Uncle Tom
Appearance: "A large, broad-chested powerfully-made man, of a full glossy back, and a face...characterized by an expression of grave and steady good sense...with much kindness and benevolence." Tom also has woolly hair.
Personality: Tom is very strongly Christian, to the point of stubbornness, as seen when Legree tells him to flog a fellow slave. However, he is loving to all, pious, obedient, loyal, trustworthy, dedicated, and faithful. He is the sort of person that you can give a diamond to sell, and he will return every cent you received for it, with no sort of fee.
Family:
Biography: When Tom was only eight, he was given charge of the young Arthur Shelby, and told that the baby would be his future master, and thus needed to be taken care of. When the series starts, Tom is still a slave to Master Shelby, as well as Emily Shelby, and George Shelby. However, the Shelby's are in need of money, so Tom is sold to Mr. Haley alongside Harry Harris. Eliza Harris flees with Harry to save the boy from Haley, but as she goes, she tries to get Tom to accompany her. Tom doesn't want to be sold, but he knows that if both of the slaves Arthur Shelby sold go missing, that Arthur will be in an even worse monetary situation. Because of this, Tom remains behind and is carted off by Haley two days later. Before he leaves, Emily Shelby and George Shelby promise that in a year or so, they will find him and buy him back. George even gives Tom a silver dollar to wear around his neck as proof!
Haley collects more slaves with which to sell Tom, and then loads them onto a boat on the Mississippi River. Tom soon meets a young, angelic, energetic girl named Evangeline St. Clare. The two take a liking to each other, so then Eva (as she prefers to be called) gets her father, Augustine St. Clare (who simply goes by the name St. Clare), to buy Tom from Haley. Soon, Tom is the new coach driver at the St. Clare residence. He and Eva continue to bond, reading the Bible, learning how to write when Tom begins to miss his family and wants to send them a letter), and playing together. Suddenly Eva is ill, and Tom knows it. St. Clare blinds himself to the truth, even as Tom continues trying to make her days happy ones, singing hymns to her, giving her rides around the St. Clare residence, and always the black man prays for her. Still, Eva dies. Before she breathes her last, she gives all of her father's slaves a lock of her golden hair, so that they can remember her.St. Clare is depressed, so Tom tries to offer what little comforts he can. St. Clare writes up papers to make Tom a free man so Tom can go back to his family, believing to be Eva's will. However, Tom refuses, saying that it is his duty to make sure St. Clare gets through hard times and make him a Christian. Tom prays for St. Clare's well-being just as he did Eva's, and all the more so since St. Clare's not Christian.
Tom finally gets through to his master, who goes for an outing to think some more. When he returns to the manor in a wagon, St. Clare is dying. Tom prays for his poor master one last time, and then St. Clare dies. Now that the slaves are left to St. Clare's wife, Marie St. Clare, they are afraid, for Marie is the daughter of a plantation owner, and she takes after her father. Tom and many other slaves are sent to the auction house to be sold. Tom is bought by a man named Simon Legree, and taken off to his new master's cotton plantation. Legree is a cruel taskmaster, but plans to have Tom as an overseer. When Tom tries to help out a sickly slave by giving her some of his own cotton, Legree pretends that the woman has not gathered enough cotton as an excuse to make Tom flog her. Legree believes this will "harden" Tom, making him capable of the cruelty required of an overseer.
What Legree doesn't plan for is that Tom refuses to harm the woman. In response to this, Legree has Tom flogged. As the two overseers beat him, they take away Eva's hair, and George's silver dollar, and bring them to Legree as proof of witchcraft. After Tom has been punished, another slave by the name of Cassy comes to his aid, with medicine to keeps his wounds from hurting, and water. Her name is Cassy, and she tells Tom that trying to protect people is futile on the plantation. Even so, Tom refuses to listen. But over time, hunger, thirst and pain begin to wear the poor man down, and Tom begins to doubt. Why does the Lord let Legree do this to people? Is God really watching over him? One night, as Tom tries to read his bible for the first time in months, Legree walks up to him, and tells Tom that if he gives in and does as his master says, all his suffering would stop.
Suddenly, Tom is certain. The Lord is watching, making sure that Tom still loves Him. Throughout the following weeks, Tom becomes a ray of sunshine to the other slaves, always happy, kind, and never suffering, for his world is blissful, thanks to God. Tom begins to attract followers among the slaves, and teaches them about God. When Cassy comes back to Tom to tell him that she has an escape plan, Tom listens quietly. He knows that she hates Legree, and sure enough, Cassy asks Tom to kill the man for her. Tom, a true Christian, tells her that he doesn't mind if she flees, but that escaping through bloodshed is the wrong way to go about it. Cassy relents, seeing the error of her ways, and tells Tom her next plan.
