第一篇：湯姆4

《湯姆·索亞歷險記》第四章 有感

我又接著讀了《湯姆·索亞歷險記》的第四章，這本書實在是太有意思了，第四章的大概內容是這樣的……

早上，湯姆被表姐誘惑著背了一遍《圣經》，之后又去洗臉，調皮的湯姆，只是把臉洗洗，脖子還是臟兮兮的，表姐重新把湯姆拉大到臉盆前幫他收拾，湯姆利用10幾分鐘，換了一堆各種顏色的紙才進去，他發現他喜歡的那個女孩也在那里，就開始發了瘋的表現自己，這時他突然站起來，拿著9張黃票、9張紅票、10張藍票，走到了華爾特先生面前，請求得到一本《圣經》，于是湯姆得到了一本《圣經》并跟貴賓們坐在了一起。

湯姆是一個：可愛、勇敢的男孩。

第二篇：湯姆讀書

《湯姆索亞歷險記》讀書競賽

姓名：_____________得分_____________

一、選擇題（50分）

1、湯姆是個聰明愛動的孩子，在他身上集中體現了智慧、計謀、正義、勇敢乃至領導等諸多才能。他是一個多重角色的集合，他（）

A足智多謀，沒有同情心，B對現實環境持贊同態度，C一心要沖出桎梏，過行俠仗義的生活。D安于現狀，逆來順受。

2、小說塑造的湯姆?索亞是個有血有肉，栩栩如生的人物形象。在姨媽眼里，他是個（）。

A頑童，調皮搗蛋 B足智多謀的人C一心要沖出桎梏的綠林好漢D有理想有抱負的形象。

3.湯姆和去墳地“試驗”用死貓治疣子的方法時，意外地遇上了一場謀殺案——去盜尸三個人發生爭執，一怒之下，（）把大夫殺了，A印第安人喬B哈克C酒鬼波特D羅賓遜

4、湯姆和哈克偷偷地潛入到巖洞中，并根據他們偷聽到的關于“二號”的描述，找到了一個寶箱——里面有（）元！發現寶藏的他們成了大富翁。A一萬八千余B十萬兩千余C兩萬一千余D一萬兩千余

5、《湯姆?索亞歷險記》這部長篇小說是（）所有作品中最富有代表性的作品之一，也是擁有最廣泛讀者的作品之一。

A莫泊桑B馬克?吐溫C哈克貝恩D契訶夫

6、小說情節緊湊，而且含義深刻。小說通過湯姆生活中一系列情節，批判了資產階級兒童教育的清規戒律。你贊同這種觀點嗎？（）

A贊同B不贊同C無法判斷

7、小說的時代在（），寫的雖是圣彼得堡小鎮，但該鎮某種程度上可以說是當時美國社會的縮影。

A南北戰爭前B南北戰爭前C跨越南北戰爭前后

8、故事發生在19世紀上半葉（）畔的一個普通小鎮上。

A伏爾加河B圣勞倫斯河C多瑙河D密西西比河

9、一天，湯姆見到了可愛的姑娘蓓姬?撒切爾，她是（）的女兒。湯姆一見到她就對她展開了攻勢。

A撒切爾市長B撒切爾法官C撒切爾律師D撒切爾醫生

10、湯姆快發現她（蓓姬）臉通紅，來回走個不停，四處張望，她嘆了一口氣，悶悶不樂地看著湯姆，見他只和（）一人講話，不理睬別的人。她立即感到極度悲傷，變得煩躁不安。

A艾美?勞倫斯B瑪麗?奧斯汀C格雷賽?米勒

11、“夏日溫和的氣息安逸的靜謐花朵的芬芳蜜蜂的低語---這一切都讓人昏昏欲睡,她手中編織著,不由打起了盹,因為她除了一只貓沒有別的伴侶,這貓也在她的腿上睡著了。”這段景物描寫作用理解不正確的是：（）

A突出了農莊的靜謐、人們的激動,B交代了故事發生的背景,C為下文寫波利姨媽的表揚、湯姆的逃跑作鋪墊。

12、“太陽在平靜的世界上升起,照耀在這個寧靜的村莊上,像是在祝福它。”這段話渲染了一種（）的氛圍,為下文寫頒獎提供了特定的環境。A輕松、愉悅B凄涼、冷寂C平淡、肅穆

