# XI: In Which Property Gets Into an Improper State of Mind explained — Uncle Tom’s Cabin

> Chapter companion for Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-i-xi-in-which-property-gets-into-an-improper-state-of-mind
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se
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