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Motifs
Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Chapter 9: In Which It Appears That a Senator is but a Man
Explanation and Analysis—Sorrow Springs Joys:
In Chapter 9, Senator Bird, who supports the Fugitive Slave Act, justifies the practice of capturing runaway slaves, while his wife disagrees with him. When Eliza shows up with her son in need of protection and shelter, the Birds are forced to directly confront their beliefs. Mrs. Bird, who believes it is her duty as a Christian to help those in need, eventually convinces the Senator of the same. After the Birds accept Eliza and her son into their home, the narrator comments upon their unexpected generosity using figurative language and a series of oxymorons:
There are in this world blessed souls, whose sorrows all spring up into joys for others; whose earthly hopes, laid in the grave with many tears, are the seed from which spring healing flowers and balm for the desolate and the distressed.
Note how the language in this passage is religious in tone, as the narrator describes the Birds as "blessed souls." In doing so, Beecher Stowe makes it clear to the reader that in accepting the two runaways, the Birds have made a choice that reflects their moral standing. Beecher Stowe's language here also reflects the larger moral framework she presents in the novel, one in which slavery is an evil that must be fought against at all costs.
The narrator then goes on to pair concepts that on the surface seem to oppose one another: "sorrows" and "joys," as well as life and death. This series of oxymorons further emphasizes the juxtaposition of good and evil that occurs throughout Uncle Tom's Cabin, as Beecher Stowe reminds the reader that opposing forces such as good and evil can exist at the same time. Beecher Stowe was writing with a religious audience in mind, and her use of figurative language is part of her persuasive strategy.
Related Themes:
