"I looked off over the still, calm waters, and they seemed to open bright gates of freedom to me; but then I saw my wife's face come up, and I felt her clinging to my arm, and heard her say, 'O, Tom, don't leave me! what'll become of me?' and it seemed as if every hope in my heart withered; and I turned away all sick with longing. O, if I'd only thought of the children! - but I couldn't help it. It's nature stirring, you see, and nature's strong. I tell you, I was kind of crazy, and I'm afraid I don't quite forgive myself for't yet. But it's all past and gone now."
— From Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, describing Tom's moment of yearning for freedom as he gazes at the Mississippi River at sunrise.
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Context: The Mississippi River and Uncle Tom's Cabin
In Uncle Tom's Cabin, Tom is transported down the Mississippi River after being sold by his original owner. The specific location isn't precisely stated in this passage, but Tom's journey takes him through the southern states along the river, eventually ending up in Louisiana.
The Mississippi River flows from Minnesota southward through the central United States, passing through major cities like Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch is located in St. Louis, Missouri, on the western bank of the Mississippi River. However, it's important to note that the Gateway Arch was built in the 1960s—more than a century after the events depicted in Uncle Tom's Cabin (set in the pre-Civil War era of the 1850s). Tom would not have seen the arch during his journey, as it did not exist at that time.
St. Louis was a significant port city on the Mississippi River during the antebellum period and played an important role in river commerce and the slave trade.
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Ok, thanks - : D Into what now?
Notion Ai’s response when asked to explain this page:
This page documents a visit to the Acropolis through a literary lens, connecting a powerful passage from Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin about longing for freedom with geographical and historical context about the Mississippi River. The page explores Tom's journey down the river, provides information about significant locations like St. Louis and the Gateway Arch (noting its anachronistic relationship to the novel's timeline), and situates the literary moment within the broader landscape of antebellum America and the slave trade.
Like other entries in the Atlas database (such as Acropolis), this page combines personal reflection, literary analysis, and geographical exploration to create a multifaceted travel and cultural record.