Aunt Phillis's Cabin
Encyclopedia
Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life As It Is by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation
fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel
in American literature
. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co of Philadelphia in 1852
as a response to Stowe
's Uncle Tom's Cabin
, published earlier that year. The novel sold 20,000-30,000 copies, making it a strong commercial success and bestseller. Based on her growing up in Warrenton, Virginia
of an elite planter family, Eastman portrays plantation owners and slaves as mutually respectful, kind, and happy beings.
, Aunt Phillis's Cabin contains contrasts and comparisons to the anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
, which was published earlier that year. It serves as an antithesis
; Eastman's novel deliberately referred to the situation in Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, where plantation owners abuse their repressed, disloyal slaves. Eastman portrays white plantation owners who behave benignly toward their slaves. Eastman also uses quotes from various sources – including Uncle Tom's Cabin itself – to explain that slavery is a natural institution, and essential to life. Like other novels of the genre, it contains much dialogue between masters and slaves, in which she portrays "the essential happiness of slaves in the South as compared to the inevitable sufferings of free blacks and the working classes in the North," as noted by the scholar Stephen Railton in the website Uncle Tom's Cabin & American Culture.
, which is frequented by several plantation owners living around it. The town relies on trade from the cotton plantations for its economy. Understanding this, the plantation owners, in contrast to their neighbors in surrounding towns, have adopted a benign approach towards their slaves to keep them peaceful and assure the safety of the town. Several characters in and around the town are introduced throughout the story, demonstrating how this process works and the delicate balance of such a process in action.
in 1853
, which sold 8,000 copies within the first weeks of publication.
by Martha Haines Butt (1853
), and Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent
by Vidi
(1853).
Today Eastman's novel is in the public domain
; it has been reprinted in the modern day by several publishers, including The Echo Library, Kessinger Publishing
, and Tutis Digital Publishing. It is also available through Project Gutenberg
.
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel
Anti-Tom literature
Anti-Tom literature refers to the 19th century pro-slavery novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Also called Plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors from the Southern United States...
in American literature
American literature
American literature is the written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and its preceding colonies. For more specific discussions of poetry and theater, see Poetry of the United States and Theater in the United States. During its early history, America was a series of British...
. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co of Philadelphia in 1852
1852 in literature
The year 1852 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Manuel Antônio de Almeida - Memoirs of a Police Sergeant*Wilkie Collins - Basil: A Story of Modern Life...
as a response to Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
's Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
, published earlier that year. The novel sold 20,000-30,000 copies, making it a strong commercial success and bestseller. Based on her growing up in Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
of an elite planter family, Eastman portrays plantation owners and slaves as mutually respectful, kind, and happy beings.
Overview
Published in 18521852 in literature
The year 1852 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Manuel Antônio de Almeida - Memoirs of a Police Sergeant*Wilkie Collins - Basil: A Story of Modern Life...
, Aunt Phillis's Cabin contains contrasts and comparisons to the anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
, which was published earlier that year. It serves as an antithesis
Antithesis
Antithesis is a counter-proposition and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition...
; Eastman's novel deliberately referred to the situation in Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, where plantation owners abuse their repressed, disloyal slaves. Eastman portrays white plantation owners who behave benignly toward their slaves. Eastman also uses quotes from various sources – including Uncle Tom's Cabin itself – to explain that slavery is a natural institution, and essential to life. Like other novels of the genre, it contains much dialogue between masters and slaves, in which she portrays "the essential happiness of slaves in the South as compared to the inevitable sufferings of free blacks and the working classes in the North," as noted by the scholar Stephen Railton in the website Uncle Tom's Cabin & American Culture.
Plot
The story is set in unnamed rural town in VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, which is frequented by several plantation owners living around it. The town relies on trade from the cotton plantations for its economy. Understanding this, the plantation owners, in contrast to their neighbors in surrounding towns, have adopted a benign approach towards their slaves to keep them peaceful and assure the safety of the town. Several characters in and around the town are introduced throughout the story, demonstrating how this process works and the delicate balance of such a process in action.
