CHRISTIAN LOVE AND DEVOTION REFLECTED BY UNCLE TOM AS SEEN IN STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
CHRISTIAN LOVE AND DEVOTION REFLECTED BY
UNCLE TOM AS SEEN IN STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
NOVRITA DEBORA PASARIBU
Student Number: 034214131
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
CHRISTIAN LOVE AND DEVOTION REFLECTED BY
UNCLE TOM AS SEEN IN STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
NOVRITA DEBORA PASARIBU
Student Number: 034214131
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
MOTTO
But a s it is writte n: “ Eye ha s no t se e n, no r e a r he a rd , no r ha ve e nte re d into the he a rt o f ma n the thing s whic h Go d ha s p re p a re d fo r tho se who lo ve Him.”
1 Ko rintus 2:9
So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will
not fear. What can man do to me?” Ibrani 13: 6And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to
men. Kolose 3: 23
YÉÜ Åç uxÄÉäxw Ytà{xÜ? ]xáâá V{Ü|áà
YÉÜ `ç ÅÉÅ? g{tÇ~ çÉâ yÉÜ ÄÉä|Çz Åx á|ÇvxÜxÄç
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Novrita Debora Pasaribu Nomor Mahasiswa :034214131 Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
CHRISTIAN LOVE AND DEVOTION REFLECTED BY UNCLE TOM AS
SEEN IN STOWE’S UNCLE TOM’S CABIN
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada).Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustkaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan 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 yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal: 19 April 2010 Yang menyatakan (Novrita Debora Pasaribu)
PERNYATAAN KEASLIAN KARYA
Saya menyatakan dengan sesungguhnya bahwa skripsi yang saya tulis ini tidak memuat karya atau bagian lain kecuali yang telah disebutkan dalam kutipan dan daftar pustaka sebagai layaknya karya ilmiah.
Yogyakarta, 19 April 2010 Novrita Debora Pasribu
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, let me give my deepest gratitude to my Father, Jesus Christ who has brought me into His light and saved my life. I thank you God for giving me a new life and a brand new heart, complete with the label. I know I will never come to this moment without your miracles, grace and helps.
My gratitude also goes to my advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S. Pd, M. Hum., who has guided me and helped me during this undergraduate thesis writing process. I thank her for the time, advises, suggestions, and ideas she gave me. Her words have inspired me to finish my writings as soon as possible. I really appreciate her helps. I would like to thank my co-advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M. Hum., for giving me her valuable advises and suggestion.
I would like to thank my mother, R. Siregar, who has always given me her patience, supports and prayer. I knew I had disappointed her in some moments of my life, but she keeps reminding me to go back and accepting me. To my father, alm. E. Pasaribu, I want to say that I love him and I am blessed to be his daughter.
For all of my friends, the English Letters students of 2003, I thank them for the supports and the fun time we shared, for accepting me, loving me and not judging me. To all of my friends in Everlasting Grace and The House of
Revival, I want to say that I am blessed to have them as my family. I also give my
profound thanks to Gek Nyos and Peppy for telling me to not give up. I really enjoy the times when we laugh and share anything in the rooms. I thank them for the good advises they always give. I would also like to thank Mei Ratri Sri
Handayani, my best friend who is always there to hug me in the darkest moment
of my life, and to help me when I am in need. She is the friend indeed.My special thank is to my lovely Palmer Simangunsong, for being my boyfriend and best friend for almost four years. I thank him for the laugh, cry, and process we have been through.
Inop
TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………....... . i APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………………. . ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE................................................................................. iii
MOTTO PAGE………………………………………………………........ . iv DEDICATION PAGE………………………………………………......... . v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………… . viii TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………… . xABSTRACT……………………………………………………………...... xii
ABSTRAK ………………………………………………………………. xiii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION……………………………………….. .1 A.
1 Background of the Study………………………………………..
B.
3 Problem Formulation…………………………………………….
C.
4 Objectives of the Study………………………………………….
D.
4 Definition of Terms……………………………………………… CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW…………………….. ……….
6 A.
6 Review of Related Studies……………………………………… B.
9 Review of Related Theories……………………………………...
1. Character and characterization………………………………. 9 2.
10 Christian Love………………………………………………..
3.
