Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Chapter 4 summary

What happens

1. George helps Uncle Tom practice letters while Aunt Chloe prepares supper and proudly discusses her cooking.
2. George and Tom eat, then the children receive cakes and join the adults in noisy play.
3. The family arranges makeshift seats for the weekly religious meeting, and George agrees to read.
4. The worshippers sing, share religious experiences, and hear George read Revelation, while Tom offers deeply moving prayers.
5. Meanwhile, Mr. Shelby signs sale papers with Haley and receives a parchment from him.
6. Shelby asks Haley to protect Tom’s interests, but Haley points out that Shelby himself sells without knowing Tom’s destination.

In this chapter

What to notice

Haley exposes the contradiction in Shelby’s request. Shelby asks the trader to investigate Tom’s buyers although he completes his own sale without that protection.

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