Characters
- Aunt Phillis - A 50-year-old slave living on a Virginia cotton plantation. She is pious, temperantTemperance (virtue)Temperance has been studied by religious thinkers, philosophers, and more recently, psychologists, particularly in the positive psychology movement. It is considered a virtue, a core value that can be seen consistently across time and cultures...
and proud, being likened to a NubiaNubiaNubia is a region along the Nile river, which is located in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.There were a number of small Nubian kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages, the last of which collapsed in 1504, when Nubia became divided between Egypt and the Sennar sultanate resulting in the Arabization...
n queen. Phillis does not appear in the novel until Chapter IX. - Uncle Bacchus - The sociable enslaved husband of Phillis. He is kindly, currently named after the Roman god BacchusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
due to his alcoholismAlcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. He and Phillis have three children: a son William, and two daughters, Lydia and Esther. - Mr. Weston - A kindly English AmericanEnglish AmericanEnglish Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
planter and the master of Phillis, Bacchus, and several other slaves, all of whom he treats with respect and kindness. He is a widower, descended from a long line of English feudal lordsFeudalismFeudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
. He lives on the plantation with his daughter-in-law, Anna Weston, and several other members of his family. - Alice Weston - Niece of Mr. Weston, who is betrothed to his son Arthur, making them a cousin coupleCousin coupleA cousin couple is a pair of cousins who are involved in a romantic or sexual relationship.-See also:*Consanguinity*Genealogy*Genetic sexual attraction*Westermarck effect*Inbreeding*Pedigree collapse*Prohibited degree of kinship-External links:...
. She is one of the main protagonists of the novel, in which she is the object of affections between her fiance and a rival slaveholder. - Arthur Weston - The fiance of Alice, who is studying at Yale CollegeYale CollegeYale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
in New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
during events in the novel. Because of his Southern roots, Arthur is confronted by several abolitionistsAbolitionismAbolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
throughout his time at Yale. He is a spokesman in the novel for criticisms of abolitionismAbolitionismAbolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
in general. - Miss Janet / Cousin Janet - An elderly friend of Mr. Weston, who resides with him on the plantation. She acts as an instructor to the women slaves in the arts of sewing, embroidery, and other domestic tasks. She also acts as an aunt figure to Alice.
- Aunt Peggy - A senile, 90-year-old slave from GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, who lives on the plantation without having to work, because of her age. She irritates Bacchus and Phillis, mocking the other slaves from the comfort of her cabin. She dies in Chapter XII, after mocking Alice's sudden chill and claiming that Alice would die. - Abel Johnson - A friend of Arthur studying at Yale CollegeYale CollegeYale College was the official name of Yale University from 1718 to 1887. The name now refers to the undergraduate part of the university. Each undergraduate student is assigned to one of 12 residential colleges.-Residential colleges:...
. Abel acts as the middleman in the argument over slavery, preferring to remain neutral in most cases. He is shown to be something of a philanthropistPhilanthropyPhilanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
, and displays some sympathy for slaves without attacking slavery outright. - Captain William Moore - An army captain living in New England with his wife, Emmy Moore. Captain Moore is a military officer, who has recently been assigned to calm trouble in New England that has been brought about by abusive abolitionistsAbolitionismAbolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
"rescuing" runaway slaves, only to enslave them for their own ends. One such slave, Susan, eventually becomes a maid to the Moores after being rescued from abolitionist masters. - Other characters in the novel include several planters - Mr. Barbour (the first character to appear in the novel), Mr. Kent (an abolitionist-turned-slaveholder, similar to the situation of The Planter's Northern BrideThe Planter's Northern BrideThe Planter's Northern Bride is an 1854 novel written by Caroline Lee Hentz, in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852.- Overview :...
), Walter Lee (the rival for Alice's affections), Mr. Chapman (a critic of the fugitive slave lawsFugitive slave lawsThe fugitive slave laws were laws passed by the United States Congress in 1793 and 1850 to provide for the return of slaves who escaped from one state into another state or territory.-Pre-colonial and Colonial eras:...
) - and several slaves, including Mark, John, Nancy (of the Weston plantation) and Aunt Polly (an ex-slave and servant of the Moores).
Reception
Although obscure today, the novel remains one of the most-read examples of the anti-Tom genre. Between 20,000 and 30,000 copies of Aunt Phillis's Cabin were sold upon its initial release in 1852. The novel was the most commercially successful of the anti-Tom genre until the publication of The Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All GoodThe Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All Good
The Lofty and the Lowly, or Good in All and None All Good is a novel by Maria J. McIntosh published by D. Appleton & Company in 1853. It was one of many anti-Tom novels published in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. The story is set is Georgia and tells of a plantation owner's...
in 1853
1853 in literature
The year 1853 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Charles Dickens writes Bleak House, the first English novel to feature a detective.*William Wells Brown becomes the first African American novelist to be published.-New books:...