15 Christian Devotion…………………………………………...
C.
18 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………..
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………………. 20
A.20 Object of the Study……………………………………………… B.
21 Approach of the Study…………………………………………..
C.
22 Method of the Study……………………………………………..
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS……………………………………………….. 25
A.25 The Characteristics of Uncle Tom……………………………......
1. Patient………………………………………………………... 25 2.
28 Compassionate and Kind……………………………………..
3. Faithful……………………………………………………….. 32 4.
Virtuous………………………………………………………. 40 B.
42 Christian Love and Christian Devotion reflected by Uncle Tom… 1.
42 Christian Love reflected by Uncle Tom……………………… a. Christian Love reflected by Uncle Tom’s x
Patient characteristic………………………………………
42 b. Christian Love reflected by Uncle Tom’s Compassionate and Kind characteristic……………………………………
48 2. Christian Devotion reflected by Uncle Tom…………………………………………………….
49 a. Christian Devotion reflected by Uncle Tom’s Faithful characteristic……………………………………..
49 b. Christian Devotion reflected by Uncle Tom’s Virtuous characteristic…………………………………….
53 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION……………………………………............. .
56 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………… 60 APPENDIX………………………………………………………………... …
62 xi
ABSTRACT
Novrita Debora Pasaribu . Christian Love and Devotion Reflected by Uncle
Tom as Seen in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2010.This study examines Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel entitled Uncle Tom’s
Cabin as the object of study. This study aims to discover two major Christian
values, namely Christian love and Christian devotion, which are reflected by Uncle Tom as the central character in the novel. Two problems are formulated, namely what the characteristics of Uncle Tom are and how Christian love and devotion are reflected by Uncle Tom through his characteristics.
Library research is employed as the method to analyze the novel. This study uses Abrams’ theory of character, Baldick and Barnet’s theory of characterization, Lewis, Bars, and O’Collins’ theories of Christian love, Finney, Bars, and O’Collins’ theories of Christian devotion, as well as various Bible passages to support the discussion.
There are two findings as the conclusion of this study. As the first finding, Uncle Tom shows some prominent characteristics, namely patient, compassionate and kind, faithful, and virtuous. Uncle Tom’s patience can be seen from his action of enduring the hardships and the inhuman treatment as a slave without complaining or feeling negative emotion, and his statements. His compassion and kindness can be seen from his actions of helping other slaves in their works, listening to their problems and consoling them, accompanying and consoling his master and his master’s daughter, his statements, and other characters’ comments. His faithfulness to God can be seen in his routine worship, his statements about God, and another character’s comment, while his faithfulness to his masters can be seen in his loyalty to stay with his master even when he has the chance or is released, his statements, and other characters’ comments. His virtue can be seen in his hard work and honesty, and other characters’ comments about him.
The second finding of this study is about Christian love and devotion reflected through Uncle Tom. Christian love is reflected by Uncle Tom especially through his patience, compassion and kindness, while Christian devotion is reflected by Uncle Tom especially through his faithfulness and virtue. Uncle Tom’s patience reflects three points from the Bible about love, namely God’s second commandment, love as the foundation of Christianity, and the characteristics of love. Uncle Tom’s compassion and kindness reflects two points from the Bible about love, namely God’s second commandment and the characteristics of love. Uncle Tom’s faithfulness reflects two points from the Bible about devotion, namely God’s first commandment and the practice of Christian devotion. Lastly, Uncle Tom’s virtue reflects one point from the Bible about devotion, namely the practice of Christian devotion.
ABSTRAK
NOVRITA DEBORA PASARIBU . Christian Love and Devotion Reflected by
Uncle Tom as Seen in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin . Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra
Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2010.Penelitian ini meneliti novel Harriet Beecher Stowe yang berjudul Uncle
Tom’s Cabin sebagai objek penelitian. Penelitian ini bertujuan menemukan dua
nilai Kristen, yaitu kasih dan ketaatan Kristen yang dicerminkan oleh Uncle Tom sebagai karakter utama dalam novel ini. Terdapat dua permasalahan, yaitu apa sifat-sifat Uncle Tom dan bagaimana kasih dan pengabdian Kristen dicerminkan oleh Uncle Tom melalui sifat-sifatnya.
