《汤姆叔叔的小屋》中汤姆的人物分析（英文）

毕 业 论 文

题目 An Analysis of the Character Tom in the Novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin

学生姓名： 指导教师：________ ______________ 外语 系 英语 专业 班

2010年 6月 13日

第1页

毕业论文任务书

专业 英语 班级 姓名 下发日期2009年12月19日 题目 专题 An Analysis of the Character Tom in the Novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin 英美文学 主 要 内 容 及 要 求 汤姆叔叔是斯托夫人笔下颇具争议的人物形象，但其却为世界文坛，为努力解放运动做出了重大的贡献。本文通过大量实例分析，着重赞扬汤姆叔叔诚实忠心、虔诚博爱、敢于反抗的精神。通过分析、对比国际社会对汤姆叔叔的评价，得出结论：汤姆叔叔是人类精神上至高无上的楷模，其善良，忠诚，勇敢等美好品质值得后人学习。 主 要 技 术 参 数 进 度 及 完 成 日 期 2009年12月19日 下发毕业论文任务书 2010年4月18日 交开题报告和论文提纲 2010年5月9日 交论文初稿 2010年5月30日 交论文二稿 2010年6月13日 交论文定稿 系主任 签字 日期 教研室主任签字 日期 指导教师签字 日期 第2页

摘 要

斯托夫人笔下的汤姆叔叔虽是奴隶制度下的一个牺牲品，但却是人类精神至高无上的楷模。他用基督教式的博爱温暖了无数穷苦人民，其伟大的牺牲精神使无数后人黯然落泪，更使无数上层统治者心惊胆怯。人们无法忘记诚实、忠心的汤姆叔叔如何竭尽全力的维护自己的主人；更无法忘记如此温顺的汤姆叔叔为了坚守信仰竟以死向敌人反抗。在物欲横流的当今世界，汤姆叔叔以其无私、纯洁、高尚的精神教化着人类的灵魂。

关键词：汤姆叔叔，诚实，忠心，反抗

第3页

ABSTRACT

Uncle Tom, the hero in the writing of Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a sacrifice of slavery. However, he was a supreme model of human spirit. With his Christian love, he comforted numerous people who were suffering poverty and misery. His spirit of sacrifice made many off-springs weep, and shocked and feared a lot of upper rulers. Nowadays, people always remember the honest and loyal Uncle Tom who makes every effort to protect his master. Also, people remember that in order to keep his Christian faith such an obedient Uncle Tom dared to resist his master. In this monetary world today, Uncle Tom?s spirit of selflessness, purity and nobility edify human?s soul.

KEY WORDS: Uncle Tom, honest, loyal, resist

第4页

Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………….(9) Chapter One Uncle Tom?s Obedience………………………………………………(11)

1.1 Uncle Tom?s Honesty……………………………………………………...(11) 1.2 Uncle Tom?s Loyalty……………………………………………………...(12)

1.2.1 His loyalty to Mr. Shelby……………………………………………(12) 1.2.2 His loyalty to Augustine St. Clare…………………………………..(13)

Chapter Two Uncle Tom?s Christian Love for Humanity………………………….(15)

2.1 Uncle Tom?s Love for the Blacks and the Low…………………………...(15) 2.2 Uncle Tom?s Love for the Whites…………………………………………(16) 2.2.1 His love for George Shelby…………………………………………(16) 2.2.2 His love for Evangeline……………………………………………..(17) 2.3 Uncle Tom?s Love for His Enemies……………………………………….(19) Chapter Three Uncle Tom?s Disobedience of Gentle Impulse……………………..(19) Chapter Four Uncle Tom?s Tragic Ending………………………………………….(23)

4.1 Comparison Between George Harris and Uncle Tom…………………….(23) 4.1.1 George Harris?s struggle for freedom………………………………(23) 4.1.2 Uncle Tom?s sacrifice for freedom……………………………….....(24) 4.2 Introspection of Uncle Tom?s Death………………………………………(26) Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….(28) Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………...(29) Bibliography………………………………………………………………………..(30)

