Journal #17

Michelle Romero
English 48A
Dr. Scott Lankford

Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe

"I hate reasoning, John,--especially reasoning on such subjects. There's a way you political folks have of coming round and round a plain right thing; and you don't believe in it yourselves, when it comes to practice" (1723).


At this point in the story Mrs. Bird is arguing with Mr. Bird over whether or not a law has been passed that would prevent them from helping a runaway slave. They are talking about the Fugitive Slave Law. Mrs. Bird can not fathom that men would even put this law in to effect, but her husband tells her "My dear, let me reason with you" (1723). We then see Mrs. Bird's response to her husband's plea, in the quote above.

Mrs. Bird's response is so pointedly mocking of male reasoning. Stowe does a good job of setting her character up to be a compassionate Christian women who embodies all of the kind characteristics that a Christian woman should have. In doing this, it appears that Mrs. Bird is right and Mr. Bird is being insensitive. I also like how Mrs. Bird tells him that even he doesn't believe in the law even if he did help to pass it. She basically challenged him to reflect on his own conscious and not what he calls "reasoning." Her statements reflect her beliefs that humans have a conscious for a reason and should act on that conscious in ethical matters. She laughs at so-called "reason" and argues that there is nothing reasonable about it.

I also noticed how Stowe reveals the strength of women through Mrs. Bird's character. She portrays Mrs. Bird as Christianly, but also very strong and firm in her beliefs despite what her husband thinks. Her language with her husband is strong and her emotions are clearly expressed without restraint. To me, this is a revolutionary fact of Stowe's writing as well.