Tom\'s struggle to get freedom from slavery in Harriet Beecher Stowe\'s Uncle Tom\'s Cabin.

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ABSTRACT

Falah, Datu (2009). Tom’s Struggle to Get Freedom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.

This thesis aims to analyze Tom’s struggle to get freedom in an American Classic novel entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It focuses on non-violent struggle that Tom experiences during his life as a slave. The study consists of two discussion areas, namely the analysis of Tom’s character and the analysis of Tom’s struggle to get freedom from slavery.

To find the basis in answering the problem formulation, the writer employs a library research. There are two kinds of source, the primary source and the secondary sources. The primary source is the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. While the secondary sources consist of books of literary theories, theory of ways of struggle, history of African American in America, racism and, and also from articles on the internet.

The analysis applies the socio-historical approach, which uses the social historical condition in America as the basis of the analysis. The analysis of the problem uses the theory of characterization by Murphy and non-violent struggle by Martin Luther King.

After analyzing the novel, the writer made two conclusions. The first conclusion is about Tom’s character. Physically, Tom is an African American who carries the physical features of his race. He is a slave in America belonging from one owner to another owner. Tom has five prominent characters, namely religious, trustworthy, honest, reliable, compassionate, and loyal.

The second conclusion is about Tom’s struggle to get freedom. Tom’s struggle is classified as violent struggle that matches the criteria of non-violent struggle by King. There are five criteria elaborated as follows: first, the struggle focuses on dynamic spiritual, emotion, and mind. Tom struggles by practicing his religion with all his heart and soul, holding a prayer meeting, and devoting himself to God, which eventually bring influence to his masters. Second, the struggle tries to win his masters’ friendship and understanding. Tom becomes a friend to the Shelby, gains Haley’s trust, and becomes Eva’s best friend and a shoulder to cry on for St. Clare. Third, the struggle is not against the person, but against the evil deeds, and the injustice. Tom practices the value of his religion to love his enemies and pray for them. Fourth, the struggler avoids not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. Tom’s behaviour is based on the principle of love. He loves his friends and masters simply because God loves them. The last is the universe is on the side of justice. Tom believes that every cloud has a silver lining. He believes that in God there is a happy ending to his suffering.

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ABSTRAK

Falah, Datu (2009). Tom’s Struggle to Get Freedom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

Skripsi ini bertujuan menganalisa perjuangan Tom untuk memperoleh kebebasan dalam sebuah novel klasik Amerika berjudul Uncle Tom’s Cabin karya Harriet Beecher Stowe. Skripsi ini menitikberatkan pada perjuangan tanpa kekerasan yang Tom alami selama hidupnya sebagai seorang budak. Studi ini terdiri atas dua area pembahasan, yaitu analisa karakter Tom, dan analisa perjuangan Tom untuk memperoleh kebebasan.

Untuk mencari landasan dalam menjawab rumusan masalah, penulis menggunakan studi pustaka. Ada dua macam sumber, sumber utama dan sumber tambahan. Sumber utama berasal dari novel karya Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Sedangkan sumber tambahan terdiri atas buku-buku teori literatur, teory perjuangan, sejarah orang Afrika Amerika di Amerika, rasisme dan juga artikel-artikel dari internet.

Analisa novel ini menerapkan pendekatan sosial historical yang memanfaatkan kondisi sosial historikal di Amerika sebagai dasarnya. Analisa rumusan masalahnya menggunakan teori karakterisasi oleh Murphy dan perjuangan tanpa kekerasan oleh Martin Luther King.

Setelah menganalisa novel tersebut, penulis membuat dua kesimpulan. Kesimpulan pertama adalah tentang karakter Tom. Dilihat dari fisiknya, Tom adalah seorang Afrika Amerika yang membawa ciri-ciri fisik rasnya. Dia adalah seorang budak di Amerika Selatan yang berganti dari satu pemilik ke pemilik yang lain. Tom memiliki lima karakter yang menonjol, yaitu religius, dapat dipercaya, jujur, dapat diandalkan, berbelas kasih, dan loyal.

Kesimpulan kedua adalah tentang perjuangan Tom untuk memperoleh kebebasan. Perjuangan Tom diklasifikasikan sebagai perjuangan tanpa kekerasan yang sesuai dengan kriteria perjuangan tanpa kekerasan dari King. Ada lima criteria yang dijabarkan sebagai berikut: pertama, perjuangan tersebut menitik beratkan pada kedinamisan spiritual, emosi, dan pikiran. Tom berjuang dengan menjalankan agamanya denagn segenap hati dan jiwanya, mengadakan persekutuan doa, dan mengabdikan dirinya pada Tuhan, yang pada akhirnya membawa pengaruh terhadap majikannya. Kedua, perjuangan tersebut mencoba memenangi persahabatan dan pengertian majikannya. Tom menjadi teman bagi keluarga Shelby, mendapatkan kepercayaan Haley, dan menjadi teman baik Eva dan tempat bersandar bagi St. Clare.Ketiga, perjuangan tersebut tidak melawan orangnya, tetapi melawan perbuatan jahat dan ketidakadilan. Tom menjalankan nilai agamanya untuk mengasihi musuhnya dan berdoa untuk mereka. Ke empat, orang yang berjuangan tersebut tidak hanya menghindari kekerasan fisik eksternal, tetapi juga menghindari kekerasan spiritual internal. Tingkah laku Tom didasarkan pada prinsip cinta kasih. Dia mengasihi teman-teman dan para majikannya hanya karena Tuhan mengasihi mereka. Yang terakhir adalah alam

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semesta ada di pihak keadilan. Tom percaya bahwa ada secercah asa dalam setiap penderitaan. Dia percaya pada Tuhan bahwa akan ada akhir yang bahagia untuk penderitannya.

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TOM’S STRUGGLE TO GET FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY

IN HARRIET BEECHER STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN

A THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

by Datu Falah

Student Number : 031214085

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA

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STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY

I honestly declare this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should.

Yogyakarta, August 24, 2009 The Writer

Datu Falah 031214085

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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN

PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertandatangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Datu Falah

Nomor Mahasiswa : 031214085

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:

TOM’S STRUGGLE TO GET FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY IN HARRIET BEECHER STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN

beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (jika ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan ke dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta

Pada tanggal 12 September 2009

Yang menyatakan,

Datu Falah

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ABSTRACT

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ABSTRAK

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semesta ada di pihak keadilan. Tom percaya bahwa ada secercah asa dalam setiap penderitaan. Dia percaya pada Tuhan bahwa akan ada akhir yang bahagia untuk penderitannya.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Praise and thanks let us send to Allah S.W.T_{. the Almighty and most} worthy of praise, for His guide, mercy and blessing, so that finally I can finish this thesis. In addition, I would like to express gratitude to the following people who have helped, guided and encouraged me to accomplish this thesis.

My deepest thanks goes to my major sponsor, Henny Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum. for her guidance, encouragement, advice and patience from the beginning until I finish this thesis writing. My next appreciation goes to my co-sponsor, Drs. L. Bambang Hendarto Y. M.Hum, who has willingly spent his time for reading, correcting, and giving some suggestions and improvements for my thesis. I would like to thank all the Lecturers of English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University for enriching me with valuable knowledge.

My great honour goes to Bapak Priyo Waspodo and Ibu Martini Anggriani. I am thankful to receive their love, pray and support for all my life. I also thank to my brother, Duta Falah and my sister, Amalia Falah, for their support.