第5页

One evening, St. Clare was invited out to a convivial party, and was helped home at midnight, in a condition when the body had decidedly attained the upper hand of the mind, Uncle Tom lied awake the rest of the night, praying for his drunk master. The next day, he spoke his mind to him: “I feel very bad, Master. I always have thought that Master would be good to everybody… Master has always been good to me, I haven?t nothing complain of, on that head. But there is some Master isn?t good to. Master isn?t good to himself” (Stowe 1999:202). At that moment, St. Clare was much astonished with Tom?s words, being moved to great extent. He never thought of such a considerate and loyal Tom, and from then on, he determined to keep his promise to give up bad habits. Later, when St. Clare?s daughter died at an early age, Uncle Tom accompanied him day and night. Few conciliated words had he said, he just stayed with St. Clare silently and appeared anywhere he was needed by his young master, until the last minute of the latter?s life.

第11页

Chapter Two Uncle Tom’s Christian Love for Humanity

Honesty and loyalty were not only the simple nature of Uncle Tom, but also basic beliefs of a Christian. As a Christian, Uncle Tom possesses all the characters a Christian should possess, such as fraternity, faith, forgiveness and endurance, let alone honesty and loyalty. As the writer Lin Yuting (2008) said, Uncle Tom was the incarnation of “love” and “goodness”, disseminating the Christian doctrine of “love is all” through his own deeds, and people respected him as their priest. He loves all the people around him, no matter poor or rich, up or low, friends or enemies.

2.1 Uncle Tom’s Love for the Blacks and the Low

In that society of America, Uncle Tom?s fellow negroes—the lowest class, including their off springs，belonged to slave owners? personal property. Their lives were totally rested on their masters, and they were not entitled to own their wives and children but watched them being sold and killed. However, Uncle Tom believed that one day the negroes would be the master of the world, no longer being despised and trodden down. They would perhaps show forth some of the latest and most magnificent revelations of human life; and they would exhibit the highest form of the peculiarly Christian life. As God chastened who He loved, He knew that He had chosen poor negroes in the furnace of affliction, to make them the highest and noblest in that kingdom, which He would set up, when every other kingdom had been tried, and failed; for the first should be the last, and the last first.

Uncle Tom believed that they were God?s chosen people, and always would they be. So when Uncle Tom saw old Prue, the poor slave who addicted herself to drinking to forget all the miseries that befell on her, he tried to persuade her to leave off drinking, which in his eyes would be the ruin of human?s body and soul: “Oh, Lord have mercy on you poor creature. Haven?t you ever heard of Jesus Christ; that loved us poor sinners, and died for us” (Stowe 1999:125)? After being told her story that in order to please her master she had to listen to her baby crying to death, and for this she began to doubt God?s existence, Uncle Tom still consoled her of God?s fraternity:

第12页

“Oh, poor creature! Haven?t nobody never told you how the lord Jesus loved you, and died for you? Haven?t they told you that he?ll help you, and you can go to heaven, and have rest, at last” (Stowe 1999:216)? Though Prue died at last, Uncle Tom?s comfort was born in her heart.

Lucy, another inferior slave on Master Legree?s plantation, weak and strong-willed, was much tortured by the master for her loyalty to her husband and refused to be married to another one. So anything she did would be found wrong and any anger would purposely result from her. Seeing this, Uncle Tom couldn?t help giving his mercy on her; he helped her ground beans for dinner, and in order to pass the inspection, he crammed his own cotton to her basket. Though being whipped himself, he never obeyed the master?s order to give a whip on poor Lucy. It was not only Prue and Lucy that Uncle Tom poured his love into, but to all inferior ones he was kind and merciful. He was the priest of other slaves around him; he assisted the desperate Eliza to escape with her child; he exchanged his own life for Cassy and Emeline?s freedom; for those poor creatures he convinced them of God?s generosity and equality. He believed that only if they negroes work hard, would they be helped by God, and all their miseries in this world would be happiness in the next, for the Lord loved his ill children and would put his holy hand on their heads himself.

