Different authors use different methods to keep readers turning pages of their books. Some authors may use illustrations, some may use humor, some may use mystery or action, but some authors create an emotional attachment between readers and characters – a bond so great a reader can't put the book down. The latter of methods mentioned, is Harriet Beecher Stowe's method in her famous slave narrative, Uncle Tom's Cabin. By introducing sentimentalism into her piece, Stowe creates a deep emotional bond that connects readers to each of her characters and makes them want to know what happens. Whether readers feel empathy for Eliza, anger towards slave catchers and slave holders, sadness for Eva and Tom, or hopelessness for St. Claire, readers feel as though they must know what happens and will keep flipping pages until they find their answer. This is the beauty of Uncle Tom's Cabin. It is not just a slave narrative, it's an emotional roller coaster. At any moment, readers can feel a different emotion – these emotions can also vary due to the diversity of the reader, especially when the book was first published.
             One of the first characters readers are introduced to in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is Eliza Harris. Eliza is a slave, and is responsible for the house cleaner duties of Mrs. Shelby, the wife of her owner. She is smart, brave, and a loving mother. These traits are tested when Eliza learns that her son, George, will be sold to another owner. She knows that a life without her beloved son would be a life not worth living. She decides to leave. Her harrowing escape from slavery is one of the most well known scenes from Uncle Tom's Cabin, due to her dramatic leap into an icy river in order to save her child. Unfortunately, due to the passage of the fugitive slave act, Eliza is not free when she crosses the Ohio River; rather she faces further danger in the North. Readers quickly sympathize for ...