I would give my sweetest thanks to Petra Sri Sukesti for her attention, support and every moment we have spent together. She fills my life with many precious life experiences.

I would like to express my appreciation for my caring best friends, TopX, Jamal, Didik, Ferry, Kang Syarif, Nina, Anash and Priska, who always help and make me happy. I thank them for their loyal and compassionate friendship. I

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also thanks to other PBI students of the year 2003 that I cannot mention one by one.

Lastly, I thank those who have supported and encouraged me to finish this thesis. May Allah_{bless all of them.}

Datu Falah

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DEDICATION PAGE

This thesis is dedicated to:

My parents, Lover, Best Friends and myself

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TITLE PAGE...i

APPROVALPAGES... ii

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ...iv

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI_{... v}

ABSTRACT...vi

ABSTRAK _{... vii}

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...ix

DEDICATION PAGE ...xi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...xii

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION... 1

A. Background of the Study ... 1

B. Problems Formulation ... 4

C. Objectives of the Study ... 4

D. Benefits of the Study ... 5

E. Definition of Terms ... 6

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE... 8

A. Theoretical Review... 8

1. Critical Approaches ... 8

2. Character... 10

3. Characterization... 11

4. Ways of Struggle ... 13

B. Historical Review of the Afro American People in America... 16

1. History ... 16

2. Racism ... 18

C. Theoretical Framework ... 20

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CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY... 22

A. Object of The Study ... 22

B. Approach ... 23

C. Method of The Study... 24

CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS... 26

A. The Portrayal of Uncle Tom’s Cabin ... 26

1. Pysical Appearance and Personal Description... 26

2. Personal Characteristic... 27

a. Religious ... 28

b. Trustworthy ... 30

c. Honest ... 31

d. Reliable ... 32

e. Compassionate ... 34

f. Loyal ... 36

B. Tom’s Struggle to Get Freedom From Slavery in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin ... 37

1. Focusing on Dynamic Spiritual, Emotion, and Mind... 38

2. Winning the Opponent’s Friendship and Understanding ... 40

3. Fighting Against Injustice ... 42

4. Using The Ethics of Love, Sense and Morality... 43

5. Having Faith in God ... 46

CHAPTER V CONCLUSSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS... 48

A. Conclusions ... 48

B. Suggestions ... 50

1. Suggestions for Future Researcher(s) ... 51

2. Suggestion for Teaching and Learning Activities... 51

REFERENCES... 54

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APPENDICES... 57

Appendix 1 ... 58

Appendix 2 ... 61

Appendix 3 ... 64

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

There are five chapters in this study. This chapter, as an introduction chapter, consists of five parts. The first part is a background of the study which gives background information about this study, including some reasons that serve as a basis for writing this study and the importance of the topic of the study. The second part, problem formulation, which consists of two questions, presents the questions related to the issues being discussed in the following chapter. The third part, objectives of the study, states the purposes of writing this study. The fourth part, benefits of the study, presents the aims of the study. The last part, definition of the terms, defines important terms that the writer uses in this study to clarify meanings and avoid misunderstandings.

A. Background of the Study

Basically there are three basic genres of literary works. They are prose, poetry and drama. The extensions of those basic genres include novel, play, autobiography and short story. Literature asks the readers to explore their imagination and to see many realities which are usually the experiences of people’s daily real life situation. In line with the fact that a work of a literature is about the reflection of life experiences, novel is one of the best reflections of human life since novel presents life itself. Van De Laar and Schoonderwoend says “ a novel as a work of art in so far as it introduces us into a living world; in some

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respect resembling the world we live in, but with an individuality of its own” (163).

In this study, I decided to work in a novel because it can hold the reader into a certain situation, place or period occurring in the society. The plot which is acted by the characters in the novel makes the novel interesting to read. A novel usually carries a message about a change in social condition as well as social criticism. Many authors of novels present stories about life in their works because they can give a support, strength, or reflection of the struggle for life for the readers. Through the novel of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which was published in 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe spoke her anti-slavery message. The experience during her life encouraged her to write this novel. I choose this novel because it is an interesting novel that is filled with anxieties, courage and desires of the characters that give us knowledge of life and social condition during the time written in the novel. It is in accordance with Roger B. Henkle who says, “Novels reflect elemental facts and forces of life, our hidden anxieties, fears, and desires in our rapidly changing world” (3).

As cited from Slave narratives and Uncle Tom's Cabin, the novel entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin actually was Stowe’s mind-speaking of her idea against slavery. Stowe had a deep feeling of anti-slavery although she was not an active abolitionist. She grew up in the society of abolitionist and saved runaway slaves. In 19th century, it was very risky to write or publish an anti-slavery novel. After trying hard, she finally found a publisher. It was an effective way because it was

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even more accessible to a wide audience. The novel was sold as a bestseller novel, was translated into many languages and was adapted for the theater.

Novel is a reflection of people’s daily life. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, an anti-slavery novel, really reflects the condition of the society at that time. The Black slaves suffered from their cruel White masters’ words and actions. Humanity and freedom were expensive things for them. Stanley Harrold explains that American Abolitionist Movement happened in the 18th and 19th centuries. It also often called the antislavery movement (1). The movement finally reached its purpose when the American Civil War happened and The 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States on abolishing slavery throughout the United States was ratified in 1865. However, the society where Tom lives, 1850’s in South America, still manage to keep slavery. Tom as the protagonist character of the novel is the mirror of the condition of the black slaves.

As a slave, Tom lives in a cabin in the farm. He is one of the slaves in Shelby’s farm in Kentucky. He lives with his wife, Chloe, and their two children. The interesting phenomena about him is that he is an African American man who suffers from slavery in the Southern part of America and tries to survive and be loyal to his master and friends while struggling to get his freedom, mainly is triggered by his knowledge of his faith. Through the character of Tom, Stowe spoke her minds. Tom is consistently trying to improve himself despite the limits placed upon him by slavery. He knows that his position is less powerful (as a black slave), but he tries to be consistent to keep his values of life, values of

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equality, freedom and humanity. Ironically, he never gets his freedom until his death and he never regrets all of his struggles.

The concerns of the content of the story and the struggles of the main character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin have attracted me to conduct this study. We can learn that nobody wants to be enslaved by others. Freedom is the right for every human being, no matter what his/her race, skin, religion, and nation is. The forms of slavery are continuing following each era, starting from buying-selling people, child abuses, woman sex abuses and today it appears in a workforce of the unfair-waged labors, thus it is our concern to erase any kind of slavery from all over the world. Tom is one good example to follow because of his spirit and struggles in facing an inconvenient life of slavery condition.

B. Problem Formulation

There are two questions to be discussed in this study:

1. How is the character of Tom portrayed in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin?

2. How does Tom struggle to get freedom from slavery in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin?

C. Objectives of the study

The aims of this study are to describe Tom as the protagonist or the main character of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and to expose Tom’s

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struggle in achieving his freedom and surviving his life. We can also learn that slavery is one of the worst social tragedies that happen in the society.

D. Benefits of the Study

This study gives benefits to the writer, the readers in general and the students or further researchers who are going to conduct their research on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. For the writer, this study widely opens his mind that slavery is very cruel to human being and this cruelty has been happening from the ancient times to the modern times in which we live now. The values of life which are shown through the struggles of the main character of the novel give a good example to the writer to follow.

For the readers in general they can gain a better understanding of the novel and they can have a new perception toward this literary work from a new point of view. Hopefully this study can also trigger their motivation to stop every kind of dehumanize actions.