, which sold 8,000 copies within the first weeks of publication.
Publication history
Aunt Phillis's Cabin was released in 1852 – the same year that Uncle Tom's Cabin appeared in book form – by Lippincott, Grambo & Co of Philadelphia (better known as J. B. Lippincott & Co.) As a major publishing house, the company released other anti-Tom novels, including Antifanaticism: A Tale of the SouthAntifanaticism: A Tale of the South
Antifanaticism: A Tale of the South is an 1853 plantation fiction novel by Martha Haines Butt.- Overview :Antifanaticism is one of several examples of the plantation literature genre that appeared in reaction to the anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which had been...
by Martha Haines Butt (1853
1853 in literature
The year 1853 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Charles Dickens writes Bleak House, the first English novel to feature a detective.*William Wells Brown becomes the first African American novelist to be published.-New books:...
), and Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent
Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent
Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent is an 1853 parody novel written by an unknown author credited as "Vidi".- Background :Mr. Frank is an example of the pro-slavery plantation literature genre that emerged from the Southern United States in response to the abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in...
by Vidi
Vidi
Vidi or Videe or Virdee is a village near the town Anjar, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is at a distance of about 4 km from Anjar, the Taluka Headquarter.-History:...
(1853).
Today Eastman's novel is in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
; it has been reprinted in the modern day by several publishers, including The Echo Library, Kessinger Publishing
Kessinger Publishing
Kessinger Publishing is a publisher that offers for reprint rare, out of print and out of copyright books originally issued by other publishers. They are located in Whitefish, Montana.The original dates of publication of the titles are usually prior to ca...
, and Tutis Digital Publishing. It is also available through Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
.
In other works
- Another 1852 anti-Tom novel, Life at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It IsLife at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It IsLife at the South; or, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" As It Is is an 1852 plantation fiction novel written by W.L.G...
by W. L. G. Smith, features a title similar to the full title of Eastman's novel. Both novels likely based their titles on American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses, an 18391839 in literatureThe year 1839 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Washington Irving begins contributing regularly to The Knickerbocker, and will publish thirty new pieces in the magazine — including "The Creole Village," in which he will coin the phrase "the almighty dollar" — through March...
volume co-authored by abolitionists Theodore Dwight WeldTheodore Dwight WeldTheodore Dwight Weld , was one of the leading architects of the American abolitionist movement during its formative years, from 1830 through 1844.Weld played a role as writer, editor, speaker, and organizer...
and the Grimké sistersGrimké sistersSarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké , known as the Grimké sisters, were 19th-century American Quakers, educators and writers who were early advocates of abolitionism and women's rights....
, which was a source for some of the content in Uncle Tom's Cabin. - In the preface of Aunt Phillis's Cabin, Eastman quoted a variety of sources from the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
which she claimed supported slavery as an institution. These same quotes, typical of those used by Southern ministers, were used in another anti-Tom novel, The Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South CarolinaThe Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South CarolinaThe Black Gauntlet: A Tale of Plantation Life in South Carolina is an anti-Tom novel written in 1860 by Mary Howard Schoolcraft, published under her married name of Mrs...
by Mary Howard Schoolcraft, which was published four years later in 18601860 in literatureThe year 1860 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*January - First issue of the Cornhill Magazine*June 9 ****- Malaeska: The Indian Wife of the White Hunter becomes the first dime novel to be published....
. - The scene of the death of Aunt Phillis as a ChristianizedChristianizationThe historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...
slave became a frequent cliche among the later anti-Tom novels. Other novels that feature slaves' passing away as converted Christians include: Frank Freeman's Barber ShopFrank Freeman's Barber ShopFrank Freeman's Barber Shop is an 1852 plantation fiction novel written by the Reverend Baynard Rush Hall.- Overview :Frank Freeman's Barber Shop is an example of the numerous anti-Tom novels produced in the Southern United States in response to the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet...
by the Reverend Baynard Rush Hall (1852), and Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in BostonUncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in BostonUncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston is an 1853 novel written by J.W. Page and released by J. W...
by J. W. Page (1853). Whether this cliche is solely derived from Eastman's novel or the pious death of Uncle Tom in Uncle Tom's Cabin is open to debate.