Uncle Tom’s Cabin · Chapter
XI: In Which Property Gets Into an Improper State of Mind explained
George Harris delivers a passionate speech to Mr.
What happens
George Harris delivers a passionate speech to Mr. Wilson about the horrors of slavery, detailing the sale of his mother and siblings, the whipping of his sister, and his determination to escape to Canada. He asserts his manhood and right to liberty, showing pistols and a bowie-knife to defend himself. Mr. Wilson, though sympathetic, warns him of the risks. The chapter also opens with a vivid description of a Kentucky tavern, setting the scene for the encounter.
Themes in this chapter
Freedom and Escape
George's determination to flee to Canada and his declaration of fighting for liberty embody the theme of escape from bondage.
Family and Separation
George recounts the traumatic sale of his mother and siblings, and the whipping of his sister, illustrating the destruction of enslaved families.
Hypocrisy of American Society
George critiques the contradiction between American ideals of freedom and the laws that uphold slavery, referencing Fourth of July speeches.
Characters to notice
- George Harris
Delivers a powerful speech about his family's suffering under slavery, his resolve to escape, and his willingness to fight for freedom.
- Mr. Wilson
A sympathetic but conflicted friend who advises George against rebellion while showing concern for his safety.
Key passages
“Sir, I have stood at the door and heard her whipped, when it seemed as if every blow cut into my naked heart, and I couldn’t do anything to help her”
George describes the agony of hearing his sister being whipped without being able to intervene.
Highlights the powerlessness and emotional trauma of witnessing family abuse under slavery.
“I’ll fight for my liberty to the last breath I breathe. You say your fathers did it; if it was right for them, it is right for me!”
George declares his willingness to die for freedom, drawing a parallel to the American Revolution.
Emphasizes the theme of resistance and the hypocrisy of denying liberty to enslaved people.
“I don’t want anything of your country, except to be let alone—to go peaceably out of it; and when I get to Canada, where the laws will own me and protect me, that shall be my country”
George rejects the United States as his country and looks to Canada for legal protection and belonging.
Reflects the theme of freedom and escape, and the search for a just society.