The last is for the students or further researchers who are going to conduct their research on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Hopefully they can use this study as an inspiration for them to explore deeper on the novel. This study can also be a supporting resource to complete their study.

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E. Definition of Terms

To match the concept and avoid misunderstandings between the writer and the reader, below are the definitions of some important terms which are used in this study:

1. Struggle

According to Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged, struggle is defined as “a great effort or series of effort” (1806). In the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus, struggle is defined as “to make a violent or determined effort under difficulties” (1514).

In this study, struggle is a series of determined efforts that a human being undergoes over period of time in difficult conditions to overcome problems, challenges, and difficulties of life.

2. Slavery

According to The 1926 International Slavery Convention Article 1; slavery is the status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised. Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2006 also describes the definitive characteristics of slaves as follows: their labor or services are obtained through force; their physical beings are regarded as the property of another person, their owner; and they are entirely subject to their owner's will. Shortly, slavery is social institution defined by law and custom as the most absolute involuntary form of human servitude.

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3. African Americans

In the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2006, Harris defines African Americans (American Blacks or Black Americans) as a racial group in the United States whose dominant ancestry is from sub-Saharan West Africa. A variety of names have been used for African Americans at various points in history. African Americans have been referred to as Negroes, colored, blacks, and Afro-Americans, as well as lesser-known terms, such as the 19th-century designation Anglo-African.

Referring to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English language, Afro-American is of or relating to Americans of African ancestry. Afro-American often called as black people or blacks also refers to people relating or belonging to an American ethnic group descended from African people having dark skin (31).

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter consists of three parts. They are theoretical review, historical review of the Afro American people in America, and theoretical framework. In the first part of this chapter, theoretical review, the writer discusses critical approaches, theory of characters, theory of characterizations and ways of struggle. The second part is historical review of the Afro American people in America. In this part, the writer discusses the historical background of the Afro American people, when their first time coming to America and how they were enforced to be slaves. This part also discusses racism. It contains principle of racism and how racism influences human’s life, especially the Afro American. The last part is theoretical framework. In theoretical framework, the writer explains the contributions of theories and reviews in solving the problems of the study.

A. Theoretical Review

1. Critical Approaches

According to Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature, there are five critical approaches which can be used in analyzing a work of literature. They are: the formalistic approach, the socio cultural-historical approach, the biographical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach (6-15).

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The formalistic approach gives an idea of examining the work of literature by looking the idea of the work itself. The formalist assumes that in evaluating the work, the readers do not need the facts of the author’s life, genre of work, and any reference to its social milieu. The formalistic approach does not need any reference at all. The only point is the idea of the piece of work.

The biographical approach asserts the necessity of understanding the piece of literary work by studying the background of the author because the reader shares the author’s consciousness and personality to understand his or her writings. In the biographical approach, the history tendencies, of the author in creating his work are necessary.

The socio cultural-historical approach is an approach in examining a piece of literary work using reference of the civilization of which the attitudes and actions of a specific group of people become the subject matter. Rohrberger and Woods state that critics whose major interest is the socio cultural-historical approach insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produced it. So, the socio-cultural and historical evidences become more important. This approach cites the importance of knowing the socio cultural-historical facts behind the work. Those facts reflect the condition of the people and society at the past time, the time when the literary work was being written. Without knowing the hidden evidences of certain socio culture and history, the reader will find difficulties in understanding the work because literary work may be based on certain cultures and histories. In this thesis, this approach is the one which is going to be used to support the analysis. This study applies this

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approach to interpret the socio historical aspects of the condition when Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written.

The mythopoeic approach seeks the need of finding certain universality recurrent patterns of human thought, such as death and rebirth, guilt and sacrifices, primitive rites, which the critics believe to find in expression in significant work of art. The mystical relationship found in a story can be explained by using this approach.

The last approach is the psychological approach which tries to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns from the knowledge of psychology. The critics who apply this approach would explore literary works using psychological theories to explain human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns written in literary objects. In other words, the character’s thoughts and behaviors can be traced more deeply (14). Thus, the knowledge of psychological ground is important in order to understand some kinds of work.

2. Character

Character is one of the important elements in a novel. Abrams defines character as a person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say and what they do (Abrams 9). Thus, a character has different characteristic from the other characters, whether it is on personalities or on physical appearance. Each of them creates a unique quality and contributes a certain role and meaning. Characters are categorized into:

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a. Main or major character

Abrams states that a major character is the central character of the story. On the other words, he must be the most important character in a story. He or she becomes the focused character from the beginning to the end of the story. Harvey states that protagonist is a character whose motivation and history are most fully founded and steadily in a way more dramatic than other characters in the novel (56).

b. Minor Character

According to Abrams, minor characters appear in certain setting just to become the background for the major character. Their roles are less important than the major character, because they are not fully developed and their roles in a story are just to support the major characters (Abrams 20).

3. Characterization

After we know the existing characters in the novel, we need to know another element such as characterization to describe the characters, either physically or psychologically. To make the readers know what kind of character he or she is, the author uses some methods to present the personalities and the characters in a novel. The author will blend these methods into a unity so that the characters will become real. This knowledge is an aid to understand the personalities and the characters in the novel which then help the readers to understand the work as a whole.

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Murphy in Understanding Unseens (161-173) classifies nine ways of how an author reveals the characters’ personalities and traits to the readers. The first way is by looking at personal description. The author portrays a clear description of the characters’ physical appearance and personal description. The characters’ clothing is one aspect to know their character. The physical appearance and personal description also include some details of someone’s performance, such as face, eyes, skin, body, hair, and other distinctive features. The personal description is very important because it can give the reader very obvious clues to the characters. The second way is by examining on how character seen by another. The author may also describe the character through the eyes and opinion of others, instead of describing the character directly, so the reader can get a reflected image. A character may encounter other character in the story on what they are like.

The third way is known from speech. The author can give the reader a better understanding and an insight into the character of one of the persons in the novel through what the character says, through the conversation a character makes with another, the opinion that the character has in mind. The fourth way is by referring to past life. By letting the reader learn from a person’s past life, the author can give the reader a clue to events that have helped to shape one’s character. The author may show it by giving a direct moment, through the person’s thought, conversation with others or the medium of another person. The fifth way is by observing character’s conversation with others. The things that people discuss or talk about one character also help us to get a better

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understanding about a character. Other characters conversations and what they say about one character may give clues on a certain character. The sixth way is looking at character’s reaction to reveal character’s personalities. The author gives a clue on a character by permitting us to know how a character reacts to various conditions and atmospheres happen to himself or his surroundings.

The seventh way is studying the direct comment. The author can also describe or give comment on a person’s character directly. He tells the reader directly about a character’s personality. The eighth way is examining to character’s thought. The author gives the readers direct knowledge of what a character is thinking about. What is in a character’s mind and what he/she feels is reflected in his personality. The reader then is in privileged position; he has, as it were, a secret listening device plugged in to the inmost thoughts of a person in a novel, something that we can not do in real life. The ninth or the last way to understand personalities is called mannerism. Here, the author portrays a character’s manner, habits, or idiosyncrasies that may tell the readers about his characterization.

