Uncle Tom’s Cabin · Chapter
XIV: Evangeline explained
Tom, now on a steamboat heading to New Orleans, reflects on his separation from his family and finds solace in his Bible.
What happens
Tom, now on a steamboat heading to New Orleans, reflects on his separation from his family and finds solace in his Bible. He meets a young girl named Evangeline St. Clare, who takes an interest in him. When Eva falls overboard, Tom rescues her, and her father, Augustine St. Clare, decides to purchase Tom.
Themes in this chapter
Freedom and Escape
Tom's Bible reading offers him spiritual escape from his physical bondage and separation from family.
Family and Separation
Tom mourns the loss of his wife and children, unable to communicate with them across the 'gulf of separation'.
Class and Power
The transaction between St. Clare and Haley highlights the commodification of human beings and the power dynamics of the slave trade.
Characters to notice
- Uncle Tom
Tom is on the steamboat, reading his Bible and reflecting on his lost family. He rescues Eva from drowning.
- Eva St. Clare
Eva is a beautiful, ethereal child who befriends Tom and later falls overboard, only to be rescued by him.
- Augustine St. Clare
Eva's father, a wealthy young gentleman, who negotiates with Haley to purchase Tom.
- Haley
The slave trader who is selling Tom to St. Clare.
Key passages
“Let—not—your—heart—be—troubled. In—my—Father’s—house—are—many—mansions. I—go—to—prepare—a—place—for—you.”
Tom reads a Bible verse promising heavenly comfort and reunion.
Tom finds solace in scripture, believing in a future reunion with his loved ones.
“My papa can buy you, and if he buys you, you will have good times. I mean to ask him, this very day.”
Eva promises to ask her father to purchase Tom so he can have a better life.
Eva's innocent offer reflects her kindness and the power of her father's wealth.