New Perspectives on Uncle Tom's Cabin: New Approaches to American Fiction, 22 (English Edition)

Author: Eric J. Sundquist, editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: As the process of forming American literary classics unfolded, the growing interest in the roles of women and minorities sparked enthusiasm for studying Uncle Tom's Cabin. The arguments in this book provide contemporary readers with both critical and historical insights, reflecting the highest level of academic research. In the introduction, Eric J. Sundquist attempts to demonstrate that Uncle Tom's Cabin boldly engages with the debates supporting slavery and the prevailing abolitionist prejudices, employing popular melodramatic forms and fervent rhetoric to explore complex discussions. In the essays, some examine the influence of Stowe's novel on the portrayal of female characters in American fiction and the later impact on female writers; others explore the role of women in the abolitionist movement; some discuss literary exchanges between Stowe and her contemporaries; and others examine the relationship between Uncle Tom's Cabin and Gothic fiction, as well as the formation of Black characters in later works by other novelists and writers.