Studi pustaka digunakan sebagai metode untuk menganalisa novel. Penelitian ini memanfaatkan teori karakter susunan Abrams dan teori karakterisasi susunan Barnet dan Baldick, teori mengenai kasih Kristen susunan Lewis, Bars, dan O'Collins, teori mengenai pengabdian Kristen susunan Finney, Bars, dan O'Collins, juga berbagai bagian Alkitab untuk mendukung pembahasannya.
Ada dua kesimpulan dari penelitian ini. Kesimpulan pertama, Uncle Tom menunjukkan beberapa sifat yang menonjol, yaitu sabar, berbelaskasih dan baik, setia, dan saleh. Sifat Uncle Tom yang sabar dapat dilihat melalui tindakannya yang bertahan dalam kesulitan dan perlakuan tidak manusiawi yang diterimanya tanpa mengeluh atau merasakan emosi negatif, dan melalui pernyataan- pernyataannya. Sifatnya yang berbelaskasih dan baik dapat dilihat melalui tindakannya dalam membantu budak-budak lain dalam pekerjaan mereka, mendengarkan masalah-masalah dan menghibur mereka, menemani dan menghibur tuannya dan anak perempuan tuannya, melalui pernyataan- pernyataannya, dan melalui komentar para karakter lainnya. Pengabdiannya kepada Tuhan dapat dilihat dalam penyembahan rutinnya, pernyataan- pernyataannya tentang Tuhan, dan dalam komentar para karakter lainnya, sedangkan kesetiaannya kepada tuannya dapat dilihat dalam kesetiaannya untuk tinggal bersama tuannya, meskipun dia memiliki kesempatan atau dibebaskan, dalam pernyatan-pernyataannya, dan komentar para karakter lainnya. Sifat salehnya dapat dilihat dalam kerja keras dan kejujurannya, dan komentar para karakter lainnya.
Kesimpulan kedua adalah tentang kasih dan pengabdian Kristen yang tercermin melalui Uncle Tom. Kasih Kristen tercermin melalui sifatnya yang sabar, berbelas kasih dan baik, sedangkan pengabdian Kristen tercermin melaui sifatnya yang setia dan saleh. Sifat Uncle Tom yang sabar mewakili tiga hal dari Alkitab tentang kasih, yaitu hukum Tuhan yang kedua, kasih sebagai dasar Kekristenan, dan sifat-sifat kasih. Sifat Uncle Tom yang berbelaskasih dan baik mewakili tiga hal dari Alkitab tentang kasih, yaitu hukum Tuhan yang kedua, dan sifat-sifat kasih. Sifat Uncle Tom yang setia mewakili dua hal dari Alkitab tentang pengabdian, yaitu hukum Tuhan yang pertama dan praktik ketaatan Kristen.Yang terakhir, sifat Uncle Tom yang saleh mewakili satu hal dari Alkitab tentang pengabdian, yaitu praktik pengabdian Kristen.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study There are many kinds of literary works. One of them is novel. Laar and Schoonderwoerd define a novel as a work of art that introduces us into a living
world which is in some parts resemble the world we live in (1963: 163). As well as the world we live in, the living world also has the society in it. So, reading a novel is like seeing the reflection of our society. It enables us to be more aware of life and reality in society since reading a novel enriches our life.
One of the elements in society is religion. Religion is used by people to have good morality and to keep order of the society. There are many religions in this world that are chosen by each person to pray and to lead his or her life as well as to hope for a bright future, but in this study the writer chooses only one religion to be discussed that is Christian.
“Christian is the most widely practiced religion in the world that reaching more or less 33% of the world religion” (www.adherents.com/ReligionsByAdherents.html). Christians practice the teaching of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Derek Neville’s article entitled The
Meaning of Love states that
To be filled with the knowledge of the LORD is to be filled with the knowledge of love. One cannot know love by means of the mind. To know love is to experience it. To be filled with the knowledge of the LORD is to be filled with an all-embracing love that takes in the rest of life (http://www.all-creatures.org/fol/lit-themeaning.html).
2 In an article entitled Love Defined (by the Bible), Rich Deem says that
In fact, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He said, "You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) He then added that the second most important law was "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." Jesus said that the entire law was dependent upon these two commandments (http://www.godandscience.org/love/biblicallove.html).