When Cassy escapes the plantation, Legree is furious. He cannot find her, and he knows that Tom was informed of the plan. Legree is in such a rage that he flogs Tom himself, enough for Tom to die the next day. But before the poor slave breathes his last, George Shelby arrives with the money to buy him back. He is overwhelmed at seeing his old friend laying close to death in mucky straw. Tom's followers tend to him, making his last moments comfortable, as Tom speaks to George. The poor black man begs his old friend not to tell Chloe the details of Tom's death. When George begins to turn his words toward hatred of Legree, Tom stops him, telling him that Legree is just a poor, miserable creature, and that he deserves to go to Heaven, if only he will repent. Tom's last words are of the love of Jesus Christ. Once Tom dies, George buries him in the nearest place to hand: under a tree outside of Legree's plantation. In Harriet Beecher Stowe's words "There is no monument to mark the last resting-place of our friend."
Personality: Tom is very strongly Christian, to the point of stubbornness, as seen when Legree tells him to flog a fellow slave. However, he is loving to all, pious, obedient, loyal, trustworthy, dedicated, and faithful. He is the sort of person that you can give a diamond to sell, and he will return every cent you received for it, with no sort of fee.
Family:
- Aunt Chloe-Wife
- Mose-Son
- Pete-Son
- Polly-Daughter
Biography: When Tom was only eight, he was given charge of the young Arthur Shelby, and told that the baby would be his future master, and thus needed to be taken care of. When the series starts, Tom is still a slave to Master Shelby, as well as Emily Shelby, and George Shelby. However, the Shelby's are in need of money, so Tom is sold to Mr. Haley alongside Harry Harris. Eliza Harris flees with Harry to save the boy from Haley, but as she goes, she tries to get Tom to accompany her. Tom doesn't want to be sold, but he knows that if both of the slaves Arthur Shelby sold go missing, that Arthur will be in an even worse monetary situation. Because of this, Tom remains behind and is carted off by Haley two days later. Before he leaves, Emily Shelby and George Shelby promise that in a year or so, they will find him and buy him back. George even gives Tom a silver dollar to wear around his neck as proof!
Haley collects more slaves with which to sell Tom, and then loads them onto a boat on the Mississippi River. Tom soon meets a young, angelic, energetic girl named Evangeline St. Clare. The two take a liking to each other, so then Eva (as she prefers to be called) gets her father, Augustine St. Clare (who simply goes by the name St. Clare), to buy Tom from Haley. Soon, Tom is the new coach driver at the St. Clare residence. He and Eva continue to bond, reading the Bible, learning how to write when Tom begins to miss his family and wants to send them a letter), and playing together. Suddenly Eva is ill, and Tom knows it. St. Clare blinds himself to the truth, even as Tom continues trying to make her days happy ones, singing hymns to her, giving her rides around the St. Clare residence, and always the black man prays for her. Still, Eva dies. Before she breathes her last, she gives all of her father's slaves a lock of her golden hair, so that they can remember her.St. Clare is depressed, so Tom tries to offer what little comforts he can. St. Clare writes up papers to make Tom a free man so Tom can go back to his family, believing to be Eva's will. However, Tom refuses, saying that it is his duty to make sure St. Clare gets through hard times and make him a Christian. Tom prays for St. Clare's well-being just as he did Eva's, and all the more so since St. Clare's not Christian.
Tom finally gets through to his master, who goes for an outing to think some more. When he returns to the manor in a wagon, St. Clare is dying. Tom prays for his poor master one last time, and then St. Clare dies. Now that the slaves are left to St. Clare's wife, Marie St. Clare, they are afraid, for Marie is the daughter of a plantation owner, and she takes after her father. Tom and many other slaves are sent to the auction house to be sold. Tom is bought by a man named Simon Legree, and taken off to his new master's cotton plantation. Legree is a cruel taskmaster, but plans to have Tom as an overseer. When Tom tries to help out a sickly slave by giving her some of his own cotton, Legree pretends that the woman has not gathered enough cotton as an excuse to make Tom flog her. Legree believes this will "harden" Tom, making him capable of the cruelty required of an overseer.
What Legree doesn't plan for is that Tom refuses to harm the woman. In response to this, Legree has Tom flogged. As the two overseers beat him, they take away Eva's hair, and George's silver dollar, and bring them to Legree as proof of witchcraft. After Tom has been punished, another slave by the name of Cassy comes to his aid, with medicine to keeps his wounds from hurting, and water. Her name is Cassy, and she tells Tom that trying to protect people is futile on the plantation. Even so, Tom refuses to listen. But over time, hunger, thirst and pain begin to wear the poor man down, and Tom begins to doubt. Why does the Lord let Legree do this to people? Is God really watching over him? One night, as Tom tries to read his bible for the first time in months, Legree walks up to him, and tells Tom that if he gives in and does as his master says, all his suffering would stop.