13、“哎呀,沒想到！竟然變了個人似的。湯姆,只要你專心,還是能成大器的。” “可我不能不說,你就是難得專心。好啦,去玩吧不過,要早點回來,要不然,我非狠狠揍你不可。”寫出波莉（）的個性。

A富有愛心、精明B富有同情心、善良C富有責任心、兇狠

14|、“他從地上揀了根草,揚起腦袋,把草桿支在鼻子上,腦袋上來回移動,設法不讓草倒下。”這段文字主要采用（）描寫，突出了湯姆機靈、聰明、好表現、用心良苦的性格特征

A動作B細節C側面

15、十九世紀后期的世界文壇可謂是異彩紛呈，涌現了許多文學大師，請選出這些大師與國籍對應正確的一組：（）

A法國的左拉、莫泊桑，B英國的哈代、契訶夫C 美國的馬克?吐溫、雨果。16|、《湯姆?索亞歷險記》是十九世紀七十年代創作的一部重要作品。小說的中心內容是寫湯姆?索亞因不能忍受周枯燥乏味的生活，同自己的朋友出去“冒險”的故事。八年以后，作者發表了這部小說姊妹篇（）

A《小鯉魚歷險記 》B《蓓姬?撒切爾歷險記》C《哈克貝利?費恩歷險記》

17、杜賓斯先生手中的教鞭和戒尺現在很少閑著，至少對那些年齡較小的同學可以這么說。只有()才不挨打。

A最大的男孩子和18到20歲的年輕姑娘B最大的女孩子和18到20歲的男孩子C最大的男孩子和14到18歲的年輕姑娘

18、下列不屬于在第十四章中和湯姆踏上杰克遜島體驗海盜生活的人是（）A蓓姬?撒切爾B喬哈潑C哈克貝利

19、下列作品不屬于《湯姆?索亞歷險記》的作者的是（）

A《哈克貝利?費恩歷險記》B 《競選州長》C《柔弱的人》

20、湯姆和貝基在野餐時走進了一個山洞，被困在里面。他們在山洞里再一次遇見了（）。村民費盡周折救出湯姆和貝基之后封死了山洞。惡人（）死在山洞里了得到了應有的報應。

A酒鬼波特B印第安?喬C羅賓遜

21|、是誰撕壞了教授解剖學書里的彩色插頁——人體圖？（）

A艾美?勞倫斯B蓓姬?撒切爾C格雷賽?米勒

22、湯姆和哈克去一個鬼屋“尋找海盜埋藏的財寶”的時候，發現喬裝的印第安人喬和一個同伙在鬼屋中找到了一部分財寶,并且偷聽到有一個“二號”----指（）A某個旅館的房間號碼B另一個藏寶藏的地方C海盜中的副首領

23、“主日學校”指的是（）

A教會辦的雙休日學校B又叫“星期日學校” C教會辦的每月1日的集會

24、對小說主題理解錯誤的一項是：（）

A對美國虛偽庸俗的社會習俗進行了諷刺

B對偽善的宗教儀式和刻板陳腐的學校教育和批判

C以平實的筆調描寫了少年兒童遵規守紀的心靈。

25、湯姆?索亞是個調皮的孩子，他和同父異母的弟弟（）一起接受姨媽波莉的監護。

A、哈克B喬哈潑C錫特

二、填空題（15分）

1、“湯姆的姨媽罰湯姆干一件事,湯姆卻把這件事當作快樂游戲引誘小朋友為他干,并交換得到了許多小朋友的蘋果,風箏,銅門把手,石頭彈子,鞭炮,小鐵兵,刀把……” 這件事指的是:_________________________________

2、啊呀,這女孩長得可真漂亮,一雙可愛的藍眼睛上閃動著長長的睫毛,一對金黃色頭發編成的長辮子在身后晃蕩,白色的襯衫扎在寬松的繡花長褲里,顯得格外整潔動人.我們剛剛在戰場上獲得大勝的大將軍湯姆心想,像這樣的美人,一定屬于我這樣的英雄.這段話描寫的人是誰 ___________________________

