▁ceased ▁being ▁respect able ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁mel od rama ▁of ▁the ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁story . ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁became ▁what ▁critic ▁L inda ▁Williams ▁describes ▁as ▁" an ▁ep ith et ▁of ▁serv ility " ▁and ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁reputation ▁pl um met ed ▁until ▁femin ist ▁critics ▁led ▁by ▁Jane ▁Tom p kins ▁re ass essed ▁the ▁tale ' s ▁female ▁characters . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Deb ra ▁J . ▁Ros ent hal , ▁in ▁an ▁introduction ▁to ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁critical ▁app rais als ▁for ▁the ▁Rout ledge ▁Liter ary ▁Source book ▁on ▁Har ri et ▁Be e cher ▁St owe ' s ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in , ▁overall ▁re actions ▁have ▁been ▁mixed ▁with ▁some ▁critics ▁pra ising ▁the ▁novel ▁for ▁aff irm ing ▁the ▁human ity ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁American ▁characters ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁ris ks ▁St owe ▁assumed ▁in ▁taking ▁a ▁very ▁public ▁stand ▁against ▁sla very ▁before ▁abol ition ism ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁soci ally ▁acceptable ▁cause , ▁and ▁others ▁critic izing ▁the ▁very ▁limited ▁terms ▁upon ▁which ▁those ▁characters ' ▁human ity ▁was ▁aff ir med ▁and ▁the ▁art istic ▁short com ings ▁of ▁political ▁mel od rama . ▁ ▁In sp iration ▁ ▁A ▁specific ▁imp et us ▁for ▁the ▁novel ▁was ▁the ▁F ug itive ▁S lave ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁which ▁im posed ▁heavy ▁fin es ▁upon ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁personnel ▁in ▁Northern ▁states ▁if ▁they ▁refused ▁to ▁assist ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁escaped ▁from