《汤姆叔叔的小屋》揭露了美国南部种植园黑人奴隶制的残暴和黑奴的痛苦。小说主人公老黑奴汤姆在奴隶主之间几经转卖,*后落到**残暴的奴隶主莱格里手中。他为掩护两个女奴逃亡而惨死在主人的皮鞭下。女奴伊莱扎的孩子同时也将被卖,她带着孩子冒死潜逃,在废奴派人士的协助下与丈夫会合,奋力抵抗追捕,*终到达加拿大,获得自由。小说赞扬女奴伊莱扎夫妇所代表的黑人为反抗压迫、争取自由解放而进行的艰苦斗争,同时也推崇汤姆所体现的逆来顺受的基督教博爱宽恕精神。

VOLUME Ⅰ
Chapter 1 In Which the Reader is Introduced to a Man of Humanity
Chapter 2 The Mother
Chapter 3 The Husband and Father
Chapter 4 An Evening in Uncle Tom's Cabin
Chapter 5 Showing the Feelings of Living Property on Changing Owners
Chapter 6 Discovery
Chapter 7 The Mother's Struggle
Chapter 8 Eliza's Escape
Chapter 9 In Which It Appears That a Senator Is but a Man
Chapter 10 The Property Is Carried Off
Chapter 11 In Which Property Gets into an Improper State of Mind
Chapter 12 Select Incident of Lawful Trade
Chapter 13 The Quaker Settlement
Chapter 14 Evangeline
Chapter 15 Of Tom's New Master, and Various Other Matters
Chapter 16 Tom's Mistress and Her Opinions
Chapter 17 The Freeman's Defence
Chapter 18 Miss Ophelia's Experiences and Opinions
VOLUME Ⅱ
Chapter 19 Miss Ophelia's Experiences and Opinions, Continued
Chapter 20 Topsy
Chapter 21 Kentuck
Chapter 22 "The Grass Withereth--the Flower Fadeth"
Chapter 23 Henrique
Chapter 24 Foreshadowings
Chapter 25 The Little Evangelist
Chapter 26 Death
Chapter 27 "This Is the Last of Earth"
Chapter 28 Reunion
Chapter 29 The Unprotected
Chapter 30 The Slave Warehouse
Chapter 31 The Middle Passage
Chapter 32 Dark Places
Chapter 33 Cassy
Chapter 34 The Quadroon's Story
Chapter 35 The Tokens
Chapter 36 Emmeline and Cassy
Chapter 37 Liberty
Chapter 38 The Victory
Chapter 39 The Stratagem
Chapter 40 The Martyr
Chapter 41 TheYoung Master
Chapter 42 An Authentic Ghost Story
Chapter 43 Results
Chapter 44 The Liberator
Chapter 45 Concluding Remarks

一部伟大的反对奴隶制的宣言,是抨击美国奴隶制的不朽之作,同时,它又被称为“黑人的《伊利亚特》”、“美国抗议小说的基石”。小说描写了不同表现和性格的黑奴,也描写了不同类型的奴隶主嘴脸。它着力刻画了接受奴隶主灌输的基督教精神、逆来顺受型的黑奴汤姆;也塑造了不甘心让奴隶主决定自己生死的具有反抗精神的黑奴,如伊丽莎和她的丈夫乔治·哈里斯。同时,也揭示了各种类型的奴隶主的内心世界和奴隶主不完全相同的表现。