3、湯姆背不出《圣經》,但他卻想出一個辦法從校長那里得到了一本《圣經》,他的辦是:______________________________________________________

4、“他經常穿著大人丟掉不要的破衣爛衫,全身一年四季都在開花,衣服上綻開的破布條隨著他的蹦蹦跳跳而飄舞.他頭上戴著一個很大的破帽子,一塊彎月亮樣的帽邊搭拉下來遮住了半邊臉,肥大的上衣幾乎拖到腳跟,褲子只一根背帶挎在肩上,另一根背帶不知哪里去了,褲襠像個大口袋吊在兩腿之間,一只褲腳卷著,還有一只毛了邊的褲腳拖到地上,走一步帶起一陣灰塵.” 這段話描寫的人是誰 _______________________________

5、湯姆去上學,看見課室坐著新來的美麗女孩貝奇·薩契爾,他想坐到貝奇身邊,故意老實對老師說他遲到前與流浪漢________________________在一起.6、暑假里,湯姆希望改掉自己的一些不良習氣,加入了小鎮上”____________”著個組織,并得到一條綬帶,但湯姆后來退出了.7、湯姆和__________________在鬼屋尋寶時,發現了殺人犯___________和一個裝聾作啞的西班牙人,并得知他們獲得了一袋金幣.8、印第安·喬要報復_____________________,被_______________發現跟蹤,他趕緊報告威爾士,威爾士帶兩個兒子持槍抓捕,但印第安·喬逃跑了.9、郊游時湯姆和貝奇困在___________________溶洞里,在洞中發現印江·喬埃也躲了進來,湯姆和貝奇從洞中出來后,貝奇的父親用鐵門把洞口封了起來,最后印第安·喬的下場是:________________________________

10、小說中的“好孩子”“模范兒童”是；圣比得堡上公認的野孩子是_________________小說中的酒鬼是_______________。

三、簡答題（35分）

1、小教堂里全鎮的善男信女正在進行著虔誠的禱告和莊嚴的布道，忽然有一只狗發瘋似的跑了起來，這件事和湯姆有什么關系嗎？(7分)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2、湯姆早年失去雙親，被寄養在姨媽那里。在姨媽眼中，他是一個淘氣、搗蛋的孩子。在學校也是一個令老師頭疼的問題兒童。對他離家出走歷險，從你的角度上講你贊同嗎？請多角度的列舉理由。（50字左右）(7分)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3、對湯姆，你最欣賞什么？請結合《洞中歷險》這個情節，聯系自己的實際講講理由。(7分)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4、你覺得湯姆是一個什么樣的人？你喜歡他嗎？為什么(7分)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5、你覺得馬克.吐溫為什么要塑造湯姆這樣一個藝術形象呢?(7分)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

小說中的“好孩子”“模范兒童”是杰夫撒切爾；圣比得堡上公認的野孩子是哈克貝利費恩，他后來被寡婦收養。小說中的酒鬼是莫夫波特。

2、當希德打破糖罐后，湯姆是怎么想的？但是結果又是怎樣的？

答：湯姆非常高興，他急切的想看到希德吃苦頭。結果是湯姆被打翻在地，波莉姨媽以為糖罐是湯姆打碎的。

5、小教堂里全鎮的善男信女正在進行著虔誠的禱告和莊嚴的布道，忽然有一只狗發瘋似的跑了起來，這件事和湯姆有什么關系嗎？

答：湯姆帶來的一個寶貝一只大鉗甲蟲夾住了狗的屁股，狗痛得到處瘋跑。

11、湯姆早年失去雙親，被寄養在姨媽那里。在姨媽眼中，他是一個淘氣、搗蛋的孩子。在學校也是一個令老師頭疼的問題兒童。對他離家出走歷險，從你的角度上講你贊同嗎？請多角度的列舉理由。（50字左右）

（僅作參考）：對湯姆離家出走冒險我不贊同。盡管湯姆有許多令人欽佩的優點，但像他在生活中一遇到困難就出走，這這種人生態度是不可取的；況且社會紛繁復雜，隨便走出去很容易誤入歧途或生命沒有保障，這樣既誤掉自己，也給家庭帶來哀痛。