4. Ways of Struggle

The African American lived under oppressions, inequality and treated in inhuman fashion for so long time, decades or even centuries. It was not easy for them to get their freedom back so that they were able to live as normal human, getting their rights, not as the property subject to dictates of their owner. In order

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to get their freedom, African American had to struggle hard, even by sacrificing themselves. In short, they struggled by two techniques, violence and non-violence. a. Violent Struggle

The violent struggle constitutes people to use the physical powers and hatred. Some of African American slaves tried to run away from their masters and some of them chose to fight against their masters and killed them if it was necessary. In spite of it, Martin Luther King in Non-Violence and Racial Justice argues that violent struggle is an ineffective way, it may become and endless reign of chaos, so prefer not to use this technique.

b. Non-violent Struggle

According to King, the alternative to violent is non-violent struggle. This technique was also promoted by Mohandas K. Gandhi. It takes no physical power. King in the article which is entitled Non Violence and Racial Justice explains five criteria of non-violence struggle:

1) Non-violent struggle is not a method for cowards, it does resist. This method does not aggressively use physical power toward the opponent. Otherwise it focuses on dynamic spiritual, emotion, and mind. This method tries to persuade the opponent that he is mistaken. Physical struggle is avoided 2) Non-violent struggle doesn’t seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding. The struggler tries to awake the sense of moral shame in the opponent. The end is redemption and reconciliation. 3) Non-violent struggle is between justice and injustice. Therefore the

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people who struggle against racial injustice must realize that the basic tension is not between races.

4) 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.

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.

5) 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.

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B. Historical Review of the Afro American People in America

1. History

We cannot separate the Afro American society from the Black African history because the Afro American society is the descendants of the Black Africans who were brought to America as slaves. According to Logan (9), as revealed in his book entitled The Negro In The United States, the first twenty Africans were put ashore at Jamestown in 1619. At that time they were put into servants rather than slaves. During the first half-century of the existence, Virginia had many Negro indentured servants (immigrants working as unpaid servants in exchange for passage and accommodation). The economic circumstances changed their status from servant to slave. The number of Negro slaves in Virginia increased so rapidly after 1661.

The Black Americans who came from Africa were not only settled down in the Northern America cities but also other cities in America such as Maryland, Boston, New England, Carolina, etc. They were brought there to be enslaved by forced. For more than two centuries, the Afro Americans had become slaves of the White people. Their ignorance and the lack of communication between people in one place to those in other places were some of major factors which caused them easily enslaved by the American and the European. Every inhabitant lived separately and there were hundreds of languages and tribes. This condition made the foreigners (American and Eeropeans) easily enslaved them. The uneducated and poor Afro Americans were forced to work as rough workers in plantation. In the era of slavery, the United States had the biggest amount of slaves than other

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western countries, more than a third of all slaves in western countries in 1825. According to Richard N Current, et al, in 1850s there were more than 4 million black Americans, of whom about 95 percent were confined to the South (116).

In order to get their freedom, the Afro American people had to wait for long time by working hard as servants for the Whites and some of them had to serve the government of America in wars as soldiers. Besides working hard, the Afro Americans even had to sacrifice their soul to get freedom and rights to live in peace and humanize.

Oliver and Loise in Encarta Microsoft Encyclopedia 2006 explains in another way about The Afro Americans. He explains that most of the Atlantic slave trade was managed by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British. Many Africans who were taken to North America came from western and west central Africa. In 1502 Portuguese traders brought the first African slaves to work as labor in agricultural land in Caribbean. It was estimated that more than 10 million people were moved from Africa to America during 1502-1860. The regions that are now Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria were the origins of most slaves brought to North America. These countries are rich of cultures, diverse linguistic, ethnic, and religious groups. Most of Africans were farmers and raised livestock. They were skilled with agricultural and pastoral skills. That is why they were considered as valuable laborers in America.

The African workers naturally possessed many productive life skills. They had extensive experience in cultivating rice, cotton, sugar, and. These skills became the basis of a successful plantation economy. Africans were skilled also at

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ironworking, music and musical instruments, the decorative arts, and architecture. Those African characteristics helped shape American cultural styles because they brought their African words, religious beliefs, styles of worship, aesthetic values, musical forms and rhythms.

The institution of slavery existed in the United States from the early 17th century until 1865. Slavery played a central role in the history of the United States. It existed in all the English mainland colonies and came to dominate agricultural production in the states from Maryland south. Moreover, eight of the first 12 presidents of the United States were slave owners. Many people talked about it and debates over slavery increasingly dominated American politics. This polemic eventually led to the American Civil War (1861-1865), which finally brought slavery (as an institution) to an end.

2. Racism

One of the main issues in the world is racism. It cannot be separated from human’s history, including Afro American history. It existed from the existence of human race and will exist along with the human history. Sowell (1) statesin his book Race and Culture: A world Wide View that “Racial, ethnic and cultural differences among people play a major role in the events of our times, in countries around the world, and the world, and have played a major role with the long history of the human race”.

Racism may cause conflicts. The existence of racism will always be an act of despising to the value of humanity, because of one’s right to live in freedom no

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matter what his/her skin colour is. Karenga (275) in his book Introduction to Black Studies says, “Racism is essentially a system of denial and deformation of the history and humanity of third world people (people of colour) and their right to freedom based exclusively or primarily on the specious concept of race”. The idea that a certain race is superior to others triggers slavery. That is why racism is very close to slavery.

According to the article of Racism: The Precedent To Slavery In North America, cited from the internet, we must examine slavery as an institution and racism as a mentality defined by the oppressor, independent to the oppressed. The justification of the race based slavery that existed in North America started in the 17th century. The Whites had bias to the Blacks. The Whites selfish mind, racist view and negative tendency towards the Blacks triggered race slavery in the North America constantly. As a result the Whites oppressed and exploited the Blacks for their own interests. In order to create a massive institution such as slavery that oppresses any people, the oppressor must view the oppressed as less than human, less deserving of human rights and the status of the Blacks became property not people. The Blacks had to serve their body and soul to the Whites. They did not have any rights to decide their life and future. Unfortunately, Africans who were very far from home could not find any help from anyone including their families and their countrymen that they were being treated badly.

Eric Williams, through his book, Capitalism and Slavery (6-7), offers a different perspective that slavery was not born of racism, rather racism was the consequence of slavery. The slaves trading in America trading involved Indians,

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the Blacks and even the Whites. Fortunately, the Africans showed better quality of being slaves, according to the masters. This condition made the Blacks were largely accepted as slaves. Slavery actually was more likely to be an economic necessity of the masters rather than moral, and was related to production.

C. Theoretical Framework

This study is set to analyze Tom’s struggle to get freedom from slavery in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In order to achieve the objectives, this study bases its discussion on some theories to answer the problems formulated in the problem formulation. In this part, the writer will explain briefly how the theories reviewed in the previous part are of this chapter are used in the discussion. The theories are theories of literature which consist of the theory of critical approaches, the theory character, the theory of characterization and ways of struggle. There are also historical review of Afro American people in America, racism and the theory of struggle.

The first focus of this study is to analyze how Tom’s character is portrayed in the novel. The theory of character and characterization are used in the discussion. Theory of character is needed to figure out Tom’s role as one of the main character in the novel. Meanwhile, the theory of characterization is used to find out how Tom is portrayed in the novel and to examine Tom’s personality.

The second focus of this study is to analyze how Tom struggles to get his freedom from slavery in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The socio historical is appropriate to solve this problem. In order to explore the socio and historical aspects, I refer this

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thesis to the history of African American, the theory of racism and the way of struggle theory. In other words, they are used as the guideline of answering how Tom struggles to get freedom from slavery. Those theories analyze much about the historical things and the condition of the society at the time Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written. Finally, we can understand how Tom struggles to get his freedom, to fight against such unfair condition that most African American suffered from, at that time.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of three main parts; they are subject matter, approach of the study and the procedures. The subject matter contains a brief description of the novel. The approach of the study deals with the approach used to analyze the problems. The procedures of conducting this study are also explained in the last part of this chapter.

