The Shelby Clan Analysis

"We're just gonna take a break, Millwood is a small nice town and it'll be perfect for a short stay. Just relax Kathleen, I promise everything is gonna be all right" he states as he cranks the engine. Though knowing Thomas for a good twelve years has taught me how to know when Thomas is lying, and I know for certain by the way that he couldn't look at in the eye that nothing he just said is true. Of course, I don't say anything. If I want to know what he's hiding I'll find out soon enough, but I doubt I'll get anything out of him for now.

I believe that before we are able to compare and contrast the three men who have claimed ownership over Tom, we must examine each one individually, and then compare and contrast their ideologies to those that were typical of southern men at the time. Tom, at first is under the Control of Arthur Shelby, a farmer in Kentucky. Tom is eventually sold to Haley, a slave trader who in turn sells Tom to Augustine St. Clare in New Orleans. Finally, after the death of St. Clare, Tom is once again, and finally sold to Simon Legree, a Louisiana plantation owner.

In one area of the chapter, Shelby mentions that, “Tom is an uncommon fellow; he is certainly worth that sum anywhere,—steady, honest, capable, manages my whole farm like a clock.” (Uncle Toms Cabin). Mr. Shelby also continues on to praise the fact that Tom is a devoted Christian, and that is why he can be trusted. What image that is typically portrayed in slavery is nothing but negative, and sometimes truly disturbing at times type of aspects. It is extremely odd that Mr. Shelby displays a sense of trust, and devotion to a slave. Many imagine that slave owners were terrible, violent, and cruel people. Yet oddly enough, Mr. Shelby doesn’t come off that way whatsoever.

Which brings us to Mr. Shelby, owner of the Shelby Farms, he believes slavery to be a necessary evil. His wife, Mrs. Shelby feels that it goes against Christianity, made evident when she states “This is

“At this table was seated Uncle Tom, Mr. Shelby’s best hand, who, as he is to be the hero of our story, we must daguerreotype for our readers. He was a large, broad-chested, powerfully-made man, of a fully

Bailey, the son of the character known as the Grandmother, decides to go to Florida anyway. Along their way to Florida with Bailey’s wife, the baby, and the two disobedient children; June Starr and John Wesley, the Grandmother is characterized as a senile, racist woman of bad judgment. This can be seen when along the ride she sees an African-American young boy and states, “Oh look at the cute little pickaninny!...Little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do. “ (O’Connor 12). The climax of the story occurs as the family leaves Red Sammy’s Famous Barbecue and gets in a car accident with the Misfit himself. It is then safe to say that the assumption of the senile Grandmother is accurate due to the thought that runs through her mind, “A horrible thought came to her…the house that she had remembered so vividly was not in Georgia, but Tennessee,” (19). The Grandmother’s forgetfulness is in turn the direct cause of the accident and run-in with the Misfit.

“I was severely beaten by the cottage mistress, who had called me names and made fun of

Thomas says I don’t owe my family anything. Not even a eulogy. He says, “but sometimes you have to be the bigger person.”

Mr. Shelby also continues on to praise the fact that Tom is a devoted Christian, and that is why he can be trusted. What image that is typically portrayed in slavery is nothing but negative, and sometimes truly disturbing at times type of aspects. It is extremely odd that Mr. Shelby displays a sense of trust, and devotion to a slave. Many imagine that slave owners were terrible, violent, and cruel people. Yet oddly enough, Mr. Shelby doesn’t come off that way whatsoever.

The book started off with a conversation between two men, Mr. Shelby, a farmer, and Mr. Haley, who is a trader. They were discussing the conduct of their slaves. Mr. Shelby had a plethora of positive things to say about his slaves because he was a very nice person. Mr. Haley on the other hand, was very negative and did not trust any slave. Shelby spoke about this one particular slave

Thomas seems to have a gift in his storytelling, they may seem like crazy stories he tells over and over but his stories may carry some kind of meaning. “We are all given one thing by which our lives are measured, one determination. Mine are the stories which can change or not change the world.” (Alexie P. 518) His stories about Victor’s father are why he went out of his way to help Victor. It took Victor a trip to Phoenix to see that Thomas was there for a reason, to help him because they were cousins.

The Grandmother identifies herself as having the best values. She completely overdresses for the trip in a "navy straw hat and collars and cuffs, so that if there was an accident, people would know she was a lady" (368). The narrator points out that she looks down upon other people as well. In the beginning of the story, she criticizes the mother for "not taking the children to different parts of the world and being broad" (367), and tells John Wesley that he "should be more respectful of his native state and his parents" (368). Despite being so judgmental, the Grandmother never criticizes her own dishonesty, hypocrisy, and selfishness. When she criticizes John Wesley about the state, she calls a little black boy "a cute pickaninny" (368) in the same sentence. She later says that little black kids do not have things like they do and that "if she could paint, she would paint that picture" (368). The Grandmother paints this picture later with a romantic story of the good old days on the Southern plantations. Her definition of a good man is even flawed. The narrator says she would have married Edgar Teagarden because "he was a gentleman who bought Coca-Cola stock, making him a rich man" (369). In the end, when the Misfit is killing her family members one by one, she tells him to pray for himself. But she never once prays for her own family or begs the Misfit to spare them. She is even dramatic when she pulls a handkerchief out to fan herself and tells the Misfit "you wouldn't kill a lady would you" (373), effectively trying to save herself instead of her family.

Along with evil masters, I was glad to know that there were also kind masters who saw the good in all; even the colored. These type of people were portrayed by the Shelbys', Augustine St. Clare, Eva, and Miss Ophelia. I was happy that even during the worst times, people like them had the courage to go against the world and spread happiness in the world. However, I found it wrong that calamities struck to only those who did good. For example, due to debt the Shelbys' had to sell their slaves, Augustine St. Clare and Eva both died before they could free their slaves, and there was nothing Miss Ophelia could do to save Uncle Tom from being sold again.

Through George Shelby’s actions, Stowe demonstrates what needs to happen. Regretting the actions of his father, George Shelby attempts to recover Tom, but instead finds him dead. Recreating the actions of Joseph of Arimathea, Shelby takes Tom’s body and shelters it. Shelby returns to his plantation, inspired to

The first character we will discuss is Emily Shelby who is the wife of Arthur Shelby who is a Kentucky Plantation owner and the owner of Uncle Tom. Mrs. Shelby is a kind, loving, and Christian woman who is strongly opposed to slavery and takes it upon herself to treat them with most respect. Mrs. Shelby from a spiritual standpoint cares about her slaves relationship with God and teaches his word to them. Mr. Shelby and Mrs. Shelby treat the slaves with kindness but differ significantly in regards to slavery. Unlike other women of this time period, Mrs. Shelby stands by her views and morals regardless if her