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本科毕业论文（设计）

题   目：Personality Decides Destiny --- A Study           of Uncle Tom’s Cabin from the Perspective of Personality Psychology

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指导教师:            赵嘏                

提交日期：  20##  年 5 月

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Abstract

    Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a realistic masterpiece written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It is the nineteenth century best-selling novel and the second best-selling book of that century, following the Bible. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is credited with helping fuel the abolitionist cause in the 1850s. This work, no, matter from the ideological, artistic or historical position, literary value, it is the highest achievement American abolition of literature and the most outstanding representative. From various perspectives, many scholars studied this work. Some of them used the sentimental technique to make analysis. While others used the method of new historical criticism theory. By the way, there are still others from a Christian perspective to study. Based on the writing background, this dissertation by collecting a large amount of literary materials, analyzes the Uncle Tom’s Cabin in personality psychology perspective. First, it introduces Uncle Tom and George Harris’s personality. Uncle Tom is a kindness, pious and obedient one, and he belongs to introversion personality. George Harris is a smart, brave, unafraid of sacrifice in pursuit of freedom,  and belongs to extroversion personality. Then, this dissertation makes a comparison of Uncle Tom and George Harris’s destiny. Uncle Tom is enduring a whipping to death, while George Harris finally gains his liberty. Finally, the dissertation finds out the reasons of different destiny between Uncle Tom and George Harris to prove “personality decides destiny”.

Key Words: Uncle Tom, George Harris, personality, destiny, personality psychology

摘要

   《汤姆叔叔的小屋》是一部斯托夫人的一部现实主义杰作，是美国历史上除了《圣经》以外销量最大的著作，并被认为是刺激1850年代废奴主义兴起的一大原因。这部作品，无论从思想性、艺术性还是历史地位、文学价值，都堪称美国废除文学的最高成就和最优秀的代表作。许多学者从各种角度去研读这部作品，有人运用感伤主义手法分析作品，有人采用新历史主义批判理论的方法，还有人从基督教的角度出发。根据这个时代背景，本文通过收集大量文献资料，从人格心理学的角度分析作品人物特征，去证明“性格决定命运”。首先，分析作品中汤姆叔叔善良，虔诚，顺从的内向性格，乔治哈里斯聪明，勇敢，不怕牺牲追求自由的外向性格。然后，对汤姆叔叔被残酷的主人鞭打致死与乔治哈里斯最后得到自由的结局进行对比。最后，找出造成汤姆叔叔和乔治哈里斯不同命运的原因，引出“性格决定命运”。

关键词：汤姆叔叔  乔治哈里斯  性格  命运  人格心理学

                

Contents

1. Introduction. 2

1.1The Background of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. 2

1.2The Introduction to Harriet Beecher Stowe. 3

1.3The Introduction to Uncle Tom and George Harris. 3

1.4 Overall Structures of the Dissertation. 4

2. Literature reviews 5

2.1 Research concerning Uncle Tom’s Cabin. 5

2.1.1 Research status  5

2.1.2 Research significance and theoretical basis  7

3. Theoretical Perspective of Personality Psychology. 8

3.1 The conception of Personality Psychology. 8

3.2 Humanistic theories by Abraham Maslow.. 9

3.3 “Personality decides destiny” by Carl G. Jung. 10

3.3.1 The introduction to Carl G. Jung  10

3.3.2 Two kinds of personality  11

4. The Reflection of “Personality Decides Destiny” in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. 12

4.1 A comparison of Uncle Tom and George Harris’s characters. 12

4.1.1 Uncle Tom --- a pious true black Christian  12

4.1.2 George Harris --- a bright and young mulatto man  13

4.2 The different destiny of Uncle Tom and Harris. 13

4.2.1 The tragic ending of Uncle Tom   13

4.2.2 Happy reunion life for George Harris  14

4.3 The reason of different destiny between Uncle Tom and George Harris. 14

4.3.1 The fundamental reason --- their different personality  14

4.3.1 The others reasons  15

5. Conclusion. 16

5.1 Summary of the dissertation. 16

5.2 Limitations of the dissertation. 17

References 18

 

1. Introduction

1.1The Background of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Uncle Tom's Cabin was first released in serial format in the National Era, the anti-slavery newspaper on June 5, 1851. It was just an instantaneous success. It sold 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week; 300,000 in the first year; and in Great Britain, 1.5 million copies in one year. The book’s heartrending portrayal of the impact of slavery captured the nation’s attention. It is added to the debate about abolition and slavery.As Harriet Beecher Stowe’s best known novel of the 19th century, it has changed Americans viewed slavery and helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War.  

