The text, time and time again brings up motherhood among all social classes in this book. I find interesting is the uneven pairing of mother and child; what I mean by that is, take Eva and Marie. The apple fell miles from that tree. However, Eliza and Harry are the ideal pairing of mother and child. Stowe seems to have all different pairing variables accounted for in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
1. Eliza and Harry
2.Marie and Eva
3.Susan and Emmeline
4. Cassy and children
(Please add more if I'm missing any...)
The four paired variable show the contrasting characters and their relationships with their children. The reader is presented with the ideal relationship early on and then as the slavery issues become more revealing and relevant the mother/child dynamic starts to shift due to the effects of slavery. Take poor Cassy for example, she kills her baby, to save the baby from a potentially horrible life. However, Eliza is faced with a similar position and chooses to flee and protect her child another way. The
female/mother figure is a strong thread that string the characters along throughout the story.
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