一部偉大的反對奴隸制的宣言，是抨擊美國奴隸制的不朽之作，同時，它又被稱為“黑人的《伊利亞特》”、“美國抗議小說的基石”。小說描寫了不同表現和性格的黑奴，也描寫了不同類型的奴隸主嘴臉。它著力刻畫了接受奴隸主灌輸的基督教精神、逆來順受型的黑奴湯姆；也塑造了不甘心讓奴隸主決定自己生死的具有反抗精神的黑奴，如伊麗莎和她的丈夫喬治·哈裡斯。同時，也揭示了各種類型的奴隸主的內心世界和奴隸主不**相同的表現。

《湯姆叔叔的小屋》揭露了美國南部種植園黑人奴隸制的殘暴和黑奴 的痛苦。小說主人公老黑奴湯姆在奴隸主之間幾經轉賣，最後落到極端殘 暴的奴隸主萊格裡手中。他為掩護兩個女奴逃亡而慘死在主人的皮鞭下。 女奴伊萊扎的孩子同時也將被賣，她帶著孩子冒死潛逃，在廢奴派人士的 協助下與丈夫會合，奮力抵抗追捕，最終到達加拿大，獲得自由。小說贊 揚女奴伊萊扎夫婦所代表的黑人為反抗壓迫、爭取自由解放而進行的艱苦 鬥爭，同時也推崇湯姆所體現的逆來順受的基督教博愛寬恕精神。

VOLUME Ⅰ
Chapter 1 In Which the Reader is Introduced to a Man of Humanity
Chapter 2 The Mother
Chapter 3 The Husband and Father
Chapter 4 An Evening in Uncle Tom's Cabin
Chapter 5 Showing the Feelings of Living Property on Changing Owners
Chapter 6 Discovery
Chapter 7 The Mother's Struggle
Chapter 8 Eliza's Escape
Chapter 9 In Which It Appears That a Senator Is but a Man
Chapter 10 The Property Is Carried Off
Chapter 11 In Which Property Gets into an Improper State of Mind
Chapter 12 Select Incident of Lawful Trade
Chapter 13 The Quaker Settlement
Chapter 14 Evangeline
Chapter 15 Of Tom's New Master, and Various Other Matters
Chapter 16 Tom's Mistress and Her Opinions
Chapter 17 The Freeman's Defence
Chapter 18 Miss Ophelia's Experiences and Opinions
VOLUME Ⅱ
Chapter 19 Miss Ophelia's Experiences and Opinions, Continued
Chapter 20 Topsy
Chapter 21 Kentuck
Chapter 22 "The Grass Withereth--the Flower Fadeth"
Chapter 23 Henrique
Chapter 24 Foreshadowings
Chapter 25 The Little Evangelist
Chapter 26 Death
Chapter 27 "This Is the Last of Earth"
Chapter 28 Reunion
Chapter 29 The Unprotected
Chapter 30 The Slave Warehouse
Chapter 31 The Middle Passage
Chapter 32 Dark Places
Chapter 33 Cassy
Chapter 34 The Quadroon's Story
Chapter 35 The Tokens
Chapter 36 Emmeline and Cassy
Chapter 37 Liberty
Chapter 38 The Victory
Chapter 39 The Stratagem
Chapter 40 The Martyr
Chapter 41 TheYoung Master
Chapter 42 An Authentic Ghost Story
Chapter 43 Results
Chapter 44 The Liberator
Chapter 45 Concluding Remarks