▁of ▁Har ri et ▁Be e cher ▁St owe ' s ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁novel , ▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in . ▁The ▁character ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁many ▁readers ▁as ▁ground - bre aking ▁human istic ▁port ray al ▁of ▁an ▁African - American ▁slave , ▁one ▁who ▁uses ▁non - res istance ▁and ▁gives ▁his ▁life ▁to ▁protect ▁others ▁who ▁have ▁escaped ▁from ▁sla very . ▁However , ▁the ▁character ▁also ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁– ▁especially ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁port ray al ▁in ▁pro - s la very ▁dram at izations ▁– ▁as ▁in app ropri ately ▁sub serv ient ▁to ▁white ▁slave hold ers . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁– ▁often ▁short ened ▁to ▁just ▁Tom ▁– ▁as ▁a ▁der og atory ▁ep ith et ▁for ▁an ▁exceed ingly ▁sub serv ient ▁person , ▁particularly ▁one ▁aware ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁lower - class ▁ra cial ▁status . ▁ ▁Original ▁character ization ▁and ▁critical ▁evalu ations ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁initial ▁publication ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁was ▁a ▁re jection ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁s tere ot ypes ▁of ▁min st rel ▁shows ; ▁St owe ' s ▁mel od ram atic ▁story ▁human ized ▁the ▁suffering ▁of ▁sla very ▁for ▁white ▁aud ien ces ▁by ▁port ray ing ▁Tom ▁as ▁a ▁Jesus - like ▁figure ▁who ▁is ▁ultimately ▁mart y red , ▁be aten ▁to ▁death ▁by ▁a ▁cruel ▁master ▁because ▁he ▁ref uses ▁to