Tom’s Struggle to Get Freedom from Slavery in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin
This is their struggle, most importantly, Tom’s struggle to convince the masters, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Haley, Mr. St. Clare and Mr. Legree, that they are wrong.
Tom lives his everyday life with a new and rejoiced spiritual condition. Each day, his spirit is renewed and strengthened. His fully nourished spiritual
being is actively influencing and persuading his masters that what they are doing with slaves are wrong, without his masters even noticing. He is not a coward, but
he resists in a spiritual way. This is Gods curse on slavery--a bitter, bitter, most accursed thing--a
curse to the master and a curse to the slave I was a fool to think I could make anything good out of such a deadly evil. It is a sin to hold a slave
under laws like ours,--I always felt it was,--I always thought so when I was a girl,--I thought so still more after I joined the church; but I thought I
could gild it over,--I thought, by kindness, and care, and instruction, I could make the condition of mine better than freedom--fool that I was
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Tom succeeds in putting guilty feeling in the mind of the Shelby’s, especially Mrs. Shelby but he has not succeeded in giving freedom to himself and the other
slaves. As mentioned in the article of Racism: The Precedent To Slavery In North America, slaves do not deserve to stand their human right because they looks like
property rather than people to their masters. So, they do not have any physical power and authority to save themselves and their beloved families and friends,
although some of the are succeeds in putting the feeling of guilty in their masters’ mind.
Tom is devoted to God and submits himself to God. These can be classified as non-violent struggle, because he is a believer and he has the faith in
God that He will bring him to glory. He follows the teaching of Christ that does not use violence to disagree.
Im in the Lords hands, said Tom; nothin can go no furder than he lets it;--and thars one thing I can thank him for. Its me thats sold and going
down, and not you nur the chilen. Here youre safe;--what comes will come only on me; and the Lord, hell help me,--I know he will. 101
Here, Tom submits himself to the Lord, he does not use physical power, but he uses his spiritual power to show how brave and strong he is with God’s company.
Tom’s devotion to the Lord exceeds other people. It gives him the strength to believe in God and to count on Him.
2. Winning the Opponent’s Friendship and Understanding Non-violent struggle does not try to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but
to win his friendship and understanding. The struggler tries to awaken the sense of moral shame in the opponent, so that the results are redemption and reconciliation
King Tom always tries to make friendship with his masters, thus this friendship
grows their understanding. The first master is the Shelby family. Tom is very close to their thirteen-year-old son, George Shelby, whom Tom called Mas’r
George. George teaches Tom how to read and write 23 and George sometimes reads the Bible to the family and friends in the prayer meeting. “Masr George, by
request, read the last chapters of Revelation, often interrupted by such exclamations as “The sakes now” “Only hear that” “Jest think on t” “Is all that
a comin sure enough?” 31 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Williams argues that slavery was an economic necessity 6. This condition gives a chance for the masters to trade their slaves freely in order to
solve their debts problem. Most of Tom’s master trades him in order to solve their economic problems. Arthur Shelby, Tom’s first master, also sells him to pay his
debt. Fortunately before Shelby sells Tom, Tom successfully awakes George’s Shelby’s Son sense of friendship. Tom surely gains George’s understanding and
finally his moral shame when Tom is sold to a mean slave trader to pay for Shelby’s large debts. George feels very sorry for that and he is angry to his family
for the selling of Tom, moreover without him knowing it earlier to stop it. … young Master George sprang into the wagon, threw his arms
tumultuously round his neck, and was sobbing and scolding with energy. I declare, its real mean I dont care what they say, any of em Its a
nasty, mean shame If I was a man, they shouldnt do it,--they should not, so
said George, with a kind of subdued howl. 107-108
George then promises Tom that he will track him down and buy him back as soon as it is possible. However, when it is possible for George to track Tom
down eventually to bring him back, it is too late already. Tom is dying when George meets him. Tom has served their body and soul. This is what the masters
constituted from their slaves Racism: The Precedent To Slavery In North America . Tom is dying, because he has been beaten so badly by his cruel master,
Simon Legree and his overseers. “O, Masr George, yere too late. The Lords bought me, and is going to take me home,--and I long to go. Heaven is better than
Kintuck” 450. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
George feels so sorry for Tom’s condition and he wishes that he had come earlier to save Tom. However, Tom does not want him to pity him, because he has
received his glory and that he is going to Heaven.
