. Northern American’s tendency was on the abolition of the
slavery. Meanwhile, Southern American’s tendency preferred to the institutional
slavery to be existed. The racial issue was assumed to be the main major issue
grounding to the Civil War. In fact, capitalism took control more powerful as
portrayed that Southern America’s area was mostly plantation from which the
landowners called for workers from the slavery system to work in their
plantation. Meanwhile, the Northern America’s area was dominated by the
industrialized life, hence they need labor to work and be paid within a
minimum salary, the only social group who would be willing to do it was the
ex-slave of African American.
Then, it can be concluded whether the slavery was abolished or not,
African American will face racial segregation and inequality. However,
Stowe proposed the movement since the writer presumed that being freed is
better than being a slave since, within freedom, African American would be able
to open the gate of access to some significant elements of life such as
education.
“Witness, eternal God! Oh Witness tha, from
this hour, I will do what one man can to drive out this curse of slavery from
my land!” (Stowe: 1853)
Consequently, within the education, African Americans gradually can develop their social group and express their self-determination.
Hence, Stowe pointed Eliza as the characters who urges to escape since a woman
is signified as the new generation caretaker. It means that education is
proposed to be reached for African American not only on a certain period of
one layer generation but durably for generation to generation.
References
Stowe, Harriet Beetcher. 1852. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Boston: John P.
Jewett and Company.
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BIODATA PENULIS
Karina Hanum Luthfia atau
biasa dipanggil Hanum, adalah seorang mahasiswi S3 Pengkajian Amerika
yang juga mengajar di Universitas Negeri Semarang. Saat ini
sedang menitikberatkan fokusnya ke kampus untuk mengajar dan penelitian
mengenai gerakan literasi di Indonesia. Ia juga memiliki pengalaman
menjadi volunteer dan researcher di salah satu locally run NGO di Yogyakarta.
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