11.2 Abolitionist Literature: Harriet Beecher Stowe and Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda

Abolitionist literature in the Americas played a crucial role in shaping public opinion on slavery. Works like "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "Sab" used emotional storytelling to humanize enslaved people and challenge racial hierarchies.

These novels, written by women, employed sentimental narratives and complex characterizations to evoke empathy. They sparked heated debates, faced censorship, and ultimately contributed to the political climate that led to emancipation movements across the Americas.

Abolitionist Literature in the Americas

Impact of Uncle Tom's Cabin

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• Publication and reception
  • Released in 1852 became bestseller in US translated into multiple languages (French, German, Russian)
• Influence on public opinion
  • Humanized enslaved people for Northern readers exposed cruelty of slavery to wide audience through vivid descriptions and emotional storytelling
• Political impact
  • Intensified sectional tensions between North and South contributed to political climate leading to Civil War by galvanizing anti-slavery sentiment
• Cultural significance
  • Spawned numerous adaptations in theater and film introduced characters and phrases into American vernacular (Uncle Tom, Simon Legree)
• Criticism and controversy
  • Accused of promoting racial stereotypes Southern response included "anti-Tom" literature to defend slavery institution

Slavery portrayal in Sab

• Context of the novel
  • Published in 1841 in Spain set in Cuba during colonial period challenged prevailing views on race and slavery
• Characterization of Sab
  • Mixed-race enslaved protagonist portrayed as noble educated and morally superior to white characters subverted racial hierarchies
• Themes and arguments
  • Racial equality and shared humanity critique of economic basis of slavery parallel between slavery and women's oppression highlighted intersectionality
• Narrative techniques
  • Use of romantic plot to explore social issues employment of sentimental language to evoke empathy in readers
• Reception and censorship
  • Banned in Cuba due to anti-slavery message circulated clandestinely influenced abolitionist thought in Spanish-speaking world

Comparative Analysis and Reception

Female authors vs abolition literature

• Use of sentimental narrative
  • Appeal to readers' emotions and moral sensibilities Stowe's focus on family separation Avellaneda's emphasis on romantic love and sacrifice
• Characterization of enslaved individuals
  • Complexity and individuality of characters subversion of racial stereotypes (Uncle Tom, Sab)
• Intersectionality
  • Avellaneda's connection between racial and gender oppression Stowe's portrayal of female slaves' unique struggles (Eliza, Cassy)
• Audience and reach
  • Stowe's wider international readership Avellaneda's impact in Spanish-speaking world shaped different cultural conversations
• Literary style and genre
  • Stowe's realism and religious overtones Avellaneda's romantic and poetic prose influenced by different literary traditions

Reception of abolitionist literature

• United States reception
  • Polarized response to "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Northern enthusiasm vs Southern hostility influenced political discourse and legislation (Fugitive Slave Act)
• Latin American reception
  • Varied responses due to different stages of abolition process impact of colonial legacy on literary criticism censorship in countries still practicing slavery
• Critical perspectives
  • Accusations of sentimentality and melodrama debates over authenticity of authors' depictions analysis of racial representation and stereotypes
• Long-term literary influence
  • Inspiration for subsequent abolitionist and civil rights literature reevaluation of works in modern literary criticism (Toni Morrison, Isabel Allende)
• Cultural impact
  • Integration into national narratives of emancipation role in shaping collective memory of slavery influenced art music and popular culture