1.2The Introduction to Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe (June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was a famous American author and abolitionist. She was from a small town--- Litchfield. Like considerable of her writing, her birthplace bears a sharp stamp of geography and local culture. In 1831, Harriet Beecher Stowe moved with her family to Cincinnati, there she met and married Calvin Stowe in 1836. Six of her seven children were both born in Cincinnati, but in the summer of 1849, her 18-month old son. Samuel Charles Stowe was died of cholera. She after credited Uncle Tom’s Cabin, it helped her deeply understand the pain that enslaved mother saw their children were taken to be sold.

In 1834, Stowe began her literary career when she won a prize contest of Western Monthly Magazine. Until now, Stowe published more than 30 books in her life. The best-selling anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin made her more illustrious. She also devoted herself to such varied publications as religious studies, children’s text books, advice books on homemaking and child rearing, etc. In 1862, when she visited President Lincoln, he greeted her as “the little lady who made this big war”: the War Between the States. Harriet Beecher Stowe believed her actions could make a positive difference. Her word changed the world.

1.3The Introduction to Uncle Tom and George Harris

Uncle Tom is a pious faithful black Christian, worked in Shelby family. Mr. Shelby is very like him, said Tom is an uncommon felon, steady, honest and capable. Tom is dedicated and upright in everything. Tom and his wife worked in Shelby family. They could view their children growing up happily. But there burst up a thing that Mr. Shelby facing to lose the farm because of debts, he decided to sell Uncle Tom. When Tom got this news, he didn’t plan to escape, he said:”master trusted me, and I couldn’t”.

Tom is sold first to a considerate master--- St. Clare. During those days, he was satisfied and hoping to be a free man. Another disaster was appearing suddenly, St. Clare died in an accident. Tom is unfortunately sold to Legree, suffered all kinds of suffering. At last, Legree beat Tom to death.

George Harris is a brainy and talented young mulatto man, who was working in a bagging factory, and was a universal favorite in there. However, he belonged to a narrow-minded, tyrannical master. He asks George to work doing soul-deadening manual labor. George laid in the eye of the law not a man, but a thing. Later, George was taken home and subject to the meanest drudgery of the farm.

During the favorable period of working in the factory, George met Eliza and married her. Eliza is a beautiful mulatto Christian, growing up under the protecting care of her mistress. They have a son called Harry, but for many reasons the master wanted to sell their son. They tried their best to protect their son, to the pursuit of freedom.

1.4 Overall Structures of the Dissertation

This dissertation is composed of five chapters.

Chapter One introduces the background of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and gives an introduction to this dissertation in which the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom, George Harris and the structure of this dissertation are stated.

Chapter Two presents a literature review of research concerning Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It comprises of research status, research significance and theoretical basis.

Chapter Three presents the theoretical framework of the dissertation, introducing the conception of Personality Psychology, Humanistic theories of Self-actualization by Abraham Maslow and “personality decides destiny” by Carl G. Jung.

Chapter Four is analyze the reflection of “Personality Decides Destiny” in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Go for a comparison of Uncle Tom and George Harris’s characters and their different destiny.

Chapter Five is the conclusion, which includes the summary, the limitation and the implications of the dissertation.

 

2. Literature reviews

2.1 Research concerning Uncle Tom’s Cabin

2.1.1 Research status

Since 1851 Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published, it has won high praise from readers all around the world and got the attention of many commentators. Edmund Wilson stated that “To expose oneself in maturity to Uncle Tom’s Cabin may … prove a startling experience.”  Jane Tompkins comments that “the novel is one of the American’s classic literatures and wonders if many literary critics aren’t dismissing the book because it was simply too popular during its day.” But there was someone making statements contrary with those people. George Whicher stated that “Nothing attributable to Mrs. Stowe or her handiwork can account for the novel’s enormous vogue: its author’s resources as a purveyor of Sunday-school fiction were not remarkable. She had at most a ready command of broadly conceived melodrama, humor, and pathos, and of these popular sentiments she compounded her book.”