3. Fighting Against Injustice The third characteristic of this method is that the struggle is between
justice and injustice. Therefore the struggler fights against the evil, not the person who does the evil deeds. The people who struggle against racial injustice must
realize that the basic tension is not between races King. Tom realizes the condition that it is not the person that he is trying to
defeat, but the evil behavior that he does, just like the Christian value that he follows clearly teaches him to love his enemies and pray for them. Tom objects
when Cassy asks him to murder Legree to free all the people. He does not hate the person, but the evil behavior.
No, no, no said Tom, holding her small hands, which were clenched with spasmodic violence. No, ye poor, lost soul, that ye mustnt do. The
dear, blessed Lord never shed no blood but his own, and that he poured out for us when we was enemies. Lord, help us to follow his steps, and love
our enemies. 427 Thus, Tom is not trying to defeat all white people. Instead, Tom tries to
make friends with his masters, by being obedient, and being loyal to his masters and also by being patient. He does not see people by their race, he appreciates
people for who they are, as God’s creation who has their own characteristics. Karenga in his book Introduction to Black Studies says, “Racism is
essentially a system of denial and deformation of the history and humanity of PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
third world people people of colour and their right to freedom based exclusively or primarily on the specious concept of race” 275. Tom does not differentiate
people by the race, he sees the white people as equal to him as God’s creation. Therefore, Tom tries to make friends with them and does his job the best he can.
He is loyal to his masters to an extent that he would defend his masters and he obeys his master that he does what they want him to do as long as it is not against
his sense of right and wrong. Even though Tom knows that he is going to be sold to Mr. Haley, he does not try to flee. Instead, he obeys his master for the sake of
his friends and his master as well. He does not want his friends to be sold to replace him, and he does not want his master to lose his farm and suffer his
family, so he obeys his master with a content heart. “... it goes agin me to hear one word agin Masr. Want he put in my arms a
baby?--its natur I should think a heap of him. And he couldnt be spected to think so much of poor Tom. Masrs is used to havinall these yer things
done for em, and natlly they dont think so much on t. They cant be spected to, no way. Set him longside of other Masrs--whos had the
treatment and livin Ive had? And he never would have let this yer come on me, if he could have seed it aforehand. I know he wouldnt.” 102
Tom does not attack his master individually, but he struggles against the evil force that empowers his masters.
4. Using The Ethics of Love, Sense and Morality Non-violent struggle avoids not only external physical violence but also
internal violence of spirit. In struggling for human dignity, the oppressed people must not allow themselves indulge in hate, otherwise they must have the ethics of
love, sense and morality. At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love King.
In speaking of love, according to King, there are three words for love in the Greek New Testament. There are three words for love. First, there is eros,
which means romantic love. Second, there is philia, which means intimate affection between friends, the person loves because he is loved. The third is
agape, which means understanding, redeeming good will for all men, an
overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. It is the love of God working in the lives of men. When we love on the agape level we love men not because we
like them, not because their attitudes and ways appeal to us, but because God loves them.
The love that Tom demonstrates is the agape, he pours his love to his friends and his masters, because God loves the people that he created. Tom seeks
nothing in return, he pours his love for the glory of God. For example, he feels sorry for St. Clare that he is not a Christian yet, that it is difficult for him to
believe in God and the Bible. I s willin to lay down my life, this blessed day, to see Masr a Christian.
Poor, foolish boy said St. Clare, half-raising himself. Im not worth the love of one good, honest heart, like yours.
O, Masr, deres more than me loves you,--the blessed Lord Jesus loves you.
… Tom, said his Master, this is all real to you
I can jest fairly see it Masr, said Tom. I wish I had your eyes, Tom.
I wish, to the dear Lord, Masr had But, Tom, you know that I have a great deal more knowledge than you;
what if I should tell you that I dont believe this Bible? O, Masr said Tom, holding up his hands, with a deprecating gesture.
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Tom even feels sorry for Simon Legree and he is willing to give his life for Legree, if it will make him repent and being saved. Tom does not hate Legree,
but he loves him and feels sorry for him, and also wishes that he would repent.
Tom looked up to his master, and answered, Masr, if you was sick, or in trouble, or dying, and I could save ye, Id give ye my hearts blood; and, if
taking every drop of blood in this poor old body would save your precious soul, Id give em freely, as the Lord gave his for me. O, Masr dont bring
this great sin on your soul It will hurt you more than t will me Do the worst you can, my troublesll be over soon; but, if ye dont repent, yours
wont never end 445
Tom is willing to give his life as a martyr to save Legree’s soul, just like what Christ did to save people’s soul, without being overwhelmed by hatred. It is
so close for Legree to repent upon listening to Tom’s words. Legree is moved and touched at some points for a moment, but it is just for a moment. Legree hardens
his heart again, is not wanting to change and being influenced by Tom. However, two souls are saved, Sambo’s and Quimbo’s. After being cruel and mean to Tom,
they finally repent upon hearing about God, and seeing how spiritually strong Tom is. Tom is very happy that two souls are saved for the glory of God.
The love that Tom is projecting is God’s love, the unconditional love toward others with enough sense and morality. Tom’s character is not like any
other. His religiosity and piety, his trustworthiness, his honesty, his reliability, his compassion and his solidarity give him enough sense and morality for him to be
called a moral miracle. “… For my part, I dont see how they can be honest. Such a fellow as Tom, here, is, is a moral miracle” 229.
Tom projects God’s love by showing good nature and kindness toward others. At Legree’s plantation, he reads his Bible to his weary fellows to lighten
their burden. He also helps Lucy, the new female slave by filling her sack with cotton that he picks. Moreover, he helps Cassy to find her faith in Christ that is
long gone from her soul, because of the bad treatment and the bitterness that she has. He even forgives Legree for the torture that he receives from Legree 446.
5. Having Faith in God Finally, Non-violent struggle believes that the conviction that the universe
is on the side of justice, God is on the side of truth. It is this deep faith in the future that causes the non-violent struggler to accept suffering without the feeling
to do revenge, because he knows that there will be happiness and glory to accomplish in the end King.
This criterion reveals much faith that Tom has. Tom believes that one day the suffered and hungry people will come to the glory as they have faith. Despite
the suffering and the bad treatment that he receives, he remains faithful. He believes that God is just. God will pay back Tom’s time and effort that he spends
in reading the Bible, in spreading good news and in his every day life that shows the glory of God.
Pity him not Such a life and death is not for pity Not in the riches of omnipotence is the chief glory of God; but in self-denying, suffering love
And blessed are the men whom he calls to fellowship with him, bearing their cross after him with patience. Of such it is written, Blessed are they
that mourn, for they shall be comforted. 453 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Tom believes that at the end of the road, God shall set him free and put him to glory. In other words, justice will prevail. Tom’s non-violent struggle is not for
nothing, but for something that he believes in. Tom believes that every cloud has a silver lining.
Tom believes that you have hope in the future when you believe in God. God will strengthen you during the process and secure your future.
… a higher voice there was saying, Fear not them that kill the body, and, after that, have no more that they can do. Nerve and bone of that poor
mans body vibrated to those words, as if touched by the finger of God; and he felt the strength of a thousand souls in one. As he passed along, the
trees and bushes, the huts of his servitude, the whole scene of his degradation, seemed to whirl by him as the landscape by the rushing ear.
His soul throbbed,--his home was in sight,--and the hour of release seemed at hand. 444
Tom’s non-violent struggle lies in his faith. If you are faithful to God, God will be faithful to you. Tom has sensed that God shall set him free and bring him
home. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI