Small House of Uncle Thomas

There have been many different adaptations of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This version is a mostly true to the original story. Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the origin of one of the stereotypes of black people, Uncle Tom, though other stereotypes exist in the book and script.
This character was based on a real person who appeared harmless and religious. The reality that Stowe did not know when writing her story was that he was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. The Uncle Tom character in literature has come to represent an older slave who can do no harm, is trustworthy and is Christian. This is the counterpart to the Mamie character who loves her master, does all the cooking, and is typically a large unattractive woman. The Mamie character is in the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin as Chloe.
Another classic stereotype of slave and later African Americans is Pickannie. This is the slave child who is always misbehaving. Topsy is this character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Pickannie can be a boy or a girl but in this case she Topsy is a girl.
Other than these three characters the stereotypes that existed in misteral shows and in literature do not exist in this book or script. These characters do continue to be part of American culture in books, theatre, and movies. Some of the most well known examples are: Mamie in Gone With the Wind, Uncle Remus in Song of the South, and the named characters in Show Boat.

Lecture by Ethel Walker in TA 127.