Abstract

Uncle Tom’s Cabin as an anti-slavery novel presents an authentic story of slavery in American. Besides main character Uncle Tom, Harriet Beecer Stowe also emphasizes on slave mother and their pathetic life. Slave mother as a major part of slave is vital for their children, family, even Black race. They protect children, guard family, and sustain race. They take the responsibility to fight for them, even if slavery destroys them both physically and mentally. Slavery breaks slave mother’s humanity, deprives their right and defeats natural principle. They as working machines, sexual and breeding tools, are only possession for slaveholders. Slave mother bear torment from slavery, and are afraid of slavery. Slavery makes many villainies like preventing slave mother being real mothers, breaking family up, wearing their humanity down. Through slave mother’s suffering, the sin of slavery will be revealed overtly. Tender as slave mother, their suffering also arouses sympathies. This article will focus on the importance of slave mother and their sufferings under the control of slavery to explain the extremely evil side of slavery. Also, through the emphasis of moral power of slave mother, the imagination of slavery is deprecated, which reflects the correctness of slavery abolishment.

Key words: Uncle Tom’s Cabin; slavery; slave mother; motherhood; destruction; 

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1.-Introduction-1

1.1 Brief introduction to history of slavery in American-1

1.2 Brief introduction of Uncle Tom’s Cabin-1

1.3 Stowe’s experience and motherhood thesis-1

1.4 The significance of the research-2

2.-The Importance of Motherhood-3

2.1 The main reliance of children-3

2.1.1 Taking care of children-3

2.1.2 Sacrificing for children-4

2.2 The main support of domesticity-6

2.3 The mainstay of race-9

3.-Destruction of Motherhood by Slavery-12

3.1 Physiological destruction-12

3.1.1 Work load and punishment-12

3.1.2 Rape and gynecological disease-13

3.1.3 Poor life condition-15

3.2 Psychological destruction-16

3.2.1 Depression of being separated with children-16

3.2.2 Regret to killing children-18

4.-Conclusion-21

References-24