Review Of Uncle tom

            In his review of Uncle Tom's Cabin, French author George Sand looks not at the faults in Stowe's work, but rather at what makes Stowe's book so widely popular. He feels it is a shame there are so many souls in this world that will never get the chance to read her masterpiece. The souls he refers to are those individuals raised in poverty, slaves due to ignorance, and those that will never see a copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin. These souls will never experience the emotions present in Stowe's work; those emotions Sand finds "so sad and yet so sweet". In his review, Sand paints an image of Stowe as an earthly saint possessing the ability to reach people with her mastered skill of the written word. In his homage to Stowe, Sand compares her to an artist; she knows exactly what brush strokes to use to create a masterpiece. He also raises the question as to what makes a good piece of literature. Can a piece of literature be defined as good if and only if the author follows the tried and true "rules" regarding literature, or does it go beyond the standard conventions? Sand mentions the one rule all artists should follow is "paint to move". While Stowe may receive harsh criticism for her work from those critics who only believe in adhering to the standard rules, they cannot dismiss Stowe's ability to appeal to a large base of readers. Those critics that put Stowe's work down may be harsh and "vindictive", but as Sand mentions, "it is impossible for them to remain unjust and insensible". They do not measure Stowe's work as a piece of art; Stowe's work must be treated thusly, having the same emotional impact as a painting from one of the great masters. Sand feels the critics who do not identify Stowe's work is great as defined by the conventional rules of literature, can not (and should not) dismiss her ability to appeal to the emotions of her audience. Sand also presents a challenge to the critics and readers of Stowe.