A. Object of The Study

The object of this study is Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Getting along with numerous slave accounts and Stowe’s interviews in 1851 and 1852, she finally wrote one of the most famous American books of the nineteenth century, published serially in one of the most popular abolitionist magazine called New Era.

In March of 1852, the novel was firstly published by Boston publisher, J. P. Jewett, who published the work. This novel consists of 45 chapters of 519 pages. Uncle Tom’s Cabin novel was very phenomenal, it immediately broke all sales records of the day: selling half-a-million copies by 1857. The novel was quickly translated into 37 languages and it sold in five years over half a million copies in the United States.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was an attack against an institution of slavery that most Southerners had. However, Stowe believed that the Southerners who enslaved

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blacks were also victims of the institution. It made them completely dependent upon slave labor. That was why the Southerners considered her as a great threat to their way of life. At the same time, Northerners considered her as a symbol of the anti-slavery movement.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Uncle Tom’s Cabin.s The Classic Text : Tradition and Interpretations states that Uncle Tom's Cabin novel was regarded as a polemic. However, it became national folklore with its characters achieved their own mythic status in the national awareness. This novel was very popular. It raised vast impact on contemporary public opinion far beyond its technical intrinsic worth, and it remains an icon of the historic struggle to abolish slavery in the United States, especially through the struggle of Tom in facing and responding to himself and the black society condition in the slavery era.

B. Approach

In this study, the writer chooses the socio-historical approach as the basis of the discussion. It is the most appropriate one to view a literary work from the social and cultural condition when the work was created and the historical background when the work was written. The story of Uncle Tom’s Cabin deals with the people and society in Southern America. The author of this novel, Stowe, was purely inspired by the condition of Afro American or black people at that time, who were violated on their human right, discriminated, neglected and suffered from slavery. The socio-historical background helps to connect between the real facts happened at 1850’s in Southern America and how the condition of

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the society was with the story of the novel, so that we are able to know Tom’s struggle to get freedom from slavery.

C. Method of the Study

The method of data gathering in analyzing this novel was library research. The writer found the data and information for this study mostly from the library. Some resources were also gathered from the internet. They supply data and information which were not available in the library. The books, texts, electronic Encyclopedia and articles used in this study are those, which are particularly related and support the object of this study. The primary data is the novel of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the secondary data are the other books, texts, and articles related to the study.

The first step of working on Uncle Tom’s Cabin novel was reading the novel thoroughly and carefully page by page. My first impression was that the novel contains a lot of historical things. This was because the novel is very old, published in 1852, and looked more like a history book. The second step was understanding the novel and getting the idea out of it. The language was not easy to understand but it was quite interesting. The story was also exciting; it related to people and society, and of course slavery. The writer worked hard and tried to make a correct interpretation about the novel. After reading it up for several times, the third step was rewriting the ideas coming up in mind and then the writer chose the most interesting and researchable one as the theme of this study. The fourth step was collecting the supporting resources, books, articles, and texts, especially

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which are related to the theory used to answer the problem formulation in this study. The fifth step was answering the problem formulation by analyzing Tom’s character and his struggle to get freedom. The last step was formulating the conclusion of the analysis, and giving some suggestions for the future researchers and for the teaching learning activities using Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

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CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

The answers to the problems are presented in this chapter. This chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is to answer the first question that is how the character of Tom is portrayed in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The second part is, then, to answer the second question that is how Tom struggles to get freedom in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

A. The Portrayal of Tom’s Character

Tom is one of the characters who are presented in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The use of his name in the novel title indicates that he is the centre of the story. He is important and become the focus of the whole story. According to Abrams, such kind of character is called main or major character. He is also considered as protagonist character, because Tom’s motivation and history are most fully established more vivid than the other characters.

1. Physical Appearance and Personal Description

Tom’s physical appearance is described by using personal description. His physical appearance is as follows: “Tom is a large man, broad-chested, powerfully-made man, of a full glossy black, and a face whose truly African features were characterised by an expression of grave and steady good sense, united with much kindliness and benevolence” (23). Tom is indeed a strong man,

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that can be seen from his appearance. The broad-chested feature of Tom is mentioned one more time in the novel (158), which emphasizes his strength and well-built body. In contrast, he is a loving person, a kind person inside, which is reflected on his face.

Tom is an afro-American slave who is forced by condition to shift from one owner to another owner. Firstly he is a slave on the Shelby farm in Kentucky. He lives in a cabin on the farm with his wife Chloe and their two children. Because of Mr. Shelby’s large debt to Mr. Haley, he had to sell Tom to Mr. Haley, a rude slave trader.

Then, he is sold to Augustine St. Clare and brought to Louisiana. In St. Clare’s home, he grows increasingly invaluable to the family and he also shares faith with St. Clare’s daughter, Eva. Eva’s death moves St. Clare to set Tom free. However, St. Clare’s tragic death leaves Tom at the hands of his selfish wife, Marie. Tom is then sold to the brutal Simon Legree. This is where his faith is nearly broken, but he endures the trial. Although Tom eventually dies, his faith is unshaken.

2. Personal Characteristics

Murphy describes nine ways to know the characteristic and personality of a character in the novel. Some of them are applied to analyze Tom’s character. In the novel, Tom is portrayed as:

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a. Religious

Tom is a believer, he believes in God with all his heart and soul. Not only does he practice his religion for granted, but he also shows his belief deeply in his everyday life. Despite the hard and difficult life that he experiences, he manages to maintain his good heart thanks to the Religion values that he holds. He believes that God never leaves him and that being faithful to God means he walks to glory. This is where Tom proves himself that he has the faith, and is a true believer. His heart does not become bitter, even under the worst condition, because he preserves it by praying to God, reading the Bible, and holding a prayer meeting.

The prayer-meeting at Uncle Tom's had, in the order of hymn-singing, been protracted to a very late hour; and as Uncle Tom had indulged himself in a few lengthy solos afterwards, the consequence was, that, although it was now between twelve and one o'clock, he and his worthy helpmeet were not yet asleep. (40)

Even though he learns to read late in his life from Master George, he reads his Bible every night. In Chapter IV of the novel, when Tom prays, his companions respect him, seeing him as a spiritually matured man. His words are beyond his education. It seems like he is being guided by the God.

… Nothing could exceed the touching simplicity, the childlike earnestness, of his prayer, enriched with the language of Scripture, which seemed so entirely to have wrought itself into his being, as to have become a part of himself, and to drop from his lips unconsciously; in the language of a pious old negro, he “prayed right up.”… (32)

Both quotations mentioned above use direct comment to show Tom’s character. The author describes Tom’s character directly using his words and comments.

Tom believes that God is good and mighty. God is very good to people, because He creates all men are equal to others. God is mighty too, because He is

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able to wipe the sufferings of mankind and replace it with glory, if only the mankind is faithful and devoted. For Tom himself, God is very good to him. He has given him a nice family, valuable friends, the life and experience that make him stronger and more pious. Therefore, Tom is faithful and devoted to God. The suffering that he experiences is something that he has to endure with full of sincerity. Tom believes that glory awaits him. In his everyday life, in his relationship with his family, friends, and master, what he does and says is for the glory of the Lord.

“Pray for them that 'spitefully use you, the good book says," says Tom. “Pray for 'em!" said Aunt Chloe; "Lor, it's too tough! I can't pray for 'em.”

“It's natur, Chloe, and natur 's strong," said Tom, "but the Lord's grace is stronger; … (58)

Here, Tom’s character is elaborated through speech. The conversation between Tom and Chloe reveals Tom’s character that he is religious and pious.

His knowledge and experience about Religion values are undoubtedly considered remarkable. Therefore, his friends often ask for his encouragement when they are at the lowest condition. They believe that his piety gives him the heart, the wisdom and the ability to spread the goodness of the Lord through his words and deeds (325-327). People look up to him and consider him as a Christian teacher. It shows how close he is to God, how he is blessed. To his friends, he is an individual that stands very close to God, and this makes him His instrument to help them.

So, from the author’s direct comment and Tom’s speech, we can see that Tom is religious.

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b. Trustworthy

Throughout the novel, his friends and some of his masters trust him and ask for his opinion, because he is trustworthy. One of his masters, Augustine St. Clare, is willing to share his grief of losing his daughter, Eva, with Tom. They even have a discussion about how to believe in God and the Bible. He listens to what Tom says that the only thing needed is to pray. He then asks Tom to pray for him and he is moved by the prayer.

"If Mas'r would only pray!" …

"I would, Tom, if there was anybody there when I pray; but it's all speaking unto nothing, when I do. But come, Tom, you pray now, and show me how."

Tom's heart was full; he poured it out in prayer, like waters that have been long suppressed. One thing was plain enough; Tom thought there was somebody to hear, whether there were or not. In fact, St. Clare felt himself borne, on the tide of his faith and feeling, almost to the gates of that heaven he seemed so vividly to conceive. It seemed to bring him nearer to Eva. (327)

Tom’s character is described through speech. The conversation between Tom and St. Clare gives an insight that Tom is trustworthy.

Tom is really a trustworthy person, because even Mr. Haley, the mean slave trader finally gives him his trust. Tom is allowed to walk around the boat without his feet being chained. At first, Haley has to watch him during the day, and keep his feet chained during the night. However, he takes away the chain from Tom’s feet eventually, although Tom deserves it. Haley is convinced that Tom will not try to run away.

At first he had watched him narrowly through the day, and never allowed him to sleep at night unfettered; but the uncomplaining patience and

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apparent contentment of Tom's manner led him gradually to discontinue these restraints, and for some time Tom had enjoyed a sort of parole of honor, being permitted to come and go freely where he pleased on the boat. (153)

Once again, Tom’s character is described using direct comment. The author decided to use his words to show that Tom is trustworthy.

So, from Tom’s speech and the author’s direct comment, we conclude that Tom is trustworthy.

c. Honest

Tom is an honest person. Honesty is a rare trait to find among slaves and Tom owns it. Mr. Shelby admits that Tom is not like any other slaves, even any other people. He is special, in a way that a good worker should be: “steady, honest, capable, manages my whole farm like a clock. (2)” Tom always completes his duty without complaining.

"Why, the fact is, Haley, Tom is an uncommon fellow; he is certainly worth that sum anywhere,--steady, honest, capable, manages my whole farm like a clock."

…

"Well, Tom's got the real article, if ever a fellow had," rejoined the other. "Why, last fall, I let him go to Cincinnati alone, to do business for me, and bring home five hundred dollars.' (2)

Tom’s character here is described by using conversation of others. Mr. Shelby tries to convince Mr. Haley that Tom is honest by mentioning it in their conversation. Even though Tom has the chance to take the money and flee to Canada, he returns to Mr. Shelby after doing his duty, because he is simply an honest person. He cannot violate his conscience to do the right thing before God.

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Tom demonstrates his honesty once more when he is trusted by St. Clare to manage the family financial matters.

Trusted to an unlimited extent by a careless master, who handed him a bill without looking at it, and pocketed the change without counting it, Tom had every facility and temptation to dishonesty; and nothing but an impregnable simplicity of nature, strengthened by Christian faith, could have kept him from it. But, to that nature, the very unbounded trust reposed in him was bond and seal for the most scrupulous accuracy. (218)

Tom’s character is described through direct comment by the author. The author writes that Tom has every possibility for dishonesty and yet, Tom chooses to stay honest.

Augustine St. Clare admits that Tom is an honest person. Although no other slaves are honest, St. Clare can see Tom’s honesty. “… For my part, I don't see how they can be honest. Such a fellow as Tom, here, is,--is a moral miracle!” (229) Tom’s character here is described as seen by another, in this case by Augustine St. Clare.

So, from the conversation of others, the author’s direct comment and how Tom is seen by another character, we can see that Tom is honest.

d. Reliable

Tom is reliable. His friends and his masters can depend on him. It is proven from the responsibility that his masters give him. For example, Mr. Shelby gives him the responsibility to be the head servant to manage his farm, because he is considered capable to do it. Tom’s character is described through conversation

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of others. In this case, Mr. Shelby is having a conversation with Mr. Haley about Tom.

“… I've trusted him, since then, with everything I have,--money, house, horses,--and let him come and go round the country; and I always found him true and square in everything.” (2)

Tom proves it again to his future master, Mr. St. Clare that he can rely on Tom. Tom voluntarily saves Eva St. Clare when she falls off the boat. Tom’s action gives an impression that he is reliable. He does that without being ordered, which encourages St. Clare to buy Tom.

Tom was standing just under her on the lower deck, as she fell. He saw her strike the water, and sink, and was after her in a moment. A broad-chested, strong-armed fellow, it was nothing for him to keep afloat in the water, till, in a moment or two the child rose to the surface, and he caught her in his arms, and, swimming with her to the boat-side, handed her up, …. (158)

As time goes by, St. Clare finds Tom to be a smart and reliable person that St. Clare hands Tom the family business management.

St. Clare at first employed him occasionally; but, struck with his soundness of mind and good business capacity, he confided in him more and more, till gradually all the marketing and providing for the family were entrusted to him. (218)

With the direct comment of the author, Tom’s reliability can be acknowledged. What St. Clare hands Tom shows that Tom is a reliable person.

So, from the conversation of other characters and the author’s direct comment, we can conclude that Tom is reliable.

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e. Compassionate

Tom cannot see other people’s suffering. In spite of his tough appearance, he has a gentle loving heart. He chooses to be a good and loving person, because his life is based on love that he learns from God in His holy Book. The most important thing to live in God is to love. Most astonishingly, he is willing to give himself away to save other people.

… but you heard what she said! If I must be sold, or all the people on the place, and everything go to rack, why, let me be sold. I s'pose I can bar it as well as any on 'em," ... It's better for me alone to go, than to break up the place and sell all. (41)

Tom’s speech shows his character that he is a compassionate person. He cannot see other people suffer.

Tom pities the unfortunate people and helps them kindly. For instance, he helps St. Clare into bed when he returns home drunk. He pities what happens to his master. He worries about St. Clare and feels sad that he has not been good to himself and treated himself with respect.

"Last night, between one and two, I thought so. I studied upon the matter then. Mas'r isn't good to himself."

…

"O, that's all, is it?" he said, gaily.

"All!" said Tom, turning suddenly round and falling on his knees. "O, my dear young Mas'r; I'm 'fraid it will be loss of all--all--body and soul. The good Book says, 'it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder!' my dear Mas'r!"

Tom's voice choked, and the tears ran down his cheeks.

"You poor, silly fool!" said St. Clare, with tears in his own eyes. "Get up, Tom. I'm not worth crying over."

