Tit for Tat (1856 novel)
Encyclopedia
Tit for Tat is an 1856
novel written anonymously by "A Lady of New Orleans".
that emerged in the Southern United States
in response to the 1852
novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
, which had been criticised in the south for inaccurately depicting the practices of slavery
and the relationship(s) between master and slave.
Tit for Tat, however, is an isolated example of the genre where, instead of defending slavery or attacking Abolitionism
like other works of the genre, attempts to attack the enthusiasm for Uncle Tom's Cabin upon its initial release in the United Kingdom
. Thus, Tit for Tat could be seen as attempting to promote anti-British sentiment
in the United States
rather than promoting slavery.
. Totty is stolen from his family whilst young, and forced to work as the apprentice of a sadistic chimney sweep
. Totty's suffering is ignored by the philanthropists
, who are so concerned with the welfare of black slaves in America that they fail to notice that they have simply replaced their own slavery with child labour.
or The Planter's Northern Bride
, the novel has not been republished in the modern day.
1856 in literature
The year 1856 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Arthur Schopenhauer adds a chapter on "The Metaphysics of Sexual Love" to the third edition of his The World as Will and Representation....
novel written anonymously by "A Lady of New Orleans".
Overview
Tit for Tat is one of several examples of plantation literatureAnti-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...
that emerged in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in response to the 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...
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 had been criticised in the south for inaccurately depicting the practices of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and the relationship(s) between master and slave.
Tit for Tat, however, is an isolated example of the genre where, instead of defending slavery or attacking Abolitionism
Abolitionism
Abolitionism 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...
like other works of the genre, attempts to attack the enthusiasm for Uncle Tom's Cabin upon its initial release in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Thus, Tit for Tat could be seen as attempting to promote anti-British sentiment
Anti-British sentiment
Anti-British sentiment is prejudice, fear or hatred against the British Government, the culture or the people of the United Kingdom, or its Overseas territories.-Argentina:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rather than promoting slavery.
Plot
The novel follows Totty, a young urchin living in poverty in Victorian-era LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Totty is stolen from his family whilst young, and forced to work as the apprentice of a sadistic chimney sweep
Chimney sweep
A chimney sweep is a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys may be straight or contain many changes of direction. During...
. Totty's suffering is ignored by the philanthropists
Philanthropy
Philanthropy 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...
, who are so concerned with the welfare of black slaves in America that they fail to notice that they have simply replaced their own slavery with child labour.
Publication history
Tit for Tat was first published in its entirety by Garret & Co. in 1856, but unlike other anti-Tom novels such as Aunt Phillis's CabinAunt Phillis's Cabin
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...
or The Planter's Northern Bride
The Planter's Northern Bride
The 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 :...
, the novel has not been republished in the modern day.