New Historicism and it's tackle on Uncle Tom's Cabin

New Historicism, according to Lois Tyson in her book: “critical theory today”, is the study of “The history of stories cultures tell themselves about themselves” (pg. 274) or even more cynically “the history of lies cultures tell themselves” (274). Furthermore, literary text of the past are “cultural artifacts that can tell us something about the interplay of discourses,  the web of social meanings, operating in the time and place in which the text was written.” (277) This is significantly evident in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written in 1852  America when slavery was still an unsavoury common practice. The book describes various sub plots, such as Eliza’s journey to freedom, which more often than not intertwine with other plots, such as Uncle Tom sacrificing himself for the greater progression of everyone else’s journey. However, the book can be analysed with a new historicist eye to see how black people were portrayed at the time.

The main character Uncle Tom, despite being a fully grown and strong man, is depicted as being very childlike. This is evident when Stowe describes him as: “Tom, who had the soft impressible nature of his kindly race, ever yearning toward the simple and childlike.” Therefore Stowe, as a white author, not only individually describes Tom, but also his “race”, as being simple and childlike. Which in turn, a new historicist can interpret as the general opinion of society at the time.

Furthermore, Stowe portrays the majority of black characters as childlike and uneducated through the way they talk; we can especially see this when the likes of Andy and Sam talk. For example, when following the scene where Haley’s horse has gone running off, Andy is talking to Sam and says ““Lor, I seed you… an’t you an old hoss, Sam?”” (51) Here we see “Lor” instead of Lord; “an’t” instead of “aren't” and “hoss” instead of horse. These words display rather broken English which could be described as something as simple as a Kentucky (where the book is set) accent, yet the white characters speak virtually perfect English. Therefore this reinforce the social and cultural opinions of the time.

Tyson explains discourse as “a social language created by particular cultural conditions at a particular time and place, and it expresses a particular way of understanding human experience” (270). Therefore this could mean that the way the black characters talk is of their own making, to help create their own “social language.” Or from the white author/ audience’s “culture” creating “conditions” to help them seem more superior to the black characters. The latter Tyson hints at as he says “The word discourse draws attention to the role of language as the vehicle of ideology,” (270) therefore the white ideology of the time would suggest their superiority over the black race and thus resulting in the black characters seeming more ‘dumbed’ down compared to the way the white characters tend to speak.

Another way black characters are displayed as childlike is through the dependency on their white masters. Uncle Tom has been told of his immediately selling and has been presented with the opportunity to run away but instead decides not to: “I an’t going.. Mas’r always found me on the spot- he always will.” (44) This could be interpreted by the community of the time as Tom’s submissive and childlike dependency on the white characters (his owner Mr. Shelby).