▁Uncle ▁Tom ' s ▁Cab in ▁was ▁written , ▁but ▁the ▁chron ology ▁does ▁not ▁hold ▁up ▁to ▁scr ut iny ▁and ▁she ▁probably ▁drew ▁material ▁only ▁from ▁his ▁published ▁aut obi ography . ▁ ▁Ep ith et ▁In ▁short ▁terms , ▁Uncle ▁Tom ▁is ▁l abeled ▁to ▁persons , ▁similar ▁to ▁sn itch ▁or ▁bet ray er , ▁whose ▁mot ive ▁is ▁driven ▁by ▁accept ance ▁that ▁doing ▁sla very ▁was ▁just ▁how ▁the ▁( ante bell um ) ▁Southern ▁society ▁worked , ▁whether ▁the ▁accept ance ▁is ▁sp ont aneous ▁or ▁co er ced . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" Un cle ▁Tom " ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁der og atory ▁ep ith et ▁for ▁an ▁excess ively ▁sub serv ient ▁person , ▁particularly ▁when ▁that ▁person ▁perce ives ▁their ▁own ▁lower - class ▁status ▁based ▁on ▁race . ▁It ▁is ▁similarly ▁used ▁to ▁neg atively ▁describe ▁a ▁person ▁who ▁bet ray s ▁their ▁own ▁group ▁by ▁particip ating ▁in ▁its ▁opp ression , ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁they ▁do ▁so ▁will ingly . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁has ▁also , ▁with ▁more ▁intended ▁neutral ity , ▁been ▁applied ▁in ▁psych ology ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁" Un cle ▁Tom ▁synd rome ", ▁a ▁term ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁sub ser vi ence , ▁appe as ement ▁and ▁pass ivity ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁int im id ation ▁and ▁thre ats . ▁ ▁The ▁popular ▁negative ▁con not ations ▁of ▁" Un cle ▁Tom " ▁have ▁largely ▁been ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁numerous ▁derivative ▁works ▁inspired