Question

In the passage below from Uncle Tom's Cabin, the slaveholder Shelby talks about Tom, the slave he plans to give to a slave trader to pay off a debt.

"Well, Tom's got the real article, if ever a fellow had," rejoined the other. "Why, last fall, I let him go to Cincinnati alone, to do business for me, and bring home five hundred dollars. 'Tom,' says I to him, 'I trust you, because I think you're a Christian—I know you wouldn't cheat.' Tom comes back, sure enough; I knew he would. Some low fellows, they say, said to him—'Tom, why don't you make tracks for Canada?' 'Ah, master trusted me, and I couldn't,'—they told me about it. I am sorry to part with Tom, I must say. You ought to let him cover the whole balance of the debt; and you would, Haley, if you had any conscience."

What is ironic about Shelby's description of Tom?


1. Shelby has been fooled into thinking that Tom is trustworthy.

2. Tom is clearly a more moral person than Shelby.

3. Shelby trusts Tom but does not trust Haley.

4. Tom and Shelby are both good Christians.

Answer 1

Tom is clearly a more moral person than Shelby.

Answer 2

The ironic thing about the way Shelby describes Tom is:

2. Tom is clearly a more moral person than Shelby.

Step-by-step explanation:

Tom was loyal to Shelby. So loyal that he could have escaped to Canada with some money, but didn't. However, Shelby is not loyal to Tom. Even though he describes him in a positive way, he is still giving him away as if he were not a person, but a mere merchandise. Tom's loyalty and honesty show he is a moral person. Shelby, on the other hand, does not seem to possess any of those qualities. Even if he is considered a good man by society, he still does not see Tom as an equal, as a human being.