This section offers several options for excerpting key chapters from Stowe's long novel for use in the classroom. The Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture website offers the full novel online -- teachers and students may freely access and print any or all chapters. Teachers who wish to offer students a sense of the novel's overall plot may also wish to supplement selected chapters with plot summaries of other important chapters. See Resources for links to sites that offer plot summaries.

Option A : 1 week or less

Read: one or all of the four starred () chapters
Stars indicate those chapters featured prominently in this site's lesson plans, specifically the lessons in Unit 2. These three chapters can stand alone and will introduce students to Stowe's central concerns.

Option B : 2 weeks

Read: the 10 chapters listed in bold
The selection of 10 chapters in bold includes the novel's most famous events and emphasizes Tom's story. Students will get a clear sense of Stowe's argument as well as the novel's plot by reading these 10 chapters, which together make up less than ½ of the novel's length. In order to fill in any gaps in the plot, teachers may also wish to offer plot summaries of the other chapters listed below. See Resources for links to websites that offer plot summaries.

Option C : more than 2 weeks

Read: all 31 chapters listed below
The chapters listed below account for 2/3 of the novel's length. This option offers students a clear sense of Stowe's argument and the novel's plot, including both Tom's story and the story of George and Eliza Harris.

List of Selected Chapters

Note : Stowe's novel contains two major, virtually unconnected plotlines: the story of Uncle Tom and the story of George and Eliza Harris. Teachers who wish to follow only one of the two plotlines may do so by referring to the abbreviations UT (Uncle Tom's Story) and GE (George and Eliza's story).

Note : For an electronic edition of Uncle Tom's Cabin, printable by chapter, go to http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/utc/uncletom/uthp.html

Chapter I	In Which the Reader is Introduced ...	UT, GE
Chapter III	The Husband and Father	GE
Chapter IV	An Evening in Uncle Tom's Cabin	UT
Chapter V	Showing the Feelings of Living Property ...	UT, GE
Chapter VII	The Mother's Struggle	GE
Chapter IX	In Which it Appears that