12、對湯姆，你最欣賞什么？請結合《洞中歷險》這個情節，聯系自己的實際講講理由。

例：我最欣賞的是他和蓓姬在洞中歷險時堅定勇敢友愛的精神。當他面臨著黑暗、孤獨、饑餓的痛苦和死亡、恐怖的威脅的困境時，沒有絕望、等待命運的安排，而是積極與困難抗爭，對脫離困境充滿了信心，并不斷安慰、鼓勵、關心蓓姬，一個孩子做到這一點，實在讓人欽佩。

13、你覺得湯姆是一個什么樣的人？你喜歡他嗎？為什么

參考答案：生性頑皮，喜歡“惡作劇”，但心地善良，樂于助人（例如《洞中歷險》，他很少想到自己的安危，而是處處為蓓姬著想。身上僅有的一塊面包自己不吃，讓給她吃。最后正由于他的勇敢機智，才能從洞中脫險；他富暈幻想，敢于冒險，具有反抗精神；他是一個成長的孩子。

15、你覺得馬克.吐溫為什么要塑造湯姆這樣一個藝術形象呢?

答：馬克·吐溫從小缺少關愛，他對兒童的健康成長特別關心，他塑造湯姆·索亞這個形象，用意有二：一是為了表現自己對童年生活的深刻懷念；二是為了引起社會對“頑童”的關注，啟發人們如何給孩子們一個寬松的教育環境，如何讓孩子們健康成長。

答案 A BA D CAC A C CA B B A A C C A C

4刷墻

5艾美·勞倫斯

7找別人換票（十張黃票可以換得校長的一本圣經）

8哈克貝利·費恩

9哈克貝利·費恩

13少年節制會

15哈克貝利·費恩 印第安·喬

16.湯姆，湯姆和哈克

17卡第夫山 淹死（人們后來在渡口附近的河里發現了那個“衣衫襤褸”的人的尸體，他也許是想逃跑，結果卻被淹死了）

第三篇：湯姆交流會

《湯姆叔叔的小屋》讀書成果展示

焦作市東環小學 麻海娥

五月份，我和孩子們一起閱讀了斯托夫人的成名之作《湯姆叔叔的小屋》這本書，為人正直、心地善良、篤信宗教的湯姆叔叔；有勇有謀、聰明好學的混血奴隸喬治；唯利是圖、冷酷無情的奴隸販子黑利；人性泯滅、天良喪盡的雷格里；有正義感、但隨波逐流的圣克萊爾等栩栩如生的人物給我們留下了深刻的印象。每天午讀時間，孩子們總能靜靜地品味書香，走進湯姆叔叔的內心世界，去感受人間的真善美，假丑惡。給心靈一份寧靜。

在小書蟲文學社團活動時，我們召開了讀書交流會，孩子們交流書中最喜歡的人物和故事。有的孩子說最喜歡湯姆的誠實、正直、善良，能夠經受住一切的考驗，滿懷愛心，把愛的溫暖傳遞給身邊的每一個人。有的孩子說喜歡伊娃，那個被當做天使的小姑娘。她出生的目的也許就是為了帶給大家歡樂和愛，也許只是為了告訴我們什么是愛，教會我們如何去愛，她是上帝派來的使者，將愛植入每一個人的心靈，她以極大的熱忱愛著周圍的每一個人，不分彼此，不分敵我。善良的父親、可憐的湯姆、無理的母親、艱苦的奶娘。在她旅程結束前的那一刻，她說：“我看見了愛——歡樂——寧靜——平安。”她的愛，從生命萌芽的伊始到結束的剎那得到永生。有的孩子說托普西給他們留下了深刻的印：，他是黑人里最黑的了，一雙圓圓的明亮的眼睛像玻璃珠子一樣閃閃發光，外貌有點怪，臉上的表情是精明與狡吉的奇妙組合，像個小妖精似的。她愛偷東西，偷了之后還撒謊，擺出一副無辜的表情；她品行不端，對所有惹她的人實施報復，惡作劇；她會趁著主人出去，瘋鬧幾個小時，把家里弄得亂七八糟。她的主人想盡了一切辦法懲罰她，教育她，試圖改變她的不良習慣，但沒有用，這只是因為沒有愛！想想吧！這原本可愛的孩子，一生下來就淪為奴隸，她的一切只屬于他們的主人，那些所謂主宰著她命運的主人。她從小就在奴隸主的打罵中成長，令她養成了說謊、偷東西的壞習慣，把她原來那美好、純潔的心靈玷污了。在這種毫無尊嚴，經歷著骨肉分離，整天遭受鞭打的情況下，怎么才能擁有高尚的品德和堅定的信仰呢？只有純潔，美好，無私的愛才能拯救她的心靈！當天使般的伊娃對她說愛她的時候，托普西的眼睛里蒙上了淚水，她的心靈受到了一縷愛的陽光。果然，托普西以后變好了，她努力爭取關愛別人。這是打罵，說教永遠達不到的效果，充滿愛的一句話超越了一切！這就是愛的力量！《湯姆叔叔的小屋》這本書的字里行間都充滿了愛，這種愛的力量傳遞給每一個孩子，在他們身上播種愛的種子，讓愛在我班孩子的心里開花結果。

