The Role of Slave Narratives in the Rise of the Abolitionist Movement during the American Civil War. A case study: Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Abstract

This dissertation is a thematic research to analyze the deep relationship between literature and history and how do they interrelate each other in any giving time. This research tackles the first beginnings of slavery in America and the immediate segregation that they lived. Furthermore, the paper narrates the emergence of the abolitionist movement and development alongside the increasing conflicts between the north and the south and the numerous events that led to the break of the civil war. This war is considered the deadliest war that the UShas ever gone through. Eventually the north won and eradicated slavery. The first chapter makes the reader aware of the political and historical atmosphere of that period.In the second chapter we discuss the slave narrative as a literary genre that appeared to expose the horror of slavery through narration from a slave’s point of view also to demonstrate the ugly truth behind the institution. We also recited many slave narratives but the one that caught our eye was Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This story was composed by Herriot Beecher Stowe who wrote it as a response to the fugitive slave act. this story received a mixed social reaction among people, in the north the novel strengthened the social support of the abolitionist movement .in the south the story shook the social stability, many accused Stowe of facing the story in favor of the north .furthermore the south responded with their own anti tom literature, where they portrait slavery as a merciful institution .Stowe replied with a key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin where she debunked all criticism and accusation. In this research we proceed to analyze the components of the novel from settings to symbols and how they played a huge role in addressing numerous issues .finally the dissertation analyze the conveyed massages in uncle toms can from exposing the evil of slavery to women empowerment the duality between the institution of slavery and Christianity.