These statements want to convey that Lord God is the love, therefore whenever we believe in God, we are filled both with God and love. Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, through the Bible teaches the Christians to devote God and to love human beings as the values of Christianity. The love and devotion that are meant here are the unconditional love and devotion as Jesus practices.
In this study, the writer will discuss about Christian love and devotion reflected by Uncle Tom in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The writer would like to discuss this topic because the writer is interested in the character of Uncle Tom. Stowe describes Uncle Tom as a good and loyal Christian who holds and practices Christian values tightly. He always turns to Jesus whenever he needs consolation, he reads Bible, holds a prayer meeting, and even becomes a spiritual father for his friends and masters. His love and devotion toward God and other human beings are unquestionable. The love that Uncle Tom reflects is the unconditional love that Jesus himself practices. Uncle Tom gives his love to his friends, and moreover to his master, although some of them have treated him badly. In the writer’s opinion, to discuss and analyze further about Uncle Tom’s love and devotion will be challenging.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 when
slavery still became the great issue in the United States. Originally, it was
3 published weekly in an anti-slavery newspaper named National Era, from the summer of 1851 to the spring of 1852. Still in the year of 1852, Uncle Tom’s
Cabin was firstly published as a hard cover novel
(http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=16788). A free paper entitled The Effect
of Uncle Tom's Cabin states that Uncle Tom’s Cabin is considered by many people as one of the most influential American works of fiction ever published.
Not only because it was sold over a million copies in its first sixteen months, but also because it brought a big impact to the topic of slavery in America. Uncle
Tom's Cabin did arouse anti-slavery sentiment in the North and provoke angry
rebuttals in the South which was pro-slavery (http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=16788). The pros and contras about slavery between the southerner and the northerner then cause a war which is known as Civil War. The history records that when Abraham Lincoln met Mrs. Stowe he said, “So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this Great War". Lincoln’s statement implies that the novel caused the war ( http://www.answers.com/topic/uncle-tom-s-cabin-novel-
7). All of these interesting facts become the writer reason to choose the novel as the object of this study.
B. Problem Formulation In order to limit the study, the problem formulations are stated as follows.
1. What are the characteristics of Uncle Tom as described in the novel?
4
2. In what ways are Christian love and Christian devotion reflected by Uncle
Tom? C.
Objectives of the Study
This study has two objectives that have to be accomplished. First, this study wants to know the characteristics of Uncle Tom as the central character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. By knowing Uncle Tom’s character, the writer can find out what kind of person Uncle Tom is. The writer can also know Uncle Tom’s ways of thinking and behaviour. Second, this study wants to show how Christian love and devotion appears through Uncle Tom.
D. Definition of Terms
In this study, there are several important key terms used. The definitions of the terms need to be given to make a clear understanding about them and to avoid ambiguity and misinterpretation. The important key terms are defined as follows: 1.
Character According to Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, “Character is the person presented in dramatic or narrative work, who is interpreted by reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional quality, that is expressed in what he says-the dialogue-and what he does-the action” (1981:20).
2. Christian Love
Henry Bars in Faith, Hope and Charity states that “Christian idea of love is expressed by the word agape” (1961:107). A Concise Dictionary of Theology
5 defines agape as the characteristic term used in the New Testament to designate the love of God for us and, our love for God and one another (O’Collins, 1991: 7).
Baker’s Concise Dictionary of Religion defines agape as Greek word for self-
giving love (1985: 18).3. Devotion
A Concise Dictionary of Theology states that devotion means that
prayerful and effective dedication that makes believers deeply responsive to God’s will (O’Collins, 1991:54). Baker’s Concise Dictionary of Religion defines devotion as worship or adoration (1985: 149).
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies On the undergraduate thesis entitled The Impact of Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin on the Suppression of Slavery , C. Kristomo tried to analyze how literature
can be a trigger to social transformation. He was interested to analyze that possibility, since he saw the fact that a novel entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin written by Harriet Beecher Stowe really had an impact on the anti-slavery movement in United States of America in the 1850s.
In his thesis, he tried to explain how literature and society are related to each other in a mutual relation. As a social chronicle, literature is influenced by the society, while by depicting the social reality, literature brings the readers to reality. So, it was not a surprise that Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin played an important role in the social transformation in 1850s.
