Stowe Prompt

According to literary legend, when Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1862 he greeted her by saying, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this Great War." He was, of course, referring to Uncle Tom's Cabin, which was a 19th century bestseller.

Some have argued that the novel was so politically and socially influential due to its rhetorical use of sympathy. In other words, the novel was a hit because it moved its readers; the story and characters pulled on readers' heartstrings. They became emotionally connected to the people in the story, recognized similar situations in their own lives, and were this moved to change the status quo of a slavery-based nation.

Do you agree? Can you see evidence that Stowe is purposefully using emotion to move her readers to change? The institution of slavery is terrible in its own right, but can we see signs that Stowe encouraging her readers (mostly white, at this time) to identify with the plight of slavery? Please discuss the above ideas in your post, using the text to support your stance.