Day 2 Part 1: Hanging with Harriet

After 7.5 hours of driving, I'm finally back in Vermont and ready to reflect on everything I learned today. In this post, I will be discussing my visit to the Harriet Beecher Stowe home in Hartford Connecticut. In the next post, I will be giving an overview of my trek through her neighbor's home, Mark Twain.

When visiting the Stowe home, I was greeted by a friendly staff who encouraged us to look through some displays while we waited for the tour to begin. These displays asked visitors to consider the definition of "Uncle Tom" throughout history beginning with Stowe's novel. I plan on considering this as I continue reading Uncle Tom's Cabin and how the definition has gone through dynamic changes.There was also a short film playing that depicted aspects of Stowe's life. 

Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the home, but I took some pictures of the outside views. The Victorian home was built in 1873. The rooms that we saw in the home were:

• The Dining Room
• Stowe's Daughters' bedroom (The two daughters, twins, stayed living in their mother's home. They never married because they did not want to be trapped in a powerless Victorian era marriage.)
• The Front Parlor
• The Back Parlor
• The Guest Bedroom
• The Master Bedroom
• Calvin's Study (Stowe's husband)
• The Kitchen

This home was funded by the Uncle Tom's Cabin novel. The guide told us that, because of this novel, slavery was looked at as a moral issue for the first time instead of a political or economic issue. 

Seeing the extent of her creativity made me jealous that this woman had so much talent. In addition to being a writer, Stowe was a painter and a musician. Her paintings of flowers, animals, and southern views are displayed throughout the home.

I was a bit disappointed by the narrative given in the home overall. It seemed that the tour focused more on how important being a Victorian housewife was to Stowe rather than her inspiration for her writing, her opinions of slavery, abolition, her research, etc., or her strengths. She was a vocal and independent woman in a time when it was difficult to do so. She met Abraham Lincoln, suffered from depression, and wrote a novel that changed the United States and outsold the Bible. This aspect of her life seemed like it was glossed over during the tour. Instead, her kitchen/ domestic writings were focused on. 

Seeing the kitchen and considering the connection between how it was set up and Stowe's book about how to be a homemaker was a good experience. We still use many of her suggestions today such as keeping glassware near the sink and utilizing an island in the kitchen.

Overall, I was impressed with the home and its artifacts, but I wish that certain themes were more prevalent that the ones chosen. I feel that this home could be utilized as an opportunity to begin a discussion about the difficult topic of slavery.

I should mention, one of the stories that really resonated with me was when the guide told us Stowe's last words. She asked, "are we going for a walk?" It is evident from this statement, as well as her entire life, that Stowe never quit.