…with millions of copies spread over America and Europe, it built a public opinion and touched the influential persons in the political structure. Its message supported the abolitionists that finally there was a change on slavery (Kristomo, 1997: iv).
According to Kristomo, this novel touches three primary aspects of social life at that time; Christianity, relationship between slaves and their masters, and the political aspect of slavery. It proves that a literary work can take part on the social transformation.
7 The article entitled Martyrdom and the Unjust Society on www.cyberpat.com compares Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin with Eliot’s The Mill
on the Floss . As the result, it finds that both of the works share some similarities.
First, both of the novels share the same tone that is sympathy. Through the tragic life of their hero and heroine, Stowe and Eliot wished to awake their readers’ sympathy. Second, Christian theme plays significant role in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Mill on the Floss. The main characters of the novels, Uncle Tom and Maggie Tulliver, are respectively compared to the figure of Christ. In Uncle
Tom’s Cabin , it is shown that Uncle Tom responses Legree’s ill treatments with
Christian love and lays down his life for his friends. In The Mill on the Floss, Eliot described Maggie’s suffering and death as the promotion of the ‘salvation’ to people around her. Third, both of the works are the critics towards traditional religious system, which is presented by Stowe and Eliot through the contrast between the real religious feeling and hypocritical forms of religious sentiment through their characters. For instance, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Mrs. Shelby is described as a good Christian, but she is also a slave owner. An article on www.sparknotes.com states that Stowe considers this as hypocrisy because she believes that no Christian should be able to tolerate slavery, which denies human beings’ basic rights such as the rights to freedom. In The Mill on the Floss, Dr. Keen, who represents religious authority, can do nothing to support Maggie when the town condemns her.
A thesis entitled “A Day of Grace” Evangelical Theology in Uncle Tom’s
Cabin gives a comment “…the faith to which Stowe exhort her readers in Uncle
8
Tom’s Cabin is an evangelical faith based on conversion to Jesus Christ”.
Moreover, the thesis tells that Ann Douglas in The Feminization of American
Culture argues “Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a great book, not because it is a great
novel, but because it is a great revival sermon, aimed directly at the conversion of its hearers” (www.maryvillecollege.edu/research/downloads/Chait.pdf).
The writer agrees with the previous comments and commentaries on Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin that the novel contains the aspect of Christianity in it.
It can be seen through the plot and the characters that the novel is Stowe’s evangelism to spread Christianity among her readers. In some parts of the novel, Stowe tells the readers how Uncle Tom’s Christian love and devotion touching people around him.
In this undergraduate thesis, the writer will discuss about Christian love and devotion reflected by Uncle Tom in Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The previous studies above give a better understanding to the writer about the aspect of Christianity in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and about how the character of Uncle Tom is compared to the figure of Christ so that he can influence people around him. That is why the writer believes that the previous studies will help the writer in analyzing the topic.
There are many undergraduate theses that had analyzed the novel of Uncle
Tom’s Cabin . However, after doing some library researches, the writer can state
that there are no undergraduate theses which had analyzed Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin from Christianity’s point of view. The writer also finds that there are several undergraduate theses which discuss about Christianity,
9 but none of them use Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin as the object of the study. Therefore, the writer is sure that this study is different from others.
B. Review of Related Theories
There are some theories that the writer will apply in this study, such as theory of character and characterization, theory of Christian love and theory of Christian devotion. These theories will support the analysis of the topic in this study.
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
A character plays a big part and role in fiction. The readers may have a clear idea about the story and how the story is developed whenever the author introduce his character to the reader. The story will not be complete without the existence of character.
Abrams, in his Glossary of Literary Terms , defines a character as a person who is presented in dramatic or narrative work, provided with moral and dispositional qualities, which are expressed in what they say, for example, the dialogue, and what they do, for example, the action. Moreover, Abrams says that a character may remain ‘stable’ or unchanged in his outlook and dispositions, from the beginning to end of a work, or he may undergo a change, either through a gradual development or as a result of an extreme crisis (1981:20).
According to E. M. Foster, characters may be flat or round, depending on how the author sketches them. Flat characters tend to stay the same throughout a story, while round characters often change, become enlightened, grow or go down (Kennedy and Gioia, 1999:60-61).
