Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston
Encyclopedia
Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston (sometimes shortened to simply Uncle Robin's Cabin) is an 1853
novel written by J.W. Page and released by J. W. Randolph Publishers of Richmond, Virginia
.
genre that emerged in the Southern United States
. They were written in response to the publication of the bestselling abolitionist
novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
, released in book form in 1852
, and were read both in the North and the South. Such novels contributed to the national discussions about slavery and were part of the rising sectional tensions.
Much like other novels of the genre, Uncle Robin serves as an antithesis to Uncle Tom's Cabin. It portrays planters as benign and helpful to their slaves, with the villains portrayed as the abolitionists who stir up trouble.
- Uncle Robin (the loyal slave), and Uncle Tom (the disloyal slave, and a reference to the main character of Uncle Tom's Cabin). Whereas Tom is convinced to run away from his plantation by a group of abolitionists, Robin remains loyal to his master, and remains on the plantation.
As the novel progresses, Uncle Robin is shown to have become a well-fed and prosperous slave by remaining loyal and obedient; he is looked after well by his master. Uncle Tom, abused by the abolitionists he fled with, has since died, together with several other slaves who escaped to the North and found more oppression under the abolitionists than on the plantation.
(1852). As another example, Chapter VII of Uncle Robin - entitled "Death in a Cabin" - strongly resembles a similar chapter in the 1852 anti-Tom novel: Frank Freeman's Barber Shop
by Rev. Baynard Rush Hall. He features the death of a slave named Dinah, who is a redeemed Christian
, as do Eastman and Page.
(1856
) by William M. Burwell.
1853 in literature
The year 1853 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Charles Dickens writes Bleak House, the first English novel to feature a detective.*William Wells Brown becomes the first African American novelist to be published.-New books:...
novel written by J.W. Page and released by J. W. Randolph Publishers of Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
Overview
Uncle Robin is one of several examples of the pro-slavery anti-Tom or plantation literatureAnti-Tom literature
Anti-Tom literature refers to the 19th century pro-slavery novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Also called Plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors from the Southern United States...
genre that emerged in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. They were written in response to the publication of the bestselling abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
, released in book form in 1852
1852 in literature
The year 1852 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Manuel Antônio de Almeida - Memoirs of a Police Sergeant*Wilkie Collins - Basil: A Story of Modern Life...
, and were read both in the North and the South. Such novels contributed to the national discussions about slavery and were part of the rising sectional tensions.
Much like other novels of the genre, Uncle Robin serves as an antithesis to Uncle Tom's Cabin. It portrays planters as benign and helpful to their slaves, with the villains portrayed as the abolitionists who stir up trouble.
Plot
The novel features two black slaves from VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
- Uncle Robin (the loyal slave), and Uncle Tom (the disloyal slave, and a reference to the main character of Uncle Tom's Cabin). Whereas Tom is convinced to run away from his plantation by a group of abolitionists, Robin remains loyal to his master, and remains on the plantation.
As the novel progresses, Uncle Robin is shown to have become a well-fed and prosperous slave by remaining loyal and obedient; he is looked after well by his master. Uncle Tom, abused by the abolitionists he fled with, has since died, together with several other slaves who escaped to the North and found more oppression under the abolitionists than on the plantation.
In other works
The scene of death of a Christianized slave was frequently used in anti-Tom novels, a cliche found in Mary Henderson Eastman's bestselling Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Life As It IsAunt Phillis's Cabin
Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life As It Is by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel in American literature. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co of Philadelphia in 1852 as a response to Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, published...
(1852). As another example, Chapter VII of Uncle Robin - entitled "Death in a Cabin" - strongly resembles a similar chapter in the 1852 anti-Tom novel: Frank Freeman's Barber Shop
Frank Freeman's Barber Shop
Frank Freeman's Barber Shop is an 1852 plantation fiction novel written by the Reverend Baynard Rush Hall.- Overview :Frank Freeman's Barber Shop is an example of the numerous anti-Tom novels produced in the Southern United States in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet...
by Rev. Baynard Rush Hall. He features the death of a slave named Dinah, who is a redeemed Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, as do Eastman and Page.
Publication history
J.W. Randolph Publishers issued additional anti-Tom novels before the Civil War, among them the satirical White Acre vs. Black AcreWhite Acre vs. Black Acre
White Acre vs. Black Acre is an 1856 plantation fiction novel written by William M. Burwell.- Overview :White Acre vs. Black Acre is one of several pro-slavery novels published in the Southern United States in response to Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in 1852.Burwell's...
(1856
1856 in literature
The year 1856 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Arthur Schopenhauer adds a chapter on "The Metaphysics of Sexual Love" to the third edition of his The World as Will and Representation....
) by William M. Burwell.
External links
- Uncle Robin in His Cabin in Virginia, Anti Uncle Tom Novels, Uncle Tom's Cabin & American Culture Website, University of Virginia
- Uncle Robin in His Cabin in Virginia, Online Text Center, University of Virginia