Synopses & Reviews
Harriet Beecher Stowe's second antislavery novel was written partly in response to the criticisms of
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) by both white Southerners and black abolitionists. In
Dred (1856), Stowe attempts to explore the issue of slavery from an African American perspective.
Through the compelling stories of Nina Gordon, the mistress of a slave plantation, and Dred, a black revolutionary, Stowe brings to life conflicting beliefs about race, the institution of slavery, and the possibilities of violent resistance. Probing the political and spiritual goals that fuel Dred's rebellion, Stowe creates a figure far different from the acquiescent Christian martyr Uncle Tom.
In his introduction to the novel, Robert S. Levine outlines the contemporary antislavery debates in which Stowe had become deeply involved before and during her writing of Dred. In addition to its significance in literary history, the novel remains relevant, Levine argues, to present discussions of cross-racial perspectives.
Review
"An excellent edition of an important book."
Elizabeth Ammons, Tufts University
Review
"Inspired by a rare genius--rare in both intensity and in range of power."
George Eliot
Synopsis
Written partly in response to the criticisms of Uncle Tom's Cabin by both white Southerners and black abolitionists, Stowe's second novel, Dred, attempts to explore the issue of slavery from an African American perspective. Through the compelling stories of Nina Gordon, the mistress of a slave plantation, and Dred, a black revolutionary, Stowe brings to life conflicting beliefs about race, the institution of slavery, and the possibilities of violent resistance.
Synopsis
"A powerful novel and a compelling extension of Stowe's critique of slavery illuminated by Levine's judicious and helpful explanatory notes."
Gregg Crane, University of Michigan "An excellent edition of an important book."
Elizabeth Ammons, Tufts University "Inspired by a rare genius--rare in both intensity and in range of power."
George Eliot
About the Author
Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) was a novelist, essayist, and short-story writer best known for her first novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Robert S. Levine is professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is author or editor of several books, including Martin Delany, Frederick Douglass, and the Politics of Representative Identity and Martin R. Delany: A Documentary Reader, both from The University of North Carolina Press.