孩子們之所以喜歡《湯姆叔叔的小屋》這本書，就是作者博愛的情懷，讓讀者感受到：愛是無上的，愛是沒有區別的，愛是不分大小的。

我們在這次讀書活動中，還進行了讀書筆記比賽，讀書小報比賽，孩子們制作了一張張精美的讀書小報，筆墨飄香，經典育人。書給孩子們帶來了無窮的智慧，也啟迪了他們的心靈。

第四篇：小兔湯姆讀后感

最近小徐愛上了小兔湯姆的系列套書，每天都要牛媽給他講幾本，里面的故事情節都是日常生活中發生的事兒，小徐也特喜歡把故事里的情節應用到生活中來，小兔湯姆讀后感。

《湯姆挨罰》——某日，小徐在幼兒園玩玩具，突然站起來跑到一個小朋友那里就是一腳把玩具踢倒，牛媽剛想發怒，沒想到小徐轉過來跟牛媽說要挨罰，牛媽只能好無語的把小徐叫到王老師那里去挨罰，并跟老師講的大概的原因，老師哭笑不得的給小徐說教去啦，貌似小徐還挺高興，讀后感《小兔湯姆讀后感》。

《湯姆做噩夢》——每晚睡覺小徐都要喊爸爸媽媽救命，會不會有巫師過來抓我啊、窗戶那里有魔鬼、我聽到什么聲音······結果搞得分房睡覺的計劃泡湯，每晚小徐都一驚一詐的，搞得牛媽慎的慌，牛媽心想以后老徐出差怎么辦，還不得讓小徐給嚇死啊。

《湯姆躲貓貓》——這個是小徐最愛的書之一，每天都要講一次，每次坐地鐵都要去看看隧道，自言自語的說里面會不會有抓小孩的巫師啊，媽媽我好想去隧道里面看看。

第五篇：湯姆叔叔讀后感

The power of love

----“ Uncle Tom's cabin, ”Book

Some time ago, I read a person's fame Khvostov of as “Uncle Tom's cabin.” Integrity, good-natured, religious Uncle Tom;prudent, smart, studious Mestizo slave George;inexcusable ruthless slave traders Hailey;destroys human nature, conscience ruined the alegre;a sense of justice, but drift, such as the St.Clair lifelike characters left me a deep impression on him.What made me the most unforgettable is the smart and lively but wild full, and later transferred teach self-esteem a slave girlTOM love.TOM blacks had the most black, a pair of round bright eyes as sparkling glass beads, like, look a bit strange face is a shrewd and crafty Kyrgyzstan wonderful combinations, like a goblin-like.She loves to steal, stealing after lie, put an innocent expression;her misbehavior, all making her revenge, hoaxes;she would take advantage of the master out, crazy couple of hours to make his home mess.Her owner exhausted all ways to punish her, education, she tried to change her bad habits, but to no avail, this is only because there is no love!Think about it!This was lovely child, born into slavery, she belonged to them all the only masters of the so-called masters of her fate.Her childhood on his master's scolding to grow up, so she formed the habit of lying, bad habit of stealing things, and that she was beautiful, tarnished the purity of heart.In this there is no dignity, experiencing being separated from being whipped all day circumstances, how can we have a noble moral character and firm in faith? Only pure, beautiful, selfless love can save her soul!When the angelic Eva to her love of her time,TOM eyes cast the tears that her heart has been ray of sunshine of love.Sure enough, after the changeTOM Well, her efforts to care for others.This is the punishment, not preaching Forever effect, full of love beyond all words!This is the power of love!

