Harriet Beecher Stowe

[Juan Marrero]

If memory serves, I think that "Key" rather than being a continuation of the story is a compillation of actual events that parallel those in UTC. After the intial publication, some in the South accused Mrs Stowe of wholesale invention, arguing that the character ofSimon Legree was preposterous. Mrs. Stowe rebutted these charges by basically annotating UTC with the actual stories that inspired her.

I find it sad that the term "Uncle Tom" has practically become a term of abuse. It was the first "real" book I read as a child and I remember the great impression it made on me. The Christ-like Tom is one of the purest figures in literature. Unfortunately, the character was reduced to minstrel show dimensions by the countless theatrical rip-offs. Yet a great wrong has been done to "Uncle Tom" and Mrs. Stowe.