How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
But stronger than all was maternal love, wrought into a paroxysm of frenzy by the near approach of a fearful danger. Her boy was old enough to have walked by her side, and, in an indifferent case, she would only have led him by the hand; but now the bare thought of putting him out of her arms made her shudder, and she strained him to her bosom with a convulsive grasp, as she went rapidly forward. (7.1)
Stronger than fear is a mother’s love; it will make a mother do anything. In this case, motherly love urges Eliza on and on to keep her son safe. "Stronger than all was maternal love" could be the motto of this novel – it’s a principle that prepares us for the power of St. Clare’s mother and Legree’s mother, to name just two.
Quote #2
"Your heart is better than your head, in this case, John," said the wife, laying her little white hand on his. "Could I ever have loved you, had I not known you better than you know yourself?" And the little woman looked so handsome, with the tears sparkling in her eyes, that the senator thought he must be a decidedly clever fellow, to get such a pretty creature into such a passionate admiration of him; and so, what could he do but walk off soberly, to see about the carriage. (9.103)
Mrs. Bird’s wifely love for her husband inspires him to be a better person and rise above his Fugitive Slave Act politicking to help Eliza and her son. This is truly the "power behind the throne," the influence of a strong woman in the private sphere over her husband’s actions in the public one. The way wives love their husbands is part of Stowe’s plan for reforming society.
Quote #3
Chloe! Now, if ye love me, ye won't talk so, when perhaps jest the last time we'll ever have together! And I'll tell ye, Chloe, it goes agin me to hear one word agin Mas'r. Wan't he put in my arms a baby? – it's nature I should think a heap of him. And he couldn't be spected to think so much of poor Tom. Mas'rs is used to havin' all these yer things done for 'em, and nat'lly they don't think so much on 't. They can't be spected to, no way. Set him 'longside of other Mas'rs – who's had the treatment and livin' I've had? And he never would have let this yer come on me, if he could have seed it aforehand. I know he wouldn't." (10.13)
Strangely, Tom seems to value his love for his master almost more than he values his wife’s love. Chloe is probably the only wife in the novel whose powerful love doesn’t strongly affect her husband. Perhaps that’s because Tom’s love is complete and pure on its own.
Quote #4
"Why, which do you like the best, – to live as they do at your uncle's, up in Vermont, or to have a house-full of servants, as we do?"
"O, of course, our way is the pleasantest," said Eva.
"Why so?" said St. Clare, stroking her head.
"Why, it makes so many more round you to love, you know," said Eva, looking up earnestly. (16.170-173)
Eva does not see a house full of servants or slaves; she sees a house full of members of the family, people who love her and whom she can love. Eva’s unconditional, universal love, extended to everyone around her, reminds us that she has a Christ-like nature.
Quote #5
"What does make you so bad, Topsy? Why won't you try and be good? Don't you love anybody, Topsy?"
"Donno nothing 'bout love; I loves candy and sich, that's all," said Topsy.
"But you love your father and mother?"
"Never had none, ye know. I telled ye that, Miss Eva."
"O, I know," said Eva, sadly; "but hadn't you any brother, or sister, or aunt, or – "
"No, none on 'em, – never had nothing nor nobody."
"But, Topsy, if you'd only try to be good, you might – "
"Couldn't never be nothin' but a nigger, if I was ever so good," said Topsy. "If I could be skinned, and come white, I'd try then."
"But people can love you, if you are black, Topsy. Miss Ophelia would love you, if you were good." (25.34-42)
Eva points the reader to the cause of Topsy’s bad behavior and, the passage implies, of all sinful activity: not loving anyone, which is, in turn, caused by not being loved to begin with. Because Topsy has only learned about punishment and suffering, she has nothing on which to base morality or affection. Her experience has taught her, tragically, that blacks can’t be loved, especially by whites.
Quote #6
"O, Topsy, poor child, I love you!" said Eva, with a sudden burst of feeling, and laying her little thin, white hand on Topsy's shoulder; "I love you, because you haven't had any father, or mother, or friends; – because you've been a poor, abused child! I love you, and I want you to be good. I am very unwell, Topsy, and I think I shan't live a great while; and it really grieves me, to have you be so naughty. I wish you would try to be good, for my sake; – it's only a little while I shall be with you."
The round, keen eyes of the black child were overcast with tears; – large, bright drops rolled heavily down, one by one, and fell on the little white hand. Yes, in that moment, a ray of real belief, a ray of heavenly love, had penetrated the darkness of her heathen soul! She laid her head down between her knees, and wept and sobbed, – while the beautiful child, bending over her, looked like the picture of some bright angel stooping to reclaim a sinner.
"Poor Topsy!" said Eva, "don't you know that Jesus loves all alike? He is just as willing to love you, as me. He loves you just as I do, – only more, because he is better. He will help you to be good; and you can go to Heaven at last, and be an angel forever, just as much as if you were white. Only think of it, Topsy! – you can be one of those spirits bright, Uncle Tom sings about." (25.48-50)
Through love, Eva converts Topsy to Christianity and transforms her nature. Observing the scene, St. Clare compares Eva to Jesus Christ – she is willing to touch and love the lowly and despised, the cast out, the ones the rest of society scorned. Eva doesn’t just tell Topsy about religious principles, she demonstrates them, actively giving love without expecting anything in return.
Quote #7
"Topsy, you poor child," she said, as she led her into her room, "don't give up! I can love you, though I am not like that dear little child. I hope I've learnt something of the love of Christ from her. I can love you; I do, and I'll try to help you to grow up a good Christian girl."
Miss Ophelia's voice was more than her words, and more than that were the honest tears that fell down her face. From that hour, she acquired an influence over the mind of the destitute child that she never lost. (27.24-25)
Miss Ophelia resolves to love Topsy and commits verbally to doing so. Miss Ophelia’s change of heart works a change in Topsy’s heart, in turn. Here we see the transformative power of love, part of Stowe’s Christian belief and the basis for much of her conviction that society could be changed for the better.