In our lives, there are many like TOM as children.Their bad behavior, there is no love, will not listen to reason, then do not hate him, to understand with love, tolerance, stripped away a layer of green shoots yellow things, with love to the hearts of probation numb.We should always remember;the power of love is enormous, and the supreme!“Uncle Tom's cabin” This masterpiece has been published in 150 years, it has been able to make today is still deeply moved by readers, but also because the author in the book preached brotherhood and humanity in the disappearance of slavery today has been the eternal pursuit of mankind.中文譯文：愛的力量

————《湯姆叔叔的小屋》讀后感

前些日子，我拜讀了斯托夫人的成名之作《湯姆叔叔的小屋》。為人正直、心地善良、篤信宗教的湯姆叔叔；有勇有謀、聰明好學的混血奴隸喬治；唯利是圖、冷酷無情的奴隸販子黑利；人性泯滅、天良喪盡的雷格里；有正義感、但隨波逐流的圣克萊爾等栩栩如生的人物給我留下了深刻的印象。但使我最難以忘懷的是聰明活潑但野性十足，后來被調教得自尊愛人得黑奴小姑娘托普西。

托普西是黑人里最黑得了，一雙圓圓的明亮的眼睛像玻璃珠子一樣閃閃發光，外貌有點怪，臉上的表情是精明與狡吉的奇妙組合，像個小妖精似的。她愛偷東西，偷了之后還撒謊，擺出一副無辜的表情；她品行不端，對所有惹她的人實施報復，惡作劇；她會趁著主人出去，瘋鬧幾個小時，把家里弄得亂七八糟。她的主人想盡了一切辦法懲罰她，教育她，試圖改變她的不良習慣，但沒有用，這只是因為沒有愛！

想想吧！這原本可愛的孩子，一生下來就淪為奴隸，她的一切只屬于他們的主人，那些所謂主宰著她命運的主人。她從小就在奴隸主的打罵中成長，令她養成了說謊、偷東西的壞習慣，把她原來那美好、純潔的心靈玷污了。在這種毫無尊嚴，經歷著骨肉分離，整天遭受鞭打的情況下，怎么才能擁有高尚的品德和堅定的信仰呢？只有純潔，美好，無私的愛才能拯救她的心靈！當天使般的伊娃對她說愛她的時候，托普西的眼睛里蒙上了淚水，她的心靈受到了一縷愛的陽光。果然，托普西以后變好了，她努力爭取關愛別人。這是打罵，說教永遠達不到的效果，充滿愛的一句話超越了一切！這就是愛的力量！

在我們的生活中，也有許多像托普西一樣的孩子。他們品行不良，沒有愛心，不可理喻，那么千萬不要厭惡他，用愛去理解，寬容，剝去綠色嫩芽外的一層枯黃的東西，用愛來感化麻木的心靈。要永遠記住；愛的力量是巨大的，至高無上的！《湯姆叔叔的小屋》這本名著出版至今已有一百五十多年了，它之所以能在今天依然使讀者們深深感動，也是因為作者在書中宣揚的博愛與人道在奴隸制消失的今天已然是人類永恒的追求。

My first reaction to this book is that it was based much more on religion than I had imagined it to be.As I expected, Stowe's main purpose of the book was to nakedly expose the institution of slavery to America and the rest of the world with the hopes that something would be done about it.To achieve this purpose, she showed us individual instances of slavery in a country that prided itself on its Christianity and its laws protecting freedom.She showed us how absurd slavery is “beneath the shadow of American laws and the shadow of the cross of Christ.”