Molly Farrell has made research on Uncle Tom’s Cabin which called “Dying Instruction: Puritan Pedagogy in Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. Starting from the influence of Christianity on the novel, Farrell analyzed the cultural background and family development of Harriet Beecher Stowe. When Stowe was a young wife and mother living in Cincinnati, she met former and fugitive enslaved people. Cincinnati was an ethnically and culturally vibrant city. Stowe knew about slavery before she settled in Ohio. In Ohio, Stowe heard first hand stories from former enslaved people, even witnessed slavery while visiting Kentucky and employed fugitives in her home. Stowe began her formal education at Sarah Pierce’s academy, one of the earliest to promote girls to study academic subjects and not simply ornamental arts. In 1824, Stowe was studied at Hartford Female Seminary where she furthered her writing talents, spending many hours composing essays. After a time, she also worked as an assistant teacher there. While on vacation at home in Litchfield in the summer of 1825 she had a spiritual awakening after attending one of her father’s sermons, she now became a devout Christian, giving herself to Jesus. Farrell has drawn a conclusion that Christianity was deep in Mrs. Stowe’s heart, because Christian philosophy has played a very important role in his work.  

Mandy Reid analyzed the racial characteristics in this novel based on the New Historicism theory, and further explored its relationship with American history and culture. He pointed out that this novel reaction to the Nineteenth Century American’s the change of race value. This novel was critical in building American culture.

According to document index, study in depth on this novel has more found in China but started late. Domestic scholars intensive studied on Uncle Tom’s Cabin from various angles.  The following provides a summary of some domestic scholars’ research on this novel. Li Haifeng & Xu Xiaohong’s passage “Resistance or Submission --- The Different Destiny Between Uncle Tom and George”. First of all, they introduced the different destiny of Uncle Tom and George. Uncle Tom was always obedient to his master but was killed by the cruel master. George gained the freedom from rebel, the family reunion happy. Then, they analyzed the personality of Uncle Tom and George. Uncle Tom was kindness, loyalty, piety and integrity compliance. George was smart, kindness, brave and protest. They made a comparison with those two personalities, found out five factors to effected Uncle Tom and George’s personality. Those five factors are as follows: different religion attitudes, reflected by the master, family value, the power of knowledge and reaction to oppress. We can learn from Uncle Tom to be ourselves face in adversity, and like George be brave in oppression.

Li Ying gives her opinion on her research “The Interpretation of the Hero Tragedy Destiny in Uncle Tom’s Cabin ”that there are two big reasons to bring about the tragedy cause Uncle Tom. First, the social factor is the paralysis function of Christianity; second, the fundamental factor is the character of Uncle Tom. Li Ying analyzed the reason and cause of the protagonist’s three rises and fall tragic destiny, made a conclusion that the black liberation cannot relying on the power of religion and white moral help. The final is to rely on their awakening and rise up against ethnic discrimination, such ability to change their destiny, to gain freedom and dignity, achieve racial equality.

2.1.2 Research significance and theoretical basis

People who read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, they would naturally remember the loyalty Uncle Tom and George full of wisdom that you might feel upset for those man’s suffering in this novel. There are two main threads people in this novel, Uncle Tom and George. Facing the family will break up, they took different action to deal with this problem. Uncle Tom chose to absolute obedience, at the same time, George elected to escape and pursuit of freedom.

This novel is not difficult to see it throughout the Christian spirit. At the same time, “the Bible” words are full in the whole novel. Numerous scholars analyzed the Christian effected personality and behavior from a Christian perspective. Influence of the Christian, Uncle Tom believed that God is everything, God dominates everything, not his purpose, even the sparrow also did not fall down, so he resolutely refused to run away to escape the disaster. Uncle Tom in order not to saw the master go bankrupt, he avoiding other people suffers from being sold rather himself sold to the south. In fact, those are the reflection of Christian that sacrifice themselves and love themselves.  

