preview

The Literary Work of Harriet Beecher Stowe

Decent Essays

“…the heart has no tears to give,--it drops only blood, bleeding itself away in silence.” ( Stowe 30). Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was the most popular American writer of the 19th century. Her use of literary realism merges with the writings of Howells, Twain, and Crane (Reuben). Harriet Beecher Stowe’s writings were influenced by her religious and moral beliefs. She left a long lasting impact on the American Renaissance time period due to her puritan style of writing. Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecticut in 1811. Her mother, Roxana Foote Beecher, was a well-educated and artistic granddaughter of a Revolutionary War general, and Lyman Beecher, a Presbyterian minister with a strong interest in Puritan theology. Stowe grew up in a household in which religion, reading and writing were considered a major part of childhood. After the Stowes moved to Brunswick, in 1850, Harriet considered writing about slavery. The passage of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, that made all citizens responsible for upholding the idea of slavery, turned her into an activist. Stowe was established as a major American writer in the late 1850’s. Once Stowe moved, she began writing regularly for The Atlantic Monthly. In her writing she turned mainly to domestic themes and stories, often reflecting on childhood memories and experiences. (Belasco) Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of the most damaging and influential novels in American history (whener). The Civil War rose from a combination of problems

Get Access