Uncle Tom's Cabin was written more than 150 years ago. It was highly controversial, shocking and contested at the time of its writing, and even today it is at least still shocking reading matter.

The novel loosely follows the life of Tom, whose benevolent owner is is forced to sell him because of financial difficulties. Tom is sold an re-sold, and at all the stations he passes through he meets other slaves whose fates we also follow, sometimes even though their and Tom's paths diverge.

Author Harriet Beecher Stowe has a strong religious background, and therefore it is (at least from today's point of view) no wonder that she determinedly fights against slavery. Also, from today's point of view, she has a pretty easy task, describing slavery in all its inhuman horror and contrasting this with Christ's message of love. And indeed, she takes this path, and of heartbreaking descriptions of children separated from their parents or husband and wife sold to different farms and then forced to re-marry don't fail to impress.

But she also proves to be a brilliant thinker capable of presenting more than just one side of an argument. She cleverly uses a diverse set of characters to put forward more than the obvious arguments against slavery: She shows that it is not just plain inhuman to the slaves, but also degrades the slave-owners and all persons involved in the slave-trade. She argues that not only the evil slave-owners are a problem because even benevolent owners may be forced to sell, potentially into less benevolent hands. Moreover, a system that discriminates between people of different legal status creates all sorts of logical and ethical problems.

While sharply criticising slavery, she also has something to say to those on her own side: Being against slavery may be the right moral stance to take, but it does not help if you don't actively support ex-slaves. There seems to have been a feeling of moral superiority in the northern states because slavery was not legal there - she readily disguises this as a rather self-complacent sentiment of those who have done nothing to end slavery themselves. There is even some marxist thinking when she shows that some forms of employment are no better than slavery: wage-slavery is an appropriate term.

One point of criticism must be mentioned: Beecher Stowe's characters are strong personalities, but also flat characters. There is no development and, with one fine exception neither self-doubt nor inner conflict. Still, this novel is rightfully canonic and should be read even today - not the least because it also is just a very enjoyable read.