Dred - by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Paperback)

About the Book

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.

Book Synopsis

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 classic novel, Robert S. Levine outlines the antislavery debates in which Stowe had become deeply involved before and during her writing of Dred. Levine shows that in addition to its significance in literary history, the novel remains relevant to present-day discussions of cross-racial perspectives.

Review Quotes

"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

"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

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.