Kevin Pelletier used sentimental technique analysis this novel, he thought this novel was to express every antislavery has compassion and love slave, so the America white should concern about slave. Xue Yufeng used character analysis, analyzed with the image of Uncle Tom, questioning the traditional image of Uncle Tom. She thought that Stowe writes Uncle Tom as a devout Christian, kindness, helpful, liking to sacrifice for others.

No matter in the real society or in literary creation, everyone is a node in a variety of relationship. Actually, personality psychology both in this node can be displayed and restricted by all kinds of relationships. In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, when Uncle Tom facing his family was separated and himself be sold to the south, he still chose to obedient to his master. This kind of personality psychology reflects the Christian has a great influence of someone’s values. Facing the same awkward position, George chose to revolt and pursuit of freedom. Each kind of personality psychology is often affected by someone’s living environment, values, needs, etc. Those needs can be divided into five broad categories: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Their different personality, pursuit of different needs decides their different destiny.

Different from those previous studies, this dissertation is based on the theory of personality psychology to prove the “personality decides destiny”. First, the author will introduce the conception of personality psychology and humanistic theories into this dissertation. Try based on those theories to analyze this novel, especially analyze Uncle Tom and George’s personality and their different destiny, make a comparison with both two, finally to prove that “personality decides destiny”.

3. Theoretical Perspective of Personality Psychology

3.1 The conception of Personality Psychology

The word “personality” originates from the Latin word “persona”, which means mask. Nowadays, personality can be defined as a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations. Personality also refers to the pattern of thoughts, feelings, social adjustments, and behaviors consistently exhibited over time that strongly influences one's expectations, self-perceptions, values, and attitudes. It also predicts human reactions to other people, problems, and stress.

Personality psychology is focusing on finding out the functioning of the person as a whole, and it is a branch of psychology that studies personality and its variation between individuals. There are three areas of personality psychology, 1) construction of a coherent picture of the individual and his or her major psychological processes; 2) investigation of individual psychological differences; 3) investigation of human nature and psychological similarities between individuals.

The study of personality has a broad and varied history in psychology with an abundance of theoretical traditions. The major theories include dispositional perspective, psychodynamic, humanistic, biological, behaviorist, evolutionary and social learning perspective. However, many researchers and psychologists do not explicitly identify themselves with a certain perspective and instead take an eclectic approach. 

3.2 Humanistic theories by Abraham Maslow

Humanistic theories were generated as a reaction against psychoanalytic premises of instinctual drives. Humanistic theories pay special attention to one’s ability to learn about oneself, acceptance of self, and exploration of personal capabilities.

       Abraham Maslow (April1, 1908- June8, 1970) is one of the founders of humanistic psychology and also developed the theory of human motivation. Maslow noted that some human needs were affected their motivation. Those needs can be divided into five broad categories: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.

The physiological needs might consist of: the need to eat, the need to breathe, the need to drink water, the need to regulate homeostasis, the need to get rid of bodily wastes. Physiological needs are the most important necessary for every person. It can affect your thought and behaviors.

Safety needs are including: security of health, security of personal property, security of employment and family security, etc. When physiological needs are met, safety needs will emerge.

When physiological needs and safety needs are fulfilled, they will search the third layer of human needs is belonging needs. Friendship, sexual intimacy and family, humans need to feel belonging and acceptance, so they can be stronger to fix the matters they meet in the life.

“All humans are required to be respected, to have self-respect, and to respect others”, noted by Maslow. Without esteem needs, we will feel inferior and negative regarding our lives. Esteem needs are the basis for the human desire we all have to be considered and valued by others. According to Maslow, there are lower-level and higher-level esteem needs. Lower-level esteem needs as the need for the respect of others through status, recognition, and attention, while higher-level needs are described as strength, competence, self-confidence, and independence.

Self-actualization refers to the need for personal growth and development that exists throughout your life. According to Maslow, “a musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is supposed to be at peace with himself.” You can’t become fully self-actualized until your needs at the lower levels of the pyramid are met. Once you are self-actualized, you’ve met your full potential as an individual.

3.3 “Personality decides destiny” by Carl G. Jung

3.3.1 The introduction to Carl G. Jung

Carl G. Jung (1875-1961) is one of the great minds of psychology. He contributed many ideas which are quite famous. Those are complex, archetype, persona, shadow, anima and animus, personality typology, dream interpretation, individuation, and many other ideas. And he is known for his theories of the Collective Unconscious, including the concept of archetypes, and the use of synchronicity in psychotherapy.

