简析《汤姆叔叔的小屋》中汤姆叔叔的性格形象.doc

Character Analysis of Tom in Uncle Toms Cabin byA thesis presented to the School of English Education ofXian International Studies Universityin partial fulfillment of the requirementsfor the degree ofBachelor of ArtsMay 15, 2013Class: Advisor: 毕 业 论 文 开 题 报 告姓名性别班级学号毕业论文题目： 简析汤姆叔叔的小屋中汤姆叔叔的性格形象 Character Analysis of Tom in Uncle Toms Cabin 任务起止日期： 2012 年11 月20 日 至 2013 年5 月15 日毕业论文主要内容及参考文献： 汤姆叔叔的小屋是美国著名女作家哈里特·比彻·斯托于1852年发表的一部反奴隶制小说，书中塑造了一个诚实忠心、虔诚博爱、敢于反抗的黑人奴隶汤姆叔叔的形象。小说猛烈抨击了美国残酷黑奴制度，有力地推动美国19世纪50年代废奴主义的发展。近年来，许多学者对汤姆叔叔的小屋书中汤姆叔叔的性格形象分别从黑奴制度、西方基督宗教思想、母爱救世等不同方面进行了大量的研究。本文主要通过分析汤姆叔叔的性格、研究其性格形成的因素以及性格对其悲惨命运所起的作用，旨在赞扬汤姆叔叔作为一个虔诚的基督徒, 富于爱心、乐于助人、勇于为他人牺牲的精神，使读者从一个全新视角、多个角度来认识汤姆叔叔的性格形象。参考文献：Raboteau, A. J. 1978. Slave Religion: The “Invisible Institution”in the Antebellum South. New York: Oxford University Press.Stowe, H. B. 1999. Uncle Toms Cabin. New York: The Modern Library.Whipple, C. K. 1860. The NonResistance Principle: With Particular Application to the Help of Slaves by Abolitionists. Boston: The Modern Library.William, L. G. 1854. Letter from Rev. J. W. Logue. The Liberator, March 5.王雪梅. 2012.汤姆叔叔的小屋中基督教对人物性格和行为的影响. 时代文 学(7), 122.薛玉凤. 2002.“汤姆叔叔”形象质疑. 山东外国语教学(6), 18-20.张秀见. 2003. 从历史原因分析汤姆叔叔悲剧的起因. 陕西师范大学学报(32), 341-342. 指导教师 (签名) 年 月 日 Acknowledgments I owe my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor Miss Yang Ni for her generosity in spending her time giving me numerous instruction and constant encouragement during the writing of my thesis. I still remember the first time when I wrote the opening report which was very terrible. Nevertheless, she gave me much instructive suggestion and patient guidance. It is her encouragement that inspired me to make forward. In the process of writing, her guidance leads me to avoid a lot of mistakes and also makes me finish my paper more brilliantly. In addition, I would like to express my thanks to my teachers who have given me lectures in my college study, because they gave me a large number of help and provided me with valuable enlightenment. I also feel grateful for my deeply loved parents. Without their support and encouragement, I would not have finished my study in university. 简析汤姆叔叔的小屋中汤姆叔叔的性格形象摘要： 汤姆叔叔的小屋是美国著名女作家哈里特·比彻·斯托于1852年发表的一部反奴隶制小说，书中塑造了一个诚实忠心、虔诚博爱、敢于反抗的黑人奴隶汤姆叔叔的形象。小说猛烈抨击了美国残酷黑奴制度，有力地推动了美国19世纪50年代废奴主义的发展。近年来，许多学者对汤姆叔叔的小屋书中汤姆叔叔的性格形象分别从黑奴制度、西方基督宗教思想、母爱救世等不同方面进行了大量的研究。本文主要通过分析汤姆叔叔的性格、研究其性格形成的因素以及性格对其悲惨命运所起的作用，旨在赞扬汤姆叔叔作为一个虔诚的基督徒,富于爱心、乐于助人、勇于为他人牺牲的精神，使读者从一个全新视角、多个角度来认识汤姆叔叔的性格形象。关键词：汤姆叔叔的小屋；汤姆叔叔；性格形象；形象分析Character Analysis of Tom in Uncle Toms Cabin Abstract：Uncle Toms Cabin is an anti-slavery novel published in 1852 by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a well-known American writer. The book creates the image of a black slave, Uncle Tom, who is honest and faithful, devout and philanthropic and rebellious as well. The novel fiercely lashed the brutal slavery in the United States, serving as a strong impetus to the abolitionist development of the United States in the 1850s. In recent years, many scholars have done a lot of research about the character of Tom in Uncle Toms Cabin from the aspects of slavery, the idea of Western Christianity, maternal salvation and other different ones respectively. By analyzing the character of Uncle Tom, the factors affecting the formation of his character and the function of his character on his tragic fate, the thesis is designed to glorify Uncle Tom as a devout Christian, who has compassion, the willingness to help others and the spirit to sacrifice for others, so that readers may understand the character of Uncle Tom from a new perspective and multiple angles.Key Words: Uncle Toms Cabin; Uncle Tom; character image; character analysis Table of Contents1. Introduction12. Character Analysis of Tom in Uncle Toms Cabin2 2.1 His Pure Honesty2 2.2 His Extraordinary Loyalty3 2.2.1 His Loyalty to Mr. Shelby3 2.2.1 His Loyalty to Augustine St. Clare4 2.3 His Christian Love for Humanity5 2.3.1 His Love for the Blacks and the Low5 2.3.2 His Love for the Whites6 2.3.3 His Love for His Enemies93. Affecting Factors of Uncle Toms Character10 3.1 American Slavery10 3.2 Uncle Toms Christian Faith114. Introspection of Uncle Toms Death12 4.1 Comparison Between George Harris and Uncle Tom12 4.1.1George Harriss Struggle for Freedom12 4.1.2 Uncle Toms Sacrifice for Freedom13 4.2 Reasons of Uncle Tom Death155. Conclusion16References18 1. IntroductionUncle Toms Cabin, a famous novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, profoundly reveals the cruelty of American slavery. The novel was published in 1852, when the American abolitionist issue was in the tense state. To some extent, it supported the fight against slavery in the United States. The U.S. president Abraham Lincoln once called Mrs Stowe “the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war”. The novel vividly exposed the brutality and arbitrariness of the slave owners and the oppression and exploitation suffered by the black slaves, represented by the hero Tom. Whether from the aspect of its ideological and historical content or artistic and literary value, the work is the highest achievement of the American abolitionist literature. As to Uncle Toms character, many foreign and domestic scholars have expressed their viewpoints; among them, some appraised Uncle Tom and some criticized him. For example, Xue Yufeng (2002) thought that Uncle Tom was not only an affectionate Christian, but also a real man who always kept his promise, and stuck to his principles. William Lloyd Garrison (1854: 26) regards Uncle Tom as “the true moral representative of goodness with great and inconvincible spirit.” However, in the eyes of other critics, Uncle Tom was not a “Hard Hero” at all. Charles Whipple, for instance, criticized “Whether from the aspect of mans character or from the aspect of Christian personality, I dont think Tom is the most sublime example, because he has close relationship with slave owners.” (1860: 32) By collecting and processing the related materials through various ways, the thesis, which mainly consists of four parts, will be undertaken to analyze the character of Tom in Uncle Toms Cabin. In the first part, a brief introduction of Uncle Toms Cabin, the studies of some foreign and domestic scholars about Uncle Toms character and the structure of this paper are concerned. In the second part, a detailed analysis of the character of Uncle Tom is contained, including his honesty and loyalty to his masters Mr. Shelby and St. Clare as well as his Christian love for humanity, not only for the blacks and the low, but also for the whites and his enemies. In the third part, the affective factors on Uncle Toms character are concerned, in which the American slavery and the influence of Toms Christian faith are listed as the principal points. And in the last part, an introspection of Uncle Toms death is discussed in details, containing a comparison between George Harriss struggle for freedom and Uncle Toms sacrifice for it as well as several reasons of his death. In conclusion, the thesis aims to provide the readers with new understandings of the character of Uncle Tom from a new perspective and multiple angles.2. Character Analysis of Tom Many scholars have respectively studied Uncle Toms character in Uncle Toms Cabin from various aspects. In this thesis, three points are involved to analyze Toms character, namely, his pure honesty, his extraordinary loyalty to his masters as well as his Christian love for humanity.2.1 His Pure HonestyAt the beginning of the novel, Mr. Shelby, the first and most generous master of Uncle Tom, recommended Uncle Toms honesty when discussing with his creditor, Haley, to whom he owed a lot sum of money that could not be paid off easily. Though Mr. Shelby was reluctant, he resorted to sell Tom to clear the debt, and he believed that Uncle Tom was absolutely worth the amount. Mr. Shelby said that Uncle Tom was his favorite pet and a “genuine article”, a pious, steady, sensible, uncommon fellow. He trusted him without question and let him come and go around the country freely, managing his money, house and horse. During Mr. Shelbys talk with Haley, there is one thing that could testify Toms honesty to the utmost. One fall, Mr. Shelby asked Tom to go to Cincinnati alone, to do business for him and bring home five hundred dollars. “Tom,” Mr. Shelby said to him, “I trust you because I think you are a ChristianI know you wouldnt cheat.” (Stowe, 1999: 2) Surely, Tom came back, with that sum of money, and some fellow said to him, “Tom, why dont you make tracks for Canada?”, but Tom answered “Ah, master trusted me, and I couldnt.” (Stowe, 1999: 2) It was because of such a real thing of Uncle Tom that Mr. Shelby demanded to let him cover the whole balance of the debt.Uncle Toms honesty made him the most important negro not only for Master Shelby, but also for his new master, St. Clare. St. Clare was indolent and careless of money. Hitherto all