Suddenly, Tom is certain. The Lord is watching, making sure that Tom still loves Him. Throughout the following weeks, Tom becomes a ray of sunshine to the other slaves, always happy, kind, and never suffering, for his world is blissful, thanks to God. Tom begins to attract followers among the slaves, and teaches them about God. When Cassy comes back to Tom to tell him that she has an escape plan, Tom listens quietly. He knows that she hates Legree, and sure enough, Cassy asks Tom to kill the man for her. Tom, a true Christian, tells her that he doesn't mind if she flees, but that escaping through bloodshed is the wrong way to go about it. Cassy relents, seeing the error of her ways, and tells Tom her next plan.
When Cassy escapes the plantation, Legree is furious. He cannot find her, and he knows that Tom was informed of the plan. Legree is in such a rage that he flogs Tom himself, enough for Tom to die the next day. But before the poor slave breathes his last, George Shelby arrives with the money to buy him back. He is overwhelmed at seeing his old friend laying close to death in mucky straw. Tom's followers tend to him, making his last moments comfortable, as Tom speaks to George. The poor black man begs his old friend not to tell Chloe the details of Tom's death. When George begins to turn his words toward hatred of Legree, Tom stops him, telling him that Legree is just a poor, miserable creature, and that he deserves to go to Heaven, if only he will repent. Tom's last words are of the love of Jesus Christ. Once Tom dies, George buries him in the nearest place to hand: under a tree outside of Legree's plantation. In Harriet Beecher Stowe's words "There is no monument to mark the last resting-place of our friend."
Aunt Chloe
Appearance: "A round, black, shining face is hers, so glossy as to suggest the idea that she might have been washed over with white of eggs, like one of her own tea rusks. Her whole plump countenance beams with satisfaction and contentment from under her well-starched checked turban..."
Personality: A loving mother who seems strict, but is really rather tolerant of her boys' mischief. She loves company, but loses patience when it's company in the kitchen. She is a good cook and she knows it, but is not _____ about it
Family:
Biography: At the beginning of the novel, Aunt Chloe is Uncle Tom's wife, and she is cooking for young George Shelby. Upon receiving his meal, George begins to praise Aunt Chloe by saying how much better she is than other chefs, and Chloe joins him in it. When Mose and Pete start acting up, Aunt Chloe makes a frightful noise, but her two sons know that she loves them too much to punish them, so her noise remains just that: noise. When Eliza arrives in the night, Chloe is completely surprised, but upon hearing of Tom's fate, she tells her husband that he should run away with Eliza, if only to escape being sold down south.
In order to help Eliza get away, and under her mistress's orders, Aunt Chloe takes a long time to make lunch, delaying Haley. Even as she prepares Mr. Haley's meal, Chloe curses him, knowing how many hearts the slave trader must have broken. When she is reprimanded by her husband, she begins to tear up, and so Tom gently tells her that to wish the devil on somebody is not something any Christian should do. She should be praying for Haley and his sins, Tom says, but Chloe just can't pray for someone so cruel.
The next day, as Tom prepares to leave the Shelby's house, Chloe begins crying, saying that it is not fair that Tom should be sold, after all he has done for his master. Tom tells her not to say such things on the last morning they might ever see each other. Chloe begins preparing breakfast, the best breakfast ever made, for she knows that Tom may not have another meal for a long time, once he is sold down South. She also pulls together all of Tom's clothing and possessions, though she knows that these things might be taken from him as soon as he is bought. When Mrs. Shelby comes into Tom's Cabin to apologize, she and Chloe both begin to sob, but when Haley arrives, Chloe cries no more, despite the fact that everyone around her continues to do so.
Some time later, Chloe begs Emily to let her go and work for a confectioner in order to get money to buy back her husband, and so Mrs. Shelby relents. After a long while, Chloe is back at the Shelby residence, waiting for her husband to return home. She has kept some of the bills from the confectioner just so she could show them to Tom, and explain how she had assisted in his retrieval. When George returns without Tom, Chloe seems calm, and then picks up the money she was so proud of and says she never wants to see nor hear of it ever again. She then walks proudly away--until Mrs. Shelby takes her hand and pulls her into a chair. Then Chloe begins sobbing, and her mistress soon joins her. This is the last time he is mentioned in this novel.
Personality: A loving mother who seems strict, but is really rather tolerant of her boys' mischief. She loves company, but loses patience when it's company in the kitchen. She is a good cook and she knows it, but is not _____ about it
Family:
- Uncle Tom-Husband
- Mose-Son
- Pete-Son
- Polly-Daughter
Biography: At the beginning of the novel, Aunt Chloe is Uncle Tom's wife, and she is cooking for young George Shelby. Upon receiving his meal, George begins to praise Aunt Chloe by saying how much better she is than other chefs, and Chloe joins him in it. When Mose and Pete start acting up, Aunt Chloe makes a frightful noise, but her two sons know that she loves them too much to punish them, so her noise remains just that: noise. When Eliza arrives in the night, Chloe is completely surprised, but upon hearing of Tom's fate, she tells her husband that he should run away with Eliza, if only to escape being sold down south.
In order to help Eliza get away, and under her mistress's orders, Aunt Chloe takes a long time to make lunch, delaying Haley. Even as she prepares Mr. Haley's meal, Chloe curses him, knowing how many hearts the slave trader must have broken. When she is reprimanded by her husband, she begins to tear up, and so Tom gently tells her that to wish the devil on somebody is not something any Christian should do. She should be praying for Haley and his sins, Tom says, but Chloe just can't pray for someone so cruel.
The next day, as Tom prepares to leave the Shelby's house, Chloe begins crying, saying that it is not fair that Tom should be sold, after all he has done for his master. Tom tells her not to say such things on the last morning they might ever see each other. Chloe begins preparing breakfast, the best breakfast ever made, for she knows that Tom may not have another meal for a long time, once he is sold down South. She also pulls together all of Tom's clothing and possessions, though she knows that these things might be taken from him as soon as he is bought. When Mrs. Shelby comes into Tom's Cabin to apologize, she and Chloe both begin to sob, but when Haley arrives, Chloe cries no more, despite the fact that everyone around her continues to do so.
Some time later, Chloe begs Emily to let her go and work for a confectioner in order to get money to buy back her husband, and so Mrs. Shelby relents. After a long while, Chloe is back at the Shelby residence, waiting for her husband to return home. She has kept some of the bills from the confectioner just so she could show them to Tom, and explain how she had assisted in his retrieval. When George returns without Tom, Chloe seems calm, and then picks up the money she was so proud of and says she never wants to see nor hear of it ever again. She then walks proudly away--until Mrs. Shelby takes her hand and pulls her into a chair. Then Chloe begins sobbing, and her mistress soon joins her. This is the last time he is mentioned in this novel.
Mose
Appearance: "...a couple of woolly-headed boys, with glistening black eyes and shining black cheeks,..."
Personality: Mischievous, yet affectionate. He and Pete are not intimidated by their mother, for they know that she loves them too much to lay a hand on them.
Family:
Biography: Mose is a young scoundrel whose first action in this story is to get his sister's face full of honey from his kisses. He and Mose seem to be partners-in-crime, and neither is intimidated much by their mother. The two love to make trouble and eat Chloe's fantastic cooking. They also seem to enjoy watching their sister trying to stand and walk, and cheer her on every time she falls. When Tom is taken away, the two begin crying.
Personality: Mischievous, yet affectionate. He and Pete are not intimidated by their mother, for they know that she loves them too much to lay a hand on them.
Family:
- Uncle Tom-Father
- Aunt Chloe-Mother
- Pete-Brother
- Polly-Sister
Biography: Mose is a young scoundrel whose first action in this story is to get his sister's face full of honey from his kisses. He and Mose seem to be partners-in-crime, and neither is intimidated much by their mother. The two love to make trouble and eat Chloe's fantastic cooking. They also seem to enjoy watching their sister trying to stand and walk, and cheer her on every time she falls. When Tom is taken away, the two begin crying.
Pete
Appearance: "...a couple of woolly-headed boys, with glistening black eyes and shining black cheeks,..."
Personality: Mischievous, yet affectionate. He and Pete are not intimidated by their mother, for they know that she loves them too much to lay a hand on them.
Family:
Biography: Pete is a young scoundrel whose first action in this story is to get his sister's face full of honey from his kisses. He and Mose seem to be partners-in-crime, and neither is intimidated much by their mother. The two love to make trouble and eat Chloe's fantastic cooking. They also seem to enjoy watching their sister trying to stand and walk, and cheer her on every time she falls. When Tom is taken away, the two begin crying.
Personality: Mischievous, yet affectionate. He and Pete are not intimidated by their mother, for they know that she loves them too much to lay a hand on them.
Family:
- Uncle Tom-Father
- Aunt Chloe-Mother
- Mose-Brother
- Polly-Sister
Biography: Pete is a young scoundrel whose first action in this story is to get his sister's face full of honey from his kisses. He and Mose seem to be partners-in-crime, and neither is intimidated much by their mother. The two love to make trouble and eat Chloe's fantastic cooking. They also seem to enjoy watching their sister trying to stand and walk, and cheer her on every time she falls. When Tom is taken away, the two begin crying.
Polly
Appearance: All that is known of Polly is that as a baby she had fat hands.
Personality: Unknown
Family:
Personality: Unknown
Family:
- Uncle Tom-Father
- Aunt Chloe-Mother
- Mose-Brother
- Polly-Sister