He was born in Kesswil, Switzerland. In 1900 to 1909, he worked at the Burghözli mental clinic in Zurich. And later in 1933 to 1941, he held professorships at universities in Zurich. During World War Ⅰ，Jung was drafted as an army doctor. In 1903, Jung married Emma Rauschenbach who came from a rich family in Switzerland. When he was thirty, he sent his Studies in Word Association to Sigmund Freud in Vienna in 1906. It standards his early working relationship with Freud was beginning. Freud said Jung “his adopted eldest son, his crown prince and successor”, they influenced each other during the intellectually formative years of Jung’s life. After Jung published The Psychology of the Unconscious in 1921, their theories diverged and Jung developed his own school of “analytical psychology.” His books which are very admirable include Psychology and Religion, The Undiscovered Self and his autobiography, Memories, Dreams, and Reflections. It was a Jung byword that personality decides destiny.

3.3.2 Two kinds of personality

  Extraversion

       Extraversion refers to ongoing, easily expresses emotions, smile a lot. The people who have the extraversion personality would rather be a participant than an observer. They like to participate in group discussion, spends more time with others than alone. Extraversion may have progressive effects when it leads a person to make sensible decisions

According to Jung, the extraverted thinking type is characterized by a need to do all his life-activities dependent on intellectual conclusions. This kind of man is intellectual formula. If the formula is wide enough, this type may play a very useful role in social life, either as a reformer of public wrongs.

Introversion

Introversion refers to a quiet person who is more interested in their own thoughts and feelings than enjoy being with other people. The introverted thinking type, “like his extraverted counterpart, is strongly influenced by ideas, though his ideas have their origin not in objective data but his subjective foundation. He will follow his ideas like the extravert, but in the reverse direction: inwards and not outwards” (Jung, 1923, p. 383). This kind man of introverted appears shy, cold, and aloof.

    Jung point out that people are not purely introverted or extraverted; rather, each person has both introverted and extraverted aspects.

4. The Reflection of “Personality Decides Destiny” in Uncle Tom’s Cabin

4.1 A comparison of Uncle Tom and George Harris’s characters.

4.1.1 Uncle Tom --- a pious true black Christian

When people speak of Uncle Tom, the first thing they will say is Uncle Tom’s obedience. No matter the master was kind or bloody, Uncle Tom always chose loyal to them. At the very beginning of this novel, Mr. Shelby, the first and most generous master of Uncle Tom, said “I trusted him, with everything I have, ----money, house, horses, ----and let him come and go round the country; and I always found him true and square in everything.” Uncle Tom is his steady, honest, capable and uncommon felon.

Uncle Tom’s honest not only for Mr. Shelby, but also for his new master, St. Clare. St. Clare was an elegant and careless master. They met on a boat, the way Uncle Tom should be sold to the South. Nevertheless, at the very moment, Uncle Tom saved Mr. Shelby’s daughter life. Mr. Shelby’s daughter named Eva, she liked Uncle Tom so much, asked her father to buy Uncle Tom. Mr. Shelby agreed to purchase, from that day on, Uncle Tom helped his master to manage the whole house and marketing. He thought Uncle Tom is a considerate and loyal felon.

Although Uncle Tom belonged to the lowest class, including their off springs, he loved the blacks and the whites. He loved his masters as much as his fellows and believed that everyone was God’s chosen people, and always would everyone be. So when his cruel master Legree asked him to hit his fellow, he refused and said he would be rather to die.

From all of these behaviors, we can learn that Uncle Tom is a true black felon. In every position, he can love people all on an equal footing.

4.1.2 George Harris --- a bright and young mulatto man

George Harris is a bright and talented young mulatto man. He has a handsome appearance and pleasing manners. When he worked in a bagging factory, he was the first hand in the factory. He had invented a machine for the cleaning of the hemp that was sufficient to prove his genius. He was a general favorite in the factory. But the happy life not always continues, because his master begrudges his talent and didn’t allow him work in the factory anymore. He faced a life of toil and drudgery. The master did everything possible to afflict him. In that situation, George couldn’t bear his master any longer, so he intended to escape. When he said those suffer to his wife, his wife was trying to let him calm down. She thought they must have faith, when all things go wrong with them, they must believe that God is doing the very best. But George was not a Christian, he has enough to bear and decided escape to Canada.