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Tom’s character can be concluded from his speech when he has a conversation with St. Clare. Tom pities St. Clare for not being good to himself, which shows how compassionate Tom is.

For Tom, a person is valuable because one must value himself as he is created from the image of God. Therefore, any disrespect or pitying one self is a disgrace to God. Moreover, a person’s body is the house of God. Thus when St. Clare gets home drunk, Tom is very sad. A person must maintain the purity of his body and heart to be filled with goodness and to keep away sinful deeds. That’s why Tom really wants St. Clare to repent and start a good new life.

Tom is always full of compassion. Even though, he is very tired and hungry, he helps two tired starving women out of his compassion.

Tom waited till a late hour, to get a place at the mills; and then, moved by the utter weariness of two women, whom he saw trying to grind their corn there, he ground for them, put together the decaying brands of the fire, where many had baked cakes before them, and then went about getting his own supper. … (375-376)

From Tom’s reaction towards situation, the reader can see that Tom is a compassionate person. Although Tom himself is tired and hungry, he still helps the women.

So, from Tom’s speeches and his reaction toward situation, we can see that tom is compassionate.

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f. Loyal

Tom is always been kind to his fellow slaves, because first is because he undergoes the similar things as the other slaves, and second because Tom is basically a good person. Tom is always ready to help other people.

Ever quiet and obliging, and more than ready to lend a hand in every emergency which occurred among the workmen below, he had won the good opinion of all the hands, and spent many hours in helping them with as hearty a good will as ever he worked on a Kentucky farm. (153-154)

Through the author’s direct comment, Tom’s character is revealed. It shows that he has much solidarity to his fellow slaves.

Tom has much kindness to share to other people. Moreover, among his fellow slaves, he is always ready to lend his hands.

In the course of the day, Tom was working near the mulatto woman who had been bought in the same lot with himself. She was evidently in a condition of great suffering, and Tom often heard her praying, as she wavered and trembled, and seemed about to fall down. Tom silently as he came near to her, transferred several handfuls of cotton from his own sack to hers. (330)

Tom’s reaction shows his character. How Tom helps filling the woman’s sack shows his solidarity to his fellow slaves.

Tom is loyal to his friends and he protects them from his master. He feels that they share the same fate and feelings as slaves who are always at suppressed position. When Cassy and Emmeline escapes, Tom chooses not to tell Simon Legree. Even if he has to lose his life, he prefers it than to tell his master where his friends have fled. Not everybody will do such a brave thing. Then, Simon Legree has him beaten so badly. Tom cannot stand it and finally he loses his life,

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because of the injury that he suffers. He becomes a martyr here to save others. Furthermore, he serves as a martyr to make other people repent, confess their sins, and live right in God’s way.

"Well, Tom!" said Legree, walking up, and seizing him grimly by the collar of his coat, and speaking through his teeth, in a paroxysm of determined rage, "do you know I've made up my mind to KILL YOU?" …

"D'ye hear?" said Legree, stamping, with a roar like that of an incensed lion. "Speak!"

"I han't got nothing to tell, Mas'r," said Tom, with a slow, firm, deliberate utterance.

…

Tom was silent.

"Speak!" thundered Legree, striking him furiously. "Do you know anything?"

"I know, Mas'r; but I can't tell anything. I can die!" (444)

Tom’s speech in his conversation with Mr. Legree shows how much solidarity that Tom has for his fellow slaves. Moreover, Tom is willing to sacrifice for them.

So, from the author’s direct comment, Tom’s reaction and speech we can conclude that he is loyal.

B. Tom’s Struggle to Get Freedom from Slavery in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Tom’s struggle to get freedom in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is classified as non violent struggle. Non violent struggle is firstly being promoted by Gandhi. He used it to free India. For that, Gandhi is famous of the pioneer of non violent struggle. Another great person who promote non violent struggle is Martin Luther King. He believes that non violent struggle is more effective than violent struggle. Tom’s struggle to get freedom slavery in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is analyzed

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based on King’s five criteria of non-violent struggle. The elaboration is as follows:

1. Focusing on Dynamic Spiritual, Emotion, and Mind

This method does not aggressively use physical power toward the opponent. Otherwise it focuses on dynamic spiritual, emotion, and mind. This method tries to persuade the opponent that he is mistaken. Physical struggle is avoided (King).

Some of Uncle Tom’s struggles can be classified in this first category. Tom is a believer, he reads his Bible everyday and he also leads a prayer meeting in his cabin. By reading his Book, he continually nourishes his spiritual being. By leading a prayer meeting, he shepherds his friends and he spreads the good news to them. Thus, he also maintains and preserves the spiritual being of the people around him. In the prayer meeting, they strengthen each other spiritually by regarding that this is their spiritual family. Tom teaches them not merely to hold on, but also to have hope and rejoice life everyday. In praise and worship, they devote themselves to the Lord. Therefore, their mind and emotion are maintained in good condition and not affected by the bad treatment that they receive as slaves.

... for the negro mind, impassioned and imaginative, always attaches itself to hymns and expressions of a vivid and pictorial nature; and, as they sung, some laughed, and some cried, and some clapped hands, or shook hands rejoicingly with each other, as if they had fairly gained the other side of the river. (31)

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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 God's 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!" (36)

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

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God that He will bring him to glory. He follows the teaching of Christ that does not use violence to disagree.

"I'm in the Lord's hands," said Tom; "nothin' can go no furder than he lets it;--and thar's one thing I can thank him for. It's me that's sold and going down, and not you nur the chil'en. Here you're safe;--what comes will come only on me; and the Lord, he'll 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. “Mas'r 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)

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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, it's real mean! I don't care what they say, any of 'em! It's a nasty, mean shame! If I was a man, they shouldn't 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, Mas'r George, ye're too late. The Lord's bought me, and is going to take me home,--and I long to go. Heaven is better than Kintuck” (450).

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responsibility of the entire nation for the cruel system. She forwarded the first episodes to Dr. Bailey, editor of the Washington anti-slavery weekly, The National Era. He agreed to pay $300 for the work, then published it in 40 installments. The suspenseful episodes were read weekly to families and gatherings throughout the land. Despite The National Era's small circulation, limited to an audience already sympathetic to abolitionism, the installments reached a large audience as worn copies were passed from family to family. Although many Northerners considered slavery a political institution for which they had no personal responsibility, Uncle Tom's Cabin was becoming a national sensation.