the providing and marketing had been principally done by Adolph, the slave supervisor who was to the full, as careless and extravagant as his master. Both St. Clare and Adolph had carried on the dispersing process with great alacrity. However, Uncle Tom had been accustomed for many years to regarding his masters property as his own. Thus when he saw, with an uneasiness he could scarcely repress, the wasteful expenditure of the establishment, he would sometimes make his suggestions in a quiet or indirect way which his class often acquired. At first, St. Clare adopted his suggestions occasionally. Later, being stuck with his soundness of mind and good business capacity and morality, he confided in him more and more, till gradually all the marketing and providing for the family were entrusted to him. From Mr. Shelby to St. Clare, though tempted by freedom and money, Uncle Tom stuck to his principles all the time. He testified his integral character by his own honesty and won others trust.2.2 His Extraordinary Loyalty Similar to his pure honesty, Uncle Toms loyalty are mainly reflected through Master Shelby and Master St. Clare. Though some critics criticized Uncle Toms cowardice of sitting down under whatever might come, they could not deny his extraordinary loyalty to his kind masters: Mr. Shelby and Augustine St. Clare. 2.2.1 His Loyalty to Mr. ShelbyWhen reading Uncle Toms Cabin, one could not forget how mindfully Uncle Tom protected his master when the master decided to sell him to South. Uncle Tom understood that had his master had any other expediency, he would not sell his favorite Tom. As a master, Mr. Shelbys liability was more to save other slaves in his house than to protect him, but Uncle Tom had never complained or blamed. However, as a slave, Uncle Tom had already earned Mr. Shelby the money all he got for him, and even twice more; and Mr. Shelby ought to let him go two years ago, and should have given him the passport and guaranteed to return freedom to him. Now, though he could not help himself, he meant to sell him. On the other part, Uncle Tom, loyal as he was, not only refused Elizas suggestion to escape, but also determined to stay and help his master and other negro slaves on the place. “Master always found me on the spot, he always will. I never have broke trust, nor used my pass no ways contrary to my word, and I never will. Its better for me alone to go, than to break up the place and sell all. Master is not to blame.” (Stowe, 1999: 38) That was the poor Uncle Toms choice, great Uncle Toms choice. Even when he was sold to other masters later, he never forgot his ex-master, especially his little master George Shelby, who taught him reading and writing, and whose penny he always kept under the liner no matter where he went, dreaming that one day his young master would bring him back home. For Uncle Tom, he who teaches him one day is his teacher for life, he will always be loyal to his masters.2.2.2 His Loyalty to Augustine St. ClareAs St. Clare was an indolent and careless master, it was Uncle Tom who managed the whole house and marketing for him. Being more idealistic than practical, St. Clare knew that he was indulgent to his slaves, but he was too lazy to educate them. So he let them make all sorts of trouble and never lifted a finger. Exactly did he know the evil of slavery, and more did he know that the problem of slavery was the problem of American laws, for which iniquity American Whites should be responsible. However, he just kept himself away from all of these matters, and acted as an outsider. But Uncle Tom, who knew all the thoughts of his master, including his profound ideas and helpless laziness, identified him as a non-Christian, for his master never went to church, yet always spent his Sunday evenings at the opera or theatre. Nevertheless, Uncle Tom seldom expressed to anyone else, but founded many prayers on his master, when he was by himself in his little cabin.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 havent nothing complain of, on that head. But there is some Master isnt good to. Master isnt good to himself.” (Stowe, 1999: 202) At that moment, St. Clare was much astonished by Toms 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. Clares 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 latters life.2.3 Uncle Toms Christian Love for HumanityHonesty 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 Lin Yuting (2008) said, Uncle Tom was the incarnation of “love”