Abraham Lincoln once proclaimed, "So this is the little lady who made this great war." In the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, uses her book to tell the pitiful life of a slave. The book begins by introducing Uncle Tom, a pious black slave, who lives his life with strong Christian values. When his first master runs into large debts, Mr. Shelby is forced to sell Tom, even against his promise to grant him freedom. Tom is then purchased by Mr. St. Clare, who is a relaxed and compassionate master. While Tom is there, he builds a religious bond with St. Clare's daughter, Eva. Unexpectedly, Eva dies due to illness and Santa Chiara is stabbed and dies shortly after. Even though St. Clare promised Tom his freedom, St. Clare's cruel wife sells him to a slave house where he is sold to the barbaric and ruthless Simon Legree. While under Master Legrée's rule, Tom sometimes doubts the existence of God and his Christian beliefs. After spending a year of torture on the plantation, his old master, George Shelby, finds him to buy him and take him home. Each of these masters represents another phase of Tom's life. Unfortunately, Tom dies after his reunion with George, shortly after claiming to have died a happy man. When George returns home, he tells Tom's wife what happened and prepares the papers to free all his slaves. He tells his slaves that whenever they see Uncle Tom's old cabin, they must think of Tom and their freedom. From this plot, Harriet Beecher Stowe uses the power of her novel to persuade the audience of her beliefs regarding the evil of slavery, the power of Christianity, and the influence of women. One of Stowe's beliefs, strongly illustrated, is the evil surrounding slavery. ...... middle of paper ...... her, and was raised as a Presbyterian with Christian values. Therefore, he felt that slavery was cruel and unorthodox. In addition to being an abolitionist, Stowe was a feminist, believing that all women should have power and influence. These three concepts are commonly expressed in the novel, conveying its message to the audience. For further influence, the characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin are based on real people and real events that happened. Stowe hoped that by doing so, people across America would experience the life of a typical slave and draw attention to the cruelties of the South. More importantly, Stowe humanized the black man, revealing that the only difference is the color of their skin. Fortunately, Stowe was very successful in marketing his novel, selling over 300,000 copies by 1852. Brilliantly, Stowe even influenced the nation to start the Civil War..