2.2Uncle Tom’s Love for the Whites

Rich or poor, weak or strong, the Lord loves his children equally, and so was Uncle Tom, who loved his masters as much as his fellows. His love for masters, with some what of respect and admiration, differed from his love for the blacks. Especially as to his young master George Shelby and Evangeline, who were angels and God?s evangelists to him, he loved them more than anything. 2.2.1 His love for George Shelby

As George Shelby was the highest and most distinguished guest in Uncle Tom?s little cabin, so all of Aunt Chloe?s delicious food was prepared for him. His gentleness, simple knowledge, and beautiful voice of reading, were all obsessions to the family. Now and then, the family was attracted by his laugh in the little cabin; here and there

第13页

in corners, it could be found Uncle Tom learning from him; and many Sunday?s nights the family listened to his reading of Bible sincerely. For them, George Shelby was the angel that was sent by God to comfort them, and Uncle Tom loved him just as he loved the God. So when Uncle Tom was informed of his selling and leaving from Shelby house, never did he have any complaints but only one hope to see his young master again. His tears were down when he saw George Shelby?s horse after him on his way to South: “Oh, Master George! This does me good! I couldn?t bear to go off without seeing you! It does me real good, you can?t tell” (Stowe 1999:99)! On that moment of dispatch, George Shelby reproached his parents? cruelty of selling Tom, but Tom still admonished him to be a good son and good Christian, “And now, Master George, you must be a good boy. Remember how many hearts are set on you… Real gentleman, such as I hope you?ll be, never let fall no words that isn?t respectful to your parents” (Stowe 1999:100). Uncle Tom wished that when his young master grew up, he would be the proud of his father and mother, and all the people on the place. He wished him to be a good master, like his father; be a good Christian, like his mother. However, day and day went after their parting, year and year passed, the old Tom and his young master didn?t meet again until the last moment of Uncle Tom?s life. When George Shelby grew up, and eventually came for him, he was whipped to the last breathe by Legree. Death, he did not fear, but he couldn?t bear to leave off without seeing his young master, whose name he had spoken of many times in his heart when he was by himself. Seeing him, finally, he died smilingly. It was Uncle Tom that influenced George Shelby the most, and for whom George Shelby determined to be a slave emancipator.

2.2.2 His love for Evangeline

Eva?s appearance had dispersed Uncle Tom?s grief after he left Mr. Shelby?s place. With a benevolent master of St. Clare, and a lovely angel of Eva, Uncle Tom restored himself and was quickly immersed in happiness again. When Uncle Tom first saw Eva, whose form was the perfection of childish beauty, with an undulating and aerial grace, and who was always dressed in white, always with a half-smile on her rosy mouth, flying here and there as in a happy dream, he believed that he saw one of

第14页

the angels stepped out of his New Testament, and when he was finally brought to her house, being a protector, a companion of her, he thought it was the best life he had imagined.

It would be hard to say in which place of Uncle Tom?s soft, impressible heart little Eva held. Uncle Tom loved her as something frail and earthly, yet almost worshipped her as something heavenly and divine. He gazed at her as the Italian sailor gazed at the image of the child Jesus, —with a mixture of reverence and tenderness. Every morning in the market, Uncle Tom?s eyes were always on the flower-stalls for Eva, and the choicest peace or orange was slipped into his pocket to give to her when he came back; and the sight that pleased him most was that Eva?s sunny head looked out of the gate for his distant approach, and her childish questions, —“Well, Uncle Tom, what have you got for me today” (Stowe 1999:256)? However, day by day, though their friendship had grown with the child?s growth, her decaying health and growing pre-mature mind worried Uncle Tom more and more. Bible, the best bond of their hearts and minds, was talked by them oftener and oftener as the true heaven was approaching Eva nearer and nearer. “Where do you suppose New Jerusalem is, Uncle Tom,” said Eva one day. “Oh, up in the clouds, Miss Eva.” “Then I think I see it” (Stowe 1999:257). And when Uncle Tom was singing the well-known Methodist hymn “spirits bright” for her, she said that she had already saw those spirits who always came to her in her sleep. Uncle Tom had no doubt of it at all; for it didn?t surprise him in the least. If Eva had told him she had been to heaven, he would believe it entirely. The child?s increasing illness and maturity of mind and feelings were all known by Uncle Tom, sometimes he clasped her in his arms, as if that fond clasp would save her and keep her; clearly did he know that his angel would be gone, for her true Father was calling her. “Uncle Tom, I can understand why Jesus wanted to die for us. I?ve felt so, too. When I saw those poor creatures, —some had lost their mothers, and some their husbands, and some mothers cried for their little children, —and when I heard poor Prue, —Oh, wasn?t that dreadful!—and a great many other times I?ve felt that I would be glad to die, if my dying could stop all this misery, I would die for them, Tom, if I could” (Stowe 1999:372). Nobody could understand but

第15页

Acknowledgements

To all the teachers all around me in the past four years, I would like to give my deepest thanks. Looking back on the past days, I have not only learned academic knowledge, but also the meaning of life. Not only have I learned how to be a good student, but also I have learned how to be a good man. Thanks to all those teachers who imparted their knowledge and experiences to me.

My thanks go to my supervisor Tian Yan, who gave me so much advice and revised my thesis again and again. Thanks for her classes to me, what she has taught me were what I would remember for ever and ever. For who, I will try to be a proud student, and who I will put in my heart on my way away!

Thank you for all my friends and classmates who provided me with reference and useful documents. I would like to give my thanks to Wang Hongxin, who shared her data with me and helped me a lot during my writing.

Thanks for my deeply loved parents, without whose support and encouragement, I would not have finished my study in my university. Thanks for Qingdao Technological University Qindao College, fours years? study here is my precious wealth!

第26页

Bibliography

Garrison, William Lloyd. Letter from Rev. J. W. Logue. The Liberator, March 5,

1854.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. New York: The Modern Library, 1999. Terrel, Mary Church. Harriet Beecher Stowe: An Appreciation. Washington. D. C:

Murray Brothers, 1999.

Whipple, Charles K. The Non—Resistance Principle: With Particular Application to

the Help of Slaves by Abolitionists. Boston: The Modern Library, 1860. 贾婧，对基督精神博爱为怀的叛逆—评斯托夫人的《汤姆叔叔的小屋》，《甘肃教