 During George chose the escape way that was meant the way would be full of hard and rough to walk on. Although it drew many people want to bring him to justice, you might admire George has such brave to overcome all difficulties. Through his struggle, he has runaway to Canada successfully.

4.2 The different destiny of Uncle Tom and Harris

4.2.1 The tragic ending of Uncle Tom

Uncle Tom was kindly and simple-hearted, because of sincerely believed in Christ, he did work keep faithful and most loyal. He also kept diligent and realistic for his master. Owing to his strong sense of justice, he resolutely refused to do evil things and did everything in a spirit of individual sacrifice for the common good. Therefore, Uncle Tom was held in high esteem by the Black.  

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Uncle Tom was seeking the physiological needs. In short, he needed to eat，needed to drink water, needed to live. Although he wanted to be a free man, all of his needs were belonging to the lowest needs.  There is a well-known saying from Carl G. Jung —“personality decides destiny”. From study of Carl Jung’s psychology, you can learn that Uncle Tom’s personality should be considered as introversion. Uncle Tom was resigned to everything, twice to be sold, but he never had a mind to escape. His third master tried to bludgeon him into being a foreman. Nevertheless, Uncle Tom didn’t want to act as his dog. He would rather have a whip than picked up the whip to beat his companion. In fact, Uncle Tom has his own opinions and certain principles, never bow to the vicious power. Therefore, Uncle Tom was flogged to death because he was unwilling to tell his masters that he did not want to sell the two helpless women.

In the depth of his heart, he wanted to be a free man, he also looked forward to the day of freedom coming and reunited with his family, but in the end he was incapable of action.

4.2.2 Happy reunion life for George Harris

George Harris was a young mulatto with handsome, intelligent, honest and brave. He groaned for liberty very much and had a rebellious spirit. In order to seek freedom, he was no fear of sacrifice. In this novel, you can see the biggest difference between Uncle Tom and George Harris is: George was bold in denying and criticizing the God.  George doubted the existence of God or whether God really stood on one side of the suffering. He couldn’t bear his master’s oppression, chose to flee. When his wife Eliza was praying to God for shelter and protection, George said that he afraid of God is on the other side and “The Bible” is also on the other side. Why God could bear they led voluptuous lives and did what they like. Why the poor, honest, sincere Christians like them were put in the soles of the feet.  Why God might allow cruel people to continue. In order to defend his wife and child, when their freedom was threatened, George didn’t hesitate to shoot them.

George didn’t believe in God, rush into danger, and dare to struggle. He finally successfully fled to Canada, met with his wife and child.

4.3 The reason of different destiny between Uncle Tom and George Harris

   4.3.1 The fundamental reason --- their different personality

The fundamental reason for different destiny between Uncle Tom and George is their different personality. Uncle Tom belongs to introversion personality, while George belongs to extraversion personality. Although Uncle Tom has a mind of his own ideal, but he wouldn’t share it with anyone. He has excessive dependence on God and faced his faith completely immovable. When people encouraged him to escape, he said, “… Master always found me on the spot— he always will, I never have broke trust nor use my pass no ways contrary to my word and I never will” he declared that his responsibility was to provide his master serves faithfully, so he might get a reward. He spread the gospel to other slaves, to warm their heart, to share their pain and sorrow. Thus, Uncle Tom has a strong Christian thinking model and the religious ideas had a great influence of his personality.

George Harris was a typical representative of the extraversion personality. As an egalitarian believer, George Harris could not understand why Lord classified his children and chastened the poor ones. Faced much unfair treatment, he would rather be a participant than an observer to resist it.

He could read better, write a better hand than his master, and he knew much about the business. However, his master made him a dray horse, to take him from his wife and child, and putted him to the hardest, meanest work. Regardless of the fact that God and American law had allowed all of these things to happen, George Harris would never allow it. On the way of their escaping, they confronted with numerous difficulties and dangers, but never had they subjected and gave up their dream. George Harris was very brave to gain his freedom and happiness.  