The episodes attracted the attention of Boston publisher, J. P. Jewett, who published the work in March of 1852. Uncle Tom's Cabin immediately broke all sales records of the day: selling half-a-million copies by 1857. Harriet Beecher Stowe received royalties only on the American editions; unauthorized dramatic productions boomed, as did a profusion of artifacts, "Tomitudes," based on the story. Pirated European editions also had astronomical sales. As the book drew attention to the abolitionist cause, southern critics began to attack Stowe's credibility. However, they could do little to thwart the book's success and appeal to the nation. Putnam's Magazine called Uncle Tom's Cabin, "the first real success in bookmaking." Stowe went on to many other literary projects, producing about a book a year from 1862 to 1884, but she is still most remembered as the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

www.uwm.edu/library/special/exhibits/clastext/clspg149.htm Accessed on October 10, 2008

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Pictures: http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/stow-har.htm . Accessed on October 10, 2008 STOWE’S WORKS:

• THE MAYFLOWER: OR, SKETCHES OF SCENES AND CHARACTERS AMONG THE DESCENDANTS OF THE PILGRIMS, 1843

• UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, 1852

• SUNNY MEROIRS OF FOREIGN LANDS, 1854 • DRED, 1956

• A TALE OF GREAT DISMAL SWAMP, 1856 • THE MINISTER'S WOOING, 1859

• THE PEARL OF ORR'S ISLAND, 1862 • LITTLE FOXES, 1866

• RELIGIOUS POEMS, 1867 • THE CHIMNEY CORNER, 1868 • OLDTOWN FOLKS, 1869

• magazine article THE TRUE STORY OF LORD BYRON'S LIFE, 1869 • LADY BYRON VINDICATED, 1870

• OLDTOWN FIRESIDE STORIES, 1871 • MY WIFE AND I, 1871

• SAM LAWSON'S OLDTOWN FIRESIDE STORIES, 1872 • WOMAN IN SACRED HISTORY, 1873

• PALMETTO LEAVES, 1873

• WE AND OUR NEIGHBOURS, 1875

• CAPTAIN KIDD'S MONEY AND OTHER STORIES, 1876 • POQANUC PEOPLE, 1878

• A DOG'S MISSION, 1881 • THE WRITINGS, 1896

• REGIONAL SKETCHES, 1971 (ed. by J.R. Adams)

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Appendix 3

LESSON PLAN FOR TEACHING INTENSIVE READING II

Subject : Intensive Reading II Skill : Reading

Level : 2nd Semester students of English Education Study Time : 2 x 50 minutes

Material : Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe page 63-65

Basic Competence

At the end of discussion, the students are expected to be able to improve their reading skills, apply various reading strategies and develop their English vocabulary. Achievement Indicators

- The students are able to develop their reading ability

- The students are able to complete detail understanding of the passage

- The students are able to answer the questions based on the passage and give opinion concerning to the passage

Learning Experiences

- The students skim the passage

- The students answer the questions given by the teacher - The students read the passage for detail

- The students answer the comprehensive questions in their group

- Each group presents to the other groups the result of the discussion. The other groups give comments on the presented answers

Form of Evaluation - Discussion

- Students’ participation and presentation Source :

Stowe, H. B. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. New York: Literary Classics of The United States Inc. 1852.

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Pre-reading Questions Discuss with your friend:

1. Have you ever saved someone from danger or from any other difficult situation? 2. What do you feel when you do that?

3. What do you think if you really need a help but no one would like to help you?

Reading Activity

Read the passage carefully!

In consequence of all the various delays, it was about three-quarters of an hour after Eliza had laid her child to sleep in the village tavern that the party came riding into the same place. Eliza was standing by the window, looking out in another direction, when Sam's quick eye caught a glimpse of her. Haley and Andy were two yards behind. At this crisis, Sam contrived to have his hat blown off, and uttered a loud and characteristic ejaculation, which startled her at once; she drew suddenly back; the whole train swept by the window, round

to the front door.

A thousand lives seemed to be concentrated in that one moment to Eliza. Her room opened by a side door to the river. She caught her child, and sprang down the steps towards it. The trader caught a full glimpse of her just as she was disappearing down the bank; and throwing himself from his horse, and calling loudly on Sam and Andy, he was after her like a hound after a deer. In that dizzy moment her feet to her scarce seemed to touch the ground, and a moment brought her to the water's edge. Right on behind they came; and, nerved with strength such as God gives only to the desperate, with one wild cry and flying leap, she vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore, on to the raft of ice beyond. It was a desperate leap--impossible to anything but madness and despair; and Haley, Sam, and Andy, instinctively cried out, and lifted up their hands, as she did it.

The huge green fragment of ice on which she alighted pitched and creaked as her weight came on it, but she staid there not a moment. With wild cries and

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desperate energy she leaped to another and still another cake; stumbling--leaping--slipping--springing upwards again! Her shoes are gone--her stockings cut from her feet--while blood marked every step; but she saw nothing, felt nothing, till dimly, as in a dream, she saw the Ohio side, and a man helping her up the bank.

"Yer a brave gal, now, whoever ye ar!" said the man, with an oath.

Eliza recognized the voice and face for a man who owned a farm not far from her old home.

"O, Mr. Symmes!--save me--do save me--do hide me!" said Elia. "Why, what's this?" said the man. "Why, if 'tan't Shelby's gal!"

"My child!--this boy!--he'd sold him! There is his Mas'r," said she, pointing to the Kentucky shore. "O, Mr.Symmes, you've got a little boy!"

"So I have," said the man, as he roughly, but kindly, drew her up the steep bank. "Besides, you're a right brave gal. I like grit, wherever I see it." When they had gained the top of the bank, the man paused.

"I'd be glad to do something for ye," said he; "but then there's nowhar I could take ye. The best I can do is to tell ye to go thar," said he, pointing to a large white house which stood by itself, off the main street of the village. "Go thar; they're kind folks. Thar's no kind o' danger but they'll help you,--they're up to all that sort o'thing."

"The Lord bless you!" said Eliza, earnestly.

"No 'casion, no 'casion in the world," said the man. "What I've done's of no 'count."

"And, oh, surely, sir, you won't tell any one!"

"Go to thunder, gal! What do you take a feller for? In course not," said the man. "Come, now, go along like a likely, sensible gal, as you are. You've arnt your liberty, and you shall have it, for all me."

The woman folded her child to her bosom, and walked firmly and swiftly away. The man stood and looked after her.

(Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, pp: 45-46)

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Glossary

• tavern (n) : public house; inn

• contrive (v) : find a way of doing (sth)

• vaulted (v) : jumped over (sth) using one’s hands or a pole

• sheer (adj) : complete

• turbid (adj) : not clear or transparent

• alighted (v) : came down and settle

• pitched (v) : moved up and down on water

Comprehensive Questions

1. Why does Eliza run away?

2. How is Eliza’s condition when she runs away? 3. Who are trying to catch Eliza?

4. Does Eliza manage to escape? How does she escape? 5. Does Eliza find a help from someone?

6. What is the main idea of paragraph 2? 7. What is the best title for the text above?

Post-reading Activity

1. Choose two words from the glossary and make sentences by using them! 2. Summarize the story in your own words!

Tom\'s struggle to get freedom from slavery in Harriet Beecher Stowe\'s Uncle Tom\'s Cabin.

Datu Falah

This thesis is dedicated to:

My parents, Lover, Best Friends and myself

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Tom\'s struggle to get freedom from slavery in Harriet Beecher Stowe\'s Uncle Tom\'s Cabin.

Datu Falah

This thesis is dedicated to:

My parents, Lover, Best Friends and myself

Table of Contents

Parts

Dokumen yang terkait

An Analysis Of Slavery And Its Impact Towards Black People In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin

CLASS STRUGGLE IN HARRIET BEECHER STOWE’S “UNCLE TOM’S CABIN”: A MARXIST APPROACH.

HUMAN EXISTENCE IN HARRIET BEECHER STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN: Human Existence In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin: An Existentialist Approach.

Analysis of Portrayal of the Protagonist in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly and William Styron's The Confessions of Nat Turner.

IMPACTS OF ALIENATION IN CAPITALIST SYSTEM TOWARD SLAVES AS SEEN IN HARRIET STOWE'S UNCLE TOM'S CABIN.

An Analysis Of Slavery And Its Impact Towards Black People In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin

An Analysis Of Slavery And Its Impact Towards Black People In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin

An Analysis Of Slavery And Its Impact Towards Black People In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin

An Analysis Of Slavery And Its Impact Towards Black People In Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin

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