育学院学报》第18期，2002：73-74。

姜楠，发动南北战争的小妇人—论《汤姆叔叔小屋》的历史地位，《西藏大学学

报》第20期，2005：59-61。

李海峰，徐小红，反抗或是屈从—汤姆叔叔和乔治的不同命运，《戏剧之家》第

4期，2009：32-34。

林钰婷，从汤姆叔叔形象看斯托夫人废奴主义思想，《闽江学院学报》第29期,

2008：69-72。

斯托夫人，《汤姆叔叔的小屋》（李彭恩译）。北京：燕山出版社，2008。 王艳文，《汤姆叔叔的小屋》中的《圣经》人物原型解析，《燕山大学学报》第7

期，2006：77-80。

薛玉凤，“汤姆叔叔”形象质疑，《山东外国语教学》第6期，2002：18-20。 张秀见，从历史原因分析汤姆叔叔悲剧的起因，《陕西师范大学学报》第32期，

2003：341-342。

第27页

and should let such things happen, and let His poor, honest, faithful Christians—Christians as good as or better than the whites, lie in the very dust under the whites? feet, being bought and sold by them, and let the whites make trade of their heart?s blood, and groans and tears. George Harris knew why God had allowed all of these things to happen; just because His white children were rich, healthy and happy; because they were members of church, expecting to go to heaven, and they got along so easy in the world, and had the world all their own way. However, though God had allowed, American law had allowed; George Harris would never allow it. Since he and his wife were not allowed to be married in that slavery America, and the law would part them from each other if he chose to part, George Harris determined to fight to the last minute before his wife and child would be taken away from him. Along with them, George Harris began his escapement to Canada, a country where they could be free and lawful men. On the way of their escaping, they confronted with many difficulties and dangers, but never had they subjected and gave up their dream. On the moment of desperateness and madness, the wife Eliza vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore, and on to the raft of ice beyond. On the top of the rock, facing the enemies pursuing behind, the husband George Harris made his declaration: “I know very well that you?ve got the law on your side and the power… But you haven?t got us. We don?t own your laws; we don?t own your country; we stand here as free, under God?s sky, as you are; by the great lord that made us, we?ll fight for our liberty till we die” (Stowe 1999:195).

Facing discriminations and inequalities, George Harris chose to struggle and struggle as he did, he obtained his liberty. 4.1.2 Uncle Tom’s sacrifice for freedom

Believing in nothing but he himself, the brave, disobedient, struggling George Harris won a new life for his family. However, Uncle Tom, sticking his faith in God, and reconciling himself to God?s arrangements, was bound to be a sacrifice in that society in which God was helpless and deafen by the American whites.

George Harris succeeded in reaching Canada, and Uncle Tom failed; though people admired George Harris? bravery of struggle, they admired Uncle Tom?s spirit

第21页

of sacrifice, too, for he dared to maintain his faith in that deaf God. In Uncle Tom?s heart, God was never deaf, but always be there, watching him, loving him, helping him and would help him sometime. When Uncle Tom was going to be sold by Mr. Shelby, he smothered his grief and comforted his wife with his brave, manly heart: “I?m in the Lord?s hands, nothing can go further than he lets it; —and that?s one thing I can thank him for. It?s me that?s sold and going down, and not you nor the children. Here you are safe; —what comes will only on me; and the Lord, he?ll help me, —I know he will” (Stowe 1999:92). Later, when Master St. Clare had guaranteed his freedom but died, and being informed to be sold again, the old Uncle Tom?s heart was full. The hope of liberty, the thought of distant wife and children, rose up before his patient soul, as to the mariner shipwrecked almost in port rose the vision of the church-spire and loving roofs of his native village. However, he drew his arms tightly over his bosom, and choked back the bitter tears, and tried to pray, and the only pray he prayed was: “The Lord?s will be done” (Stowe 1999:317). What?s more, when Uncle Tom was whipped by Legree, lying there, almost died, he didn?t have the feeling of coldness, degradation, disappointment, and wretchedness, but a joy of soul-crisis being past. From his deepest soul, the hours that loosed and parted from every hope in the life now were over, and offered his own will an unquestioning sacrifice to the infinite. When the body was exhausted, there was nothing more that could torture him; for his soul, nothing could torture it, for it belonged to the God, and finally went back to Him.

In the eyes of others, Uncle Tom died and failed; but in the heart of Uncle Tom, he died and won. Eventually he went to the eternal world, laying down all earthly miseries and pain; like Jesus Christ, though he couldn?t save, he tried to save the humanity, and was willing to die for them. Such spirit of sacrifice was remembered and honored by people later. Though Uncle Tom didn?t emancipate slaves, he made a great contribution to it.

4.2 Introspection of Uncle Tom’s Death

The great Uncle Tom died, he died for his Christian faith and for the whole

第22页

humanity; however, there was a question asked by people home and abroad, ancient and now, and time and time again: “what?s the root of Uncle Tom?s death?” Was it because of the system of slavery and the system of American law? Of course, it was. The slavery itself was the root of evil, which was only given a faint shadow, a dim picture by the writer of Uncle Tom’s Cabin; its anguish and despair had rived thousands of hearts, shattered thousands of families, and drove a helpless and sensitive race to frenzy and despair; how many mothers had been driven by it to the murders of their children, leaving themselves seeking in death a shelter from woes more dreaded than death. Evil as the slavery itself was, it was protected and aggravated by a more evil thing, the American law, beneath whose protection and allowance, the slave-trade was acted on American land rampantly and wantonly; and in order to protect the interests of bourgeoisies, it reduced the mass slaves to an illiterate station, and the white slave owner who educated their slaves would be punished severely. The American whites thought that it was necessary to make the negroes the ones without minds, it was also necessary to make their morality and spirit empty, and if possible, made every effort to eliminate rational thoughts. Thus was the American law, and no tragedy of slavery could be written, could be spoken, could be conceived, which equated the frightful reality of scenes daily and hourly acting on the land beneath the shadow of slavery law.

