Final answer:
In 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' George and Eliza escape from Tom Loker and his band by relying on quick thinking, bravery, and the Underground Railroad network. Eliza's daring leap with her child onto the icy Ohio River is one of the most vivid representations of their fight for freedom. The journey is arduous but ultimately successful with the help of others sympathetic to their cause.
Step-by-step explanation:
George and Eliza escape from Tom Loker and his band in the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. During their flight to freedom, Eliza uses her quick thinking and takes a dangerous leap onto the icy Ohio River, carrying her child Harry. The visual of Eliza's daring escape is depicted in an engraving by Hammatt Billings which has become an iconic image representing the struggles for freedom by enslaved individuals. The artwork illustrates how deeply Stowe's antislavery novel impacted and supported the abolitionist movement.
While the excerpt refers to the protagonists hiding and Eliza informing Uncle Tom of his impending sale and their plan to flee, the specific details of their escape rely on a combination of resourcefulness and desperation. The reference to an underground escape likely alludes to the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses, and not an actual subterranean tunnel. This figurative underground way of escape provided a path to safety for many escaped slaves seeking freedom in the north or Canada.
Ultimately, George and Eliza's escape is successful due to their bravery, resolve, and the assistance of sympathetic individuals they meet along their perilous journey, symbolizing the collective efforts needed to combat the injustices of slavery.