Uncle Toms Cabin Essay example -- Uncle Toms Cabin Essays

Uncle Tom's Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote this novel during the time of the debates that lead to the Civil War and near the time of the Compromise of 1850. The book provides a defiant protest against the social and political conditions of that era. The division between the northern industrial states and the southern agrarian states was very prominent and apparent. There was fierce competition between them. This lead to differing viewpoints about slavery. The competition helped the South justify it and gave the North reason to denounce it. Information like this is not provided by the author because her target audience at the time she wrote the story was living through these conflicts. To make up for this, I would suggest that before reading this work you have at least a minimal knowledge of the aspects of slavery and its geographical distribution in early America. Also, it is important to have basic understanding of the Christian faith and its two major kinds of believers at the time. There were those who believed that all were equal and that all had souls that were to be treated with compassion, and those who argued that God had created them superior to all blacks. Keep in mind that Mrs. Stowe was living through all of what is in her story. So while providing social, political, and religious commentary, she also spatters her work with racism and subtle bigotry that would not be found in most modern writing. Uncle Tom's Cabin is a novel about how trust in God can conque...

Discuss the role played by Mr. Morrison Essay

Mr. Morrison symbolises the strength of Afro-Americans in the face of adversity. He is a source of courage and protection for the Logan family, acting almost as a guardian angel when papa is not home. There is an air of myth surrounding Mr. Morrison, created by factors such as his stature, his deep voice and scarred features. This makes him an interesting and thus successful character for Mildred Taylor. When the children first meet Mr. Morrison, his description relates directly to Mildred Taylor’s imagery. The attention that she pays to the significance of trees as an emblem of strength, influences her description of the powerful Mr. Morrison: â€Å"The man was a human tree in height, towering high above papa’s six feet two inches. The long trunk of his massive body bulged with muscles†¦ † The living strength and permanence of trees are a symbol of the strength which the black community draws from its history, tradition and inheritance, and the ‘roots’ which have been put down in their land. Thus, the description of Mr. Morrison is in keeping with such imagery. The timing of Mr. Morrison’s arrival assists Mildred Taylor in developing tension and suspense. He arrives on the scene in the wake of the news of the attack on The Berry Family. Mr. Morrison, we learn, was wrongly accused of starting a fight and then sacked from his job. This gives us an example of institutionalised racism and also hints that there may well be more incidents and fights. The children immediately warm to him and are deeply fascinated by his giant-like appearance. Mr. Morrison’s attributes make him immune to the physical threats by which the local whites terrorise the black community. This gives the children courage and inspiration. As a result he is a figure who earns Stacey’s respect. Stacey becomes much closer to Mr. Morrison after he makes it plain that he will not be reporting the matter of the fight to with T. J to Stacey’s mother. Indeed, such is Mr. Morrison’s positive influence, that Stacey shows increased maturity by telling his mother about the fight himself. On their way back from shopping in Vicksburg, Papa, Stacey and Mr. Morrison are ambushed by the Wallaces. Mr. Morrison shows his tremendous power by taking on three attackers and badly injuring two of them. In the following chapter he again demonstrates power and shrewd judgement too by lifting Kaleb Wallace’s truck. This act is enough for him to avoid being drawn into fighting whilst still standing up for himself. By checking the truck for a gun first, Mr. Morrison shows an admirable measured determination not to be bullied. Furthermore, Mr. Morrison is a vital calming influence upon the headstrong Hammer when the children’s uncle is seeking to avenge Cassie’s humiliation in strawberry. The image of Mr. Morrison sat watching on the porch for the nightmen is a very powerful one. To the Logan’s he is a guardian angel figure, who protects with great strength, yet is otherwise the perfect example of calm. In the stories he tells to the family we learn of an horrific past in which his family were murdered by racists. His scars symbolise the healing power and capacity to endure that are characterstic of the persecuted black people. His voice – â€Å"like the roll of low thunder† – further emphasises Mr. Morrison as a key symbolic figure in the book, as this simile echoes the title. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mildred Taylor section.

Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and the European’s Claim...

Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and the European’s Claim to Superiority Incomplete Works Cited Just beyond the â€Å"biggest and greatest town on earth†, four men sit patiently on their boat, waiting for the serene waters of the Thames to ebb (65). One of the men, a Buddha, breaks the silence, saying, â€Å"and this also†¦has been one of the dark places of the earth† (67). This pensive and peaceful idol, Marlow, explains to his apathetic listeners how a great civilization is blindly made out of a darkness, remarking, â€Å"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is†¦show more content†¦Marlow’s ironic comments on the degradation of the African people continue as he describes a â€Å"useful† fireman who had been instructed to fire a boiler properly, lest an â€Å"evil spirit...take a terrible vengeance† (110). By referring to this man as, â€Å"†¦an improved specimen† and by describing his appearance as, â€Å"†¦a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat, walking on his hind- legs,† Marlow suggests that the man is in a much worse state now than when he had been a â€Å"barbarian† (109). Marlow bitterly remarks that, â€Å"He ought to have been†¦on the bank, instead of †¦full of improving knowledge†¦A few months of training had done for that really fine chap† (109-110). In effect, the white men, who possessed the â€Å"civility† to teach the â€Å"savages† properly, choose to reduce them to â€Å"parodies† who live in fear and degradation. When Marlow describes the dying Africans in the â€Å"grove of death,† he does not mean to dehumanize them, but suggests that the inhumanity of colonialism has reduced them to their present state. Striking an obvious blow to European colonialism, he narrates, â€Å"[The Africans] were nothing earthly now†¦Lost in uncongenial surroundings, fed on unfamiliar food, they sickened, became inefficient, and were then allowed to crawl away and rest† (83). By describing the Africans as an inefficient work force, Marlow does not demean their humanity, but ironically refers to the inhumanity of the Europeans responsible for the Africans’Show MoreRelatedThe Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad968 Words   |  4 PagesJoseph Conrad’s novella The Heart of Darkness has been under controversy because of racial interpretations. The race factor in this novel has made some scholars and professors question the function the novella has in the classroom. However, Joseph Con rad had another view when writing the novel; to demonstrate how prejudice and dehumanizing the European culture is towards African Americans and their culture during this time period. European’s superior authority over African Americans is portrayedRead More The Lie of Imperialism Exposed in Literature Essay3048 Words   |  13 Pagesnations during the colonial period had far-reaching and detrimental affects on the language and identity of traditional societies. Derek Walcott’s postcolonial poem, â€Å"The Season of Phantasmal Peace† (1981) presented in dialogue with Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1910) and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958) brings to light the powerful role that language played in executing the lie of imperialism on colonized peoples and the implications that this exertion of power has had and continues toRead More Colonialism and Imperialism - A Post-colonial Study of Heart of Darkness3270 Words   |  14 PagesA P ost-colonial Study of Heart of Darkness         Ã‚  In this paper, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness will be examined by using a recent movement, Post-colonial Study that mainly focuses on the relationship between the Self and the Other, always intertwined together in considering one’ identity.  Ã‚   The Other is commonly identified with the margin, which has been oppressed or ignored by Eurocentric, male-dominated history.  Ã‚   Conrad is also conscious of the Others interrelated status with the SelfRead MoreThe Nature Of The African Landscape10552 Words   |  43 PagesThe Landscape: In this section, I seek to investigate how the nature of the African landscape has been depicted in Heart of Darkness. Questions such as 1.) How the Orientalist others the foreign landscape 2.) What is the psychological influence of the African landscape on the European colonisers? 3.) Does the psychological influenceon the Whites similar to that of the Blacks? 4.) And, what are the consequences of that psychological influence on the White invaders and the natives? These arguments