小说运用穿插叙述的手段,通过逆来顺受的汤姆和勇于反抗的伊莉莎两条平行线索,生动再现了美国黑人在南方种植园主的盘剥下的悲惨遭遇。汤姆和伊利莎都是好心的谢比尔家的奴隶,谢比尔的儿子乔治尤其喜爱这位汤姆叔叔,常常到小木屋中写字画画。但谢比尔经营失败,不得不将汤姆和伊莉莎五岁的儿子哈利卖给奴隶贩子黑利。伊莉莎为女主人的贴身女仆,听到噩耗连夜带着儿子渡过刚刚解冻的河水,逃到北方。后来丈夫也化装成贵族,逃出魔掌。汤姆的新主人也是个好心人,然而不久主人去世,他落在红河岸边一个粗暴、残忍的家伙路格里手中,庄园上的黑人每天在皮鞭下拼命苦干,过着非人的生活。处于正义,汤姆协助两名女奴逃走,而他自己却留下来,一次次遭受毒打。就在小乔治赶来看望这位善良的汤姆叔叔时,汤姆已奄奄一息……
此书对19世纪中期的废奴运动产生巨大的推动作用。据说,林肯总统曾称斯托夫人为“写了一本书,却酿成了一场大战的女人。”
It began as a series of stories throughout 1851-52 for the National Era, a Washington abolitionist newspaper. Upon its publication in 1852 by the Boston publishing company Jewett, Uncle Tom's Cabin became so popular that it sold more copies than any book before that with the acceptation of the Bible. Stowe toured the United States and Europe to speak against slavery and wrote A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin a year later, in 1853, to provide documentation of the truth upon which her novel is based.
Today, Uncle Tom's Cabin is valued because it raises still pertinent issues of racism in the United States, as well as inspiriting feminist thought on the r61e of women and the conjunction of race and sex. Some criticize the novel, however, for being racist because of its sentimental and stereotypical characterizations of slaves.
CHAPTER 1 IN WHICH THE READER IS INTRODUCED TO A MAN OF HUMANITY
CHAPTER 2 THE MOTHER
CHAPTER 3 THE HUSBAND AND FATHER
CHAPTER 4 AN EVENING IN UNCLE TOM'S CABIN
CHAPTER 5 SHOWING THE FEELINGS OF LWING PROPERTY ON CHANGING OWNERS
CHAPTER 6 DISCOVERY
CHAPTER 7 THE MOTHER'S STRUGGLE
CHAPTER 8 ELIZA'S ESCAPE
CHAPTER 9 IN WHICH IT APPEARS THAT A SENATOR IS BUT A MAN
CHAPTER 10 THE PROPERTY IS CARRIED OFF
CHAPTER 11 IN WHICH PROPERTY GETS INTO AN IMPROPER STATE OF MIND
CHAPTER 12 SELECT INCIDENT OF LAWFUL TRADE
CHAPTER 13 THE QUAKER SETTLEMENT
CHAPTER 14 EVANGELINE
CHAPTER 15 OF TOM'S NEW MASTER, AND VARIOUS OTHER MATTERS
CHAPTER 16 TOM'S MISTRESS AND HER OPINIONS
CHAPTER 17 THE FREEMAN'S DEFENCE
CHAPTER 18 MISS OPHELIA'S EXPERIENCES AND OPINIONS
CHAPTER 19 MISS OPHELIA'S EXPERIENCES AND OPINIONS CONTINUED
CHAPTER 20 TOPSY
CHAPTER 21 KENTUCK
CHAPTER 22 "THE GRASS WITHERETH--THE FLOWER FADETH"
CHAPTER 23 HENRIQUE
CHAPTER 24 FORESHADOWINGS
CHAPTER 25 THE LITTLE EVANGELIST
CHAPTER 26 DEATH
CHAPTER 27 "THIS IS THE LAST OF EARTH"
CHAPTER 28 REUNION
CHAPTER 29 THE UNPROTECTED
CHAPTER 30 THE SLAVE WAREHOUSE
CHAPTER 31 THE MIDDLE PASSAGE
CHAPTER 32 DARK PLACES
CHAPTER 33 CASSY
CHAPTER 34 THE QUADROON'S STORY
CHAPTER 35 THE TOKENS
CHAPTER 36 EMMELINE AND CASSY
CHAPTER 37 LIBERTY
CHAPTER 38 THE VICTORY
CHAPTER 39 THE STRATAGEM
CHAPTER 40 THE MARTYR
CHAPTER 41 THE YOUNG MASTER
CHAPTER 42 AN AUTHENTIC GHOST STORY
CHAPTER 43 RESULTS
CHAPTER 44 THE LIBERATOR
CHAPTER 45 CONCLUDING REMARKS