The slavery-trade is now, by American law, considered as piracy. But a slave-trade, as systematic as ever was carried on the coast of Africa, was an inevitable attendant and result of American slavery. And can the slavery-trade?s horrors be told? When looking at the expansive African land, the poorest place with the highest density of population, who would not think of the evil slavery years and years ago. Though slavery has been abolished, and slaves have been emancipated since 1861, the negroes? children are still suffering in Africa. Many years had they suffered, and nobody knows how many years they will continue suffering. How many people were starved to death there in a year; how many people die of AIDS and other epidemic diseases; and how many children are still uneducated. Had it not been the slavery, would all of these things happen nowadays? Who could forget those dying eyes, who

第23页

could forget those last cries, which wrung people?s heart when they can neither help nor save? Is this a thing to be defended, sympathized with, or passed over in silence?

Emancipated as the slaves are, and as many assistances are given by other countries to Africa, the Africans? life is better than before. But have the African won their complete emancipation? No, though they can be helped by others, the true rise of Africa is rested on itself, and the most important factor for their rise is education. Only do they educate themselves, will they not be lagged behind; only do they educate their children, can they change their disgraced history and create another glorious one. They should set up their faith as their father Uncle Tom, and believe that one day Africa will show itself to the world; one day they will be the master of the world. As the Lord chastens the one He loves, though Africans are suffering now, lastly they will be brought to the top. Maybe they will die like Uncle Tom, but in the next world, their children, their children?s children, will finally win the ultimate emancipation.

When people see Kofi Annan, the last UN Secretary General, delivered his speech to the world; when Barack Obama, the African-American, won his place of presidency; when Jazz spread out around the globe and athletes running on the racetrack of Olympic Games…Maybe they are witnessing another Africa, a rising country. The Africa?s tomorrow is showing its brightness on the horizon!

第24页

Conclusion

This is an age of the world when nations are trembling and convulsed. A mighty influence is abroad, surging and heaving the world, as with an earthquake. And is America safe? Is the world safe? Every nation that carries in its bosom great injustice has in it the elements of this last convulsion; and what?s this mighty influence? It is man?s freedom and equality. In order to search for such freedom and equality, Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, in which she showed two approaches how to achieve man?s freedom and equality: George Harris? struggle and Uncle Tom?s endurance and sacrifice.

As many other critics claimed, man?s freedom and equality would only be achieved through man?s struggle and fighting, otherwise, man would be like Uncle Tom, suffering under the injustice, and being defeated and failed. However, was Uncle Tom?s approach really wrong and unacceptable? No. His death and sacrifice was also a way against slavery. Struggle as slaves should, but when struggle and escapement were unavailable to them, what should they do? Then endurance became their way; and when they could not defeat the evil slavery physically, at least, they could protect their soul and morality. Under circumstances in that society of America, who could endure and tolerate all these things as Uncle Tom; when being tortured and satirized by the whole world, nobody but Uncle Tom would stick to his faith would to the last minute.

In this monetary world dominated by materials, few people really care their spirit and soul. If the world was only composed of materials, without morality, would it exist, develop and prosperous? Of course not, material and spirit coexist just as a person is consisting of body and soul. The world would go into a mess without the restraint of morality, so was every nation which had its law to enforce on its people. The world is a peaceful one under the lead of morality, and in this rampant world, what it really needs is not strength and war, but people setting up their outlook of morality and faith, and leading the world to a more civilized one. So Uncle Tom?s spirit is exactly what spirit the world needs nowadays.

第25页

本文来源：https://www.bwwdw.com/article/8x7f.html