I was also surprised at the various kinds of relationships between whites and blacks of the South.We learn that not all whites were bad and not all blacks were good, but that there were quite a mixture of characters and relationships.That was a strength of the book.It's not a melodrama, but shows an evil institution which allows both good and evil and all those in between to exist under it, and how this institution affects the individuals.Legree's plantation, for instance, corrupted anyone who came there.But the reader understands that it is the system that allows this which is the root of the problem, and that, by the way is a North/South problem, not just a Southern problem.She specifically calls on the North at the end of the book to ask themselves if they can live with the institution of slavery in their country and still call themselves Christians.A wise move.One of the most memorble characters was, of course, Eva.Stowe was able to give her a true, simple, child's voice which spoke unadulterated truth about the relations and happenings around her: “Poor old Prue's child was all that she had,--and yet she had to hear it crying, and she couldn't help it!Papa, these poor creatures love their children as much as you do me.O!do something for them!There's poor Mammy loves her children;'ve seen her cry when she talked about them.And Tom loves his children;and it's dreadful, papa, that such things are happening, all the time!”

You can't help but say, “Oh, my god, she's right you know!” Eva's is a powerful voice in this book.But Eva's Jesus-like gathering of the slaves before she died was a bit much in its reference to Jesus.How old was Eva? Certainly younger than to have the mature sense of death and consciousness of duty than most adults ever attain.Are these the words of a little kid:

“I sent for you all, my dear friends,” said Eva, “because I love you.I love you all;and I have something to say to you, which I want you always to remember....I am going to leave you.In a few more weeks, you will see me no more--”

The character Eva seemed to be an innocent child telling her family and the world about how she saw slavery which exposed a lot of its evils.But when she turned into a mini Jesus and preached to the slaves before her death as Jesus had preached the disciples before his death, I felt the author had given to too great of a “jump into maturity ” to be believable, unless the short life of Eva was really supposed to be a irreal miracle occurance.Eva was powerful enough as a real character who looks at slavery from innocent eyes.Her transfiguration into a holy person at the end took some of her punch away.As a Jesus-character, Tom transcends the book as a Christian hero.An interesting study would be a comparison of Tom and Jesus.One direct parallel, for instance, is the direct temptation that Legree put upon Tom to break him and make him give up his religion for Legree's “church.” It parallels to the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the desert.An important question asked throughout the book was “If we emancipate, are we willing to educate?” In her essay at the end, Stowe chides those white Americans who feel they are doing the slaves a favor by sending them back to Africa so that they can live in the supposedly free country of Liberia.She directly asks the reader, “Would you be willing to take a slave into your Christian home and educate him?” This question went right into every household in the North.A short introduction at the beginning of my book asked the question whether or not it was “good literary style” for Stowe to talk directly to the reader in the book.I don't think Stowe was trying to a create literary work of art other than would serve her purpose of communicating to the reader what exactly slavery was in America at that time.She wrote the book so that she could talk directly to the reader.It may not be good literary style but it reminds the reader that “this books for you.”

If you want to look at this book in terms of an interesting piece of literature outside its social and political context, I don't think you have much to look at.The story itself is not interesting(the escape plan of Cassy was the high point), it's packed with religious dogma at every turn(borders on Puritan literature), and you don't see hardly any character development except perhaps for Augustine, but he is so wishy washy that his conversion right before his death doesn't give you any insights into his character or human nature.This book is simply expository: it uncovers the institution of slavery.This is what makes the book riveting to read.Stowe seems to have seen quite a number of individual incidents of slavery for her to be able to write powerful and moving scenes like this one in which the slave George gives Mr.Wilson, a former humane owner, the view of slavery in America from the slave's point of view.This speech by George was the most powerful in the book:

“See here, now, Mr.Wilson,” said George, coming up and sitting himself determinately down in front of him;“look at me, now.Don't I sit before you, every way, just as much a man as you are? Look at my face,--look at my body,” and the young man drew himself up proudly;“why am I not a man, as much as anybody? Well, Mr.Wilson, hear what I can tell you.I had a father--one of your Kentucky gentlemen--who didn't think enough of me to keep me from being sold with his dogs and horses, to satisy the estate, when he died.I saw my mother put up at sheriff's sale, with her seven children.They were sold before her eyes, one by one, all to different masters;and I was the youngest.She came and kneeled down before old Mas'r, and begged him to buy her with me, that she might have at least one child with her;and he kicked her away with his heavy boot.I saw him do it;and the last that I heard was her moans and screams, when I was tied to his horse's neck, to be carried off to his place.” “Well, then?”

“My master traded with one of the men, and bought my oldest sister.She was a pious, good girl,--a member of the Baptist Church,--and as handsome as my poor mother had been.She was well brought up, and had good manners.At first, I was glad she was bought, for I had one friend near me.I was soon sorry for it.Sir, I have stood at the door and heard her whipped, when it seemed as if every blow cut into my naked heart, and I couldn't do anything to help her;and she was whipped, sir, for wanting to live a decent Christian life, such as your laws give no slave girl a right to live;and at last I saw her chained with a trader's gang, to be sent to market in Orleans,--sent there for nothing else but that,--and that's the last I know of her.Well, I grew up,--long years and years,--no father, no mother, no sister, not a living soul that cared for me more than a dog;nothing but whipping, scolding, starving.Why, sir, I've been so hungry that I have been glad to take the bones they threw to their dogs;and yet, when I was a little fellow, and laid awake whole nights and cried, it wasn't the hunger, it wasn't the whipping, I cried for.No, sir;it was for my mother and my sisters.--It was because I hand't a friend to love me on earth.I never knew what peace or comfort was.I never had a kind word spoken to me till I came to work in your factory.Mr.Wilson, you treated me well;you encouraged me to do well, and to learn to read and write, and to try to make something of myself;and God knows how grateful I am for it.Then, sir, I found my wife;you've seen her,--you know how beautiful she is.When I found she loved me, when I married her, I scarcely could believe I was alive, I was so happy;and, sir, she is as good as she is beautiful.But now what? Why, now comes my master, takes me right away from my work, and my friends, and all I like, and grinds me down into the very dirt!And why? Because, he says, I forgot who I was;he says, to teach me that I am only a nigger!After all, and last of all, he comes between me and my wife, and says I shall give her up, and live with another woman.And all this your laws give him power to do, in spite of God or man.Mr.Wilson, look at it!There isn't one of all these things, that have broken the hearts of my mother and my sister, and my wife and myself, but your laws allow, and give every man power to do in Kentucky, and none can say to him, nay!Do you call these the laws of my country? Sir, I haven't any country, any more than I have any father.But I'm going to have one.I don't want anything of your country, except to be let alone,--to go peaceably out of it;and when I get to Canada, where the laws will own me and protect me, that shall be my country, and its laws I will obey.But if any man tries to stop me, let him take care, for I am desperate.I'll fight for my liberty to the last breath I breathe.You say your fathers did it;if it was right for them, it is right for me!”

Powerful!The realization that the slaves are in a country which just recently declared itself “free from oppression” makes the system utterly absurd and contradictory.With the voice of Augustine, Stowe tells us what slavery is really:

This cursed business, accursed of God and man, what is it? Strip it of all its ornament, run it down to the root and nucleus of the whole, and what is it? Why, because my brother Quashy is ignorant and weak, and I am intelligent and strong,--because I know how, and can do it,--therefore, I may steal all he has, keep it, and give him only such and so much as suits my fancy.Whatever is too hard, to dirty, to disagreeable, for me, I may set Quashy to doing.Because I don't like work, Quashy shall work.Because the sun burns me, Quashy shall stay in the sun.Quashy shall earn the money, and I will spend it.Quashy shall lie down in every puddle, that I may walk over dry-shod.Quashy shall do my will and not his, all the days of his mortal life, and have such chance of getting to heaven, at last as I find convenient.This I take to be about what slavery is.I defy anybody on earth to read our slave-cod, as it stands in our lawy-books, and make anything else of it.Talk of the abuses of slavery!Humbug!The thing itself is the essence of all abuse!

In painting the United States as the land of freedom or God's country, you cannot forget about slavery.What was it doing in the land of freedom? What was it doing in a country that prided itself in its application to the teachings of the Bible? Slavery's social and political ramifications reach us even today.It is in America's history and its roots.Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is a must read for Americans so that we do not forget.