10 According to Baldick in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of literary Terms, characterization is a representation of a person in narrative and dramatic works, which can be seen from the action, speech and appearance of the character (1991:34). Barnet in his book Literature for Composition: Essays, Fiction, Poetry and Drama , gives us the way to understand characteristics of a character.
a. What the character says: the way the character speaks will help the readers to interpret her or his characteristics.
b. What the character does: the readers can learn the attitudes or behaviours of a character from his or her action.
c. What the other characters say about the character: when a character interacts with other characters, these other characters may gives comments about the character. Such comments may reflect the characteristic of the character (Barnet, et al., 1988:229)
2. Theory of Christian Love
Love is actually a general concept which can be used in various conditions and can refer to many things, such as God, other people, animals, things, concepts, and so on. Love becomes a part of many cultures or societies, and love is taught in many religions. This study uses the term “Christian love” because it focuses on the concept of love based on the teachings and the perspective of Christianity. It might have some similarities as well as differences to the concept of love in society, cultures, or other religions, but the important thing is that “love” in this study is based on Christian perspective despite any similarities or differences to other perspectives, especially because Christian love is discussed in
11 relation to Uncle Tom’s characteristics, while Uncle Tom himself is an ardent follower of Christianity. Therefore, it is highly relevant to discuss Christian love to examine Uncle Tom as a character.
Love is one of the fundamental concepts in Christianity. Love is even used as the foundation of the Christian religion, as shown in both the Bible and other sources. The Bible describes God Himself as the first source of love; He gave humans eternal life because His love for humans was so big, as shown in the following verses.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3: 16). This is how God showed His love for us: He sent His only Son into the world that we might have life through him (John 4: 9).
The phrases “for God so loved the world” and “This is how God showed His love for us” above clearly indicate love as the reason why God gives humans eternal life in heaven by sending His only son, Jesus Christ. The word “Christian” itself refers to the followers of Christ, so Christianity and love is strongly related. This is supported by another Bible verse, which clearly states that God is the source of love: “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8).
Thus, since God already shows love towards humans, Christian people should also be able to show their love.
The idea above is also supported by other sources. D’Arcy in his book The
Mind and Heart of Love explains “because God is love, it follows that we love
because He first loved us” (1947: 66). Ryan in The Christian Life states that “Our whole Christian life can truly said to be a work of love, and so it can be said also
12 truly that it is the work of the Spirit of love” (1977: 27). This statement confirms the idea about love as the foundation of Christianity. Also, Ryan explains further about love as the reason why God saves humans in his quotation below.
It is God presenting himself to man as a person, attracting man, drawing the heart of man. This action or movement of God towards us is a free gift of his love; we have no right to it, we cannot make the first step towards God and draw him to ourselves (Ryan, 1977: 45).
The base of Christian love is the two commandments that Jesus has taught to his followers. From the Bible, the first commandment is to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, while the second commandment is to love our neighbors: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:31). Although the verse states “neighbour”, Kierkegaard argues that the word neighbour does not refer to its literal meaning; instead, it refers to any human being, as shown in the quotation: “the neighbour as an object of agape is any human being” (in Becker, 1992: 745). It is clear that loving all humans is a very important obligation for Christian people. This is confirmed by another Bible verse, which states that loving God, or in other words being a good Christian, would be impossible without loving other humans: “If a man boasts of loving God, while he hates his own brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4: 20).
The idea above is also supported by other sources. Becker in Encyclopedia
of Ethics explains that the second commandment, which organizes humans’
relationship with other humans, is as serious and as divine as the first commandment, which organizes humans’ relationship with God.
13 The second commandment also retains a discreteness, in that such love is more than a mere means through which one loves God. Each person constitutes a terminal point for another’s attitudes and actions. While the order of the commandments must not be reversed, the second is “like” the first. Love of neighbor shares in the seriousness of a divine command (1992: 744). Meanwhile, Cardenal in To Live is to Love admits the difficulty of loving others as we love ourselves as instructed in the second commandment, and also explains that this condition of loving others as we love ourselves refers to humans’ heavenly condition.
To love others as we love ourselves is a precept that is difficult to put into practice and even difficult to conceive of. What it describes is the natural condition of man when he lived in Paradise, for the paradisiacal state is man’s aboriginal natural condition (1974: 51).
Christian love also has some distinct characteristics. From the Bible, there are some verses that emphasize the importance of loving all human beings, including our enemies, as shown in the following quotations.
You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate
thy enemy . But I tell you, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you and insult you (Matthew 5:43-44).
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Matthew 5:46) This emphasis on loving our enemies, or people who treat us badly, becomes the unique characteristic of Christian love. However, Christian love also shows other characteristics. Paul, one of the apostles, listed some characteristics of love based on the teachings of Christianity in the following Bible verse.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7).
14 The idea above is also supported by other sources. Bars in Faith, Hope
and Charity states “what is really distinctive of Christianity is the injunction to
love all men, including our enemies, in order to be perfect like our heavenly Father” (1961: 109). Meanwhile, Becker describes that the verse of Matthew 5:46 from the Bible as the passage that instructs “a love that extends beyond relations of undemanding, safe, assured reciprocity” (1992: 745). He also explains the characteristics of Christian love, or what he calls “neighbor-love” in the quotation below.
Neighbor-love should then at least include unilateral efforts on the agent’s part to establish and enhance personal relations ... In brief, agape does not await, anticipate, or demand a response in kind, though it may compatibly desire and hope for such a response, and regard attainment as the fruitition it seeks (Becker, 1992: 745). Henry Bars in his book entitled Faith, Hope and Charity uses the word
“agape” to describe Christian love, as he says “Christian idea of love is expressed by the word agape” (1961: 107). C. S. Lewis in The Four Loves describes four kinds of love, namely eros, philia, storge, and agape (1960: 33-107). A Concise
Dictionary of Theology defines agape as “the characteristic term used in the New
Testament to designate the love of God for us and, our love for God and one another” (O’Collins, 1991: 7). Pieper in About Love states that agape is unconditional and unselfish love that expects nothing in return (1961: 5). An article explains about agape below.
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 (http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=468).
15
3. Theory of Christian Devotion
Just like love, devotion is also a general concept which can be used in various conditions and can refer to many things. For, instance people can be devoted to anyone or anything, from their God, their parents, their jobs, cars, houses, appearance, money, or even their favorite sport teams.
Besides the society, devotion is also taught in many religions. This study uses the term “Christian devotion” because it focuses on the concept of devotion based on the teachings and the perspective of Christianity. Christian devotion might have some similarities and differences to the concept of devotion in general or in other religions, but this study focuses on devotion based on Christian perspective, because Christian devotion is discussed in relation to Uncle Tom’s characteristics, while Uncle Tom himself is an ardent follower of Christianity.
Devotion in Christianity refers to devotion towards God, as shown in both the Bible as well as other sources. From the Bible, the base of Christian devotion is the first commandment given by Jesus Christ. The commandment can be seen in the following Bible verses.
One of the scribes heard their dispute, and, finding that he answered to the purpose, came up and ask him, Which is the first commandment of all? Jesus answered him, The first the commandments of all is, Listen, Israel; there is no God but the Lord thy God; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with the love of thy whole heart, and thy whole soul, and thy whole mind, and thy whole strength. This is the first commandment… (Mark 12:28-30). Although the verses above do not explicitly mention the word “devotion”, they clearly show God’s instruction for His followers to put God as the first and ‘the
16 everything’ in their life. Nothing in this world should replace God’s position in the follower’s heart. The priority of Christian devotion should always be God first.
The idea above is also supported by other sources. O’Collins in A Concise
Dictionary of Theology defines devotion in Christianity as “prayerful and
effective dedication that makes believers deeply responsive to God’s will (1991: 54). Furthermore, Professor Finney also defines Christian devotion in the following quotation.
Devotion is that state of mind in which the attention is diverted from self, and self-seeking, and is directed to God; the thoughts, and purposes, and desires, and affections, and emotions, all hanging upon, and devoted to Him (http://www.gospeltruth.net/1839OE/390130_devotion.htm).
Becker in Encyclopedia of Ethics further explains that many Jews and Christians affirm that the first commandment means “God demands absolute attachment, devotion and adoration” (1992: 744). It is clear that God insists the Christian to be devoted only to Him.
The distinct or unique characteristic of Christian devotion is that Christians do it not just because of God’s order in the First Commandment above.