The novel From Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among Lowly is an impactful piece, showing the cruelty and inhumanity of the slavery system in the United States. The novel shows many aspects of real life, from childhood, labor, motherhood, and gender to many more. Slavery being at the center of the story, the author still manages to engage with other complex issues, such as gender, religion, and sexuality, thus showing the injustice that enslaved people have faced. This paper begins by discussing why the topic of religion was chosen for the analysis and proceeds to show how religion finds a multifaceted interpretation and presents itself differently among groups. Religion had equal importance in enslaved people’s and enslavers’ lives, but it had varying functions depending on the group of people.
The topic of religion was chosen because it is significant in masters’ and enslaved people’s lives. The interpretation of both groups varied, but it was still a substantial part of their lives, especially for women in the novel. For instance, Mrs. Shelby’s distinguishing feature is her devotion and benevolence, which Mr. Shelby was counting on to pass him to heaven’s gates. Mrs. Shelby used religion to handle her servants (Stowe 801). Although she can be regarded as absent-minded because of the stereotypical view of women during those times, religion helps her adhere to her benevolence in attempts to comfort her servants, so she has played an essential role in their faith. Mr. Shelby’s devotion to consulting his wife before selling servants to Mr. Haley shows her significance.
Mrs. Shelby’s servant, Eliza, has also presented great interest in religion and showed that religion is a vital part of her identity. In the dialogue with her husband, she says, “I always thought that I must obey my master and mistress, or I couldn’t be a Christian” (Stowe 803). As can be seen in this short yet powerful excerpt, Eliza’s religious beliefs are as significant to her as her identity as an obedient servant. The role of religion is also tied to her perceived family because, according to her husband George, her master and mistress raised her as their own.
Moreover, in Eliza and other enslaved people’s lives, religion played an essential role in providing resilience for many of them. A particularly interesting dialogue where the part of religion is shown implicitly is the conversation between Eliza and her husband, George. George was highly frustrated with the attitude of his master and how he was treated, whereas Eliza served in better conditions. Eliza begs George to turn to religion instead of resisting “If you only trust in God, and try to do right, he’ll deliver to you” (Stowe 804). This excerpt shows that Eliza’s glimpse of hope and faith was tied to religion, giving her the strength to continue despite being the servant.
The focus of this conversation is not debating religion between spouses but George’s frustration. Yet, Eliza and George deal with that frustration differently, and while Eliza tries to persuade George to be a “good Christian,” George disregards religion to achieve something. George claims that his “heart is full of bitterness” (Stowe 804), which makes it impossible for him to be Christian. The exhaustion George has faced makes it hard for him to believe in God and stay faithful, contrary to his wife, who is devoted to being a Christian. George even asks her to pray for him, but it is unclear whether he genuinely believes that Eliza’s prayers can change something or because he wants Eliza to maintain her faith.
Religion was also crucial for the education of enslaved people. Tom was one of the most trusted servants of Mr. Shelby, who repeatedly claimed that he had entrusted everything to Tom. This trust comes from religious education at the Evangelical religious camp and the idea that Tom’s exposure to religion made him a better person. Mr. Shelby says, “He got religion at a camp meeting, four years ago; and I believe he did get it. I’ve trusted him, since then…” (Stowe 795). The most important part here is “since then,” which shows that despite Mr. Shelby’s poor engagement with religious practices, his beliefs are still shaped by Christian values, whether he is aware of them or not. Sending Tom to a religious camp was his guarantee of ensuring equal morality and a key to trust. Here, it can be seen that religion played a similar role in teaching moral code, which was acceptable at the time, to both groups, despite the significant disparity between enslavers and enslaved people.
Another instance of religion being a crucial part of education is portrayed by Susan and Emmeline, whose claim is that education consisted of religious principles. In New Orleans, “they had been taught to read and write, diligently instructed in the truths of religion” (Stowe 840). Stowe chooses to emphasize religion’s truths rather than their literacy attempts because of religion’s role in education.
The most important role religion plays is how Stowe shows that despite any moral standing and religious affiliation, the system of slavery has a way of corrupting white people. For instance, if we examine the character of Mrs. Shelby, who was a devoted Christian, still stays a mistress to enslaved people and uses religion to show how she provides a comfortable living for her servants. The most prominent and explicit example is Brother B. He lived in New York, a state without slavery, and “didn’t like trading souls of men” (Stowe 870). This principle did not stop Brother B. from accepting thirty thousand dollars and engaging in the business of slavery. This shows that even the most devoted Christians were still corrupt as long as slavery existed.
Religious beliefs were still corrupted by slavery. Thus the difference in interpretation of religion was shown between the two groups. When the novel discusses religion for servants, it often mentions its use for resilience and compliance with masters. Without religious education, enslaved people were considered immoral or untrustworthy by their masters or outsiders. In the case of masters, however, the religiousness provided a moral high point, showing that religion helped them to be more humane towards their enslaved people.
To conclude, From Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among Lowly, despite its controversy, has significantly influenced the course of history and the people’s understanding of the inhumanness of slavery. It is evident that depending on the group, whether a character is an enslaver or an enslaved person, there are differences in the utilization and interpretation of religion. Though it is vital for both groups, there are significant differences in how religiousness is perceived. The role of faith during slavery is still heavily debated, and this paper has attempted to understand the role of religion in the literary context.
Works Cited
Stowe, Harriet B. “From Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Robert S. Levine, W.W. Norton & Company, 2016, pp. 794-891.