In a word, personality must affect your behaviors, thought, and value, so it can decides your destiny.

   4.3.1 The others reasons

At that time, the Black has no right to accept any education and not free. Many black people are illiterate and ignorant, including Uncle Tom. The only book they can read is the “Bible”. Uncle Tom’s ignorance made he have no concept of freedom. He in God, but it brought much unfair to him. George Harris was born in a rich family, father was white and mother was black, he was a mixed blood. His knowledge and gene were superior to Uncle Tom’s.  When he was a little boy, he saw his mother and sisters were sold by their housekeeper. He saw his most dear relatives were beaten but him incapable of action to save them. In fact, his anger accumulated for a long time, he said he is a desperado, would fight for freedom struggle to the death.

5. Conclusion

5.1 Summary of the dissertation

Up to now, using the main research methods of personality psychology, the dissertation has made detailed analysis of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. From all the analysis the dissertation has made, a conclusion can be drawn that Harriet Beecher Stowe showed us two main black people and their different destiny in her work. Uncle Tom's Cabin raised the issues of racism in the United States, as well as inspired feminist thought on the role of women and the conjunction of race and sex. Some criticize the novel, however, for being racist because of its sentimental and stereotypical characterizations of slaves. The triumph of the novel is not that it shows the pervasive experience of slavery in the South, but rather that it portrays the personal tragedies the system caused. Moreover, it argued that slaves were not property, but human beings with emotions like those of the readers. For this reason, Stowe chose to portray intimate stories to show the harm being done to individual humans.

This novel has changed Americans viewed slavery and helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War. Because of this novel, President Lincoln had claimed that “The little lady who started the big war” describing the writer Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Although many scholars have made numerous research on this novel, some of them were focused on the Uncle Tom’s character, the effect of Christian and maternal salvation. They made the research from varies of perspectives. In this dissertation, it was from personality psychology perspective to analyze this novel. It introduced the conception of personality psychology into the theoretical basis part. Personality psychology is focusing on finding out the functioning of the person as a whole, and it is a branch of psychology that studies personality and its variation between individuals.

The purpose of this dissertation is to prove that “personality decides destiny” from personality psychology perspective.

Then, the author analyzed two main person’s characters and their destiny of this novel. Uncle Tom was a pious faithful black Christian and belonged to the typical introversion personality. George Harris was a brainy, talented young mulatto man and belonged to the typical extroversion personality. The life of Uncle Tom was full of twists and turns, finally he was beaten by his cruel master to death. George Harris’s personality was quite different from Uncle Tom’s. George in order to pursuit of freedom could struggle with any adventure and slaveholder. In the end of this novel, George was successfully fled to Canada and met with his family.

5.2 Limitations of the dissertation

Although the author has tried hard, the dissertation still has many limitations and needs more efforts.

First, due to the limitations of time and the dissertation length, the dissertation could not make studied on Uncle Tom’s Cabin more details. In order to draw a more objective conclusion, a comprehensive study on Uncle Tom’s Cabin is needed.

Secondly, in chapter four, author analysis of “personality decides destiny” in Uncle Tom’s cabin from personality psychology perspective. The content of this chapter is not sufficient and have not enough convincing.

In addition, the author has no sufficient and deep knowledge about the personality psychology, which would cause an effect on the dissertation’s analysis.

 

References

[1] Ann Casement, 2001, Carl Gustav Jung, SAGE Publication Ltd.

[2] Frank G. Goble, 2004, The Third Force: The Psychology of Abraham Maslow, Maurice Bessett Publishing.

[3] Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1999, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Wordsworth Editions Ltd.

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Acknowledgements

I am greatly in debt to a number of people, without whose help this dissertation could not be completed. First of all, I must show my gratitude to my supervisor Zhao Gu, whose helpful suggestions have contributed greatly to the completion of this dissertation. I owe him special thanks for providing me solid and abundant materials and instructions. My sincere thanks should go to Mr. Lin, and Miss Lin, for their constant encouragement and support throughout the course of the research. Finally, I will express my thanks to my family who have shown patience and understanding to the entire period of this work. The biggest thanks must go to my parents who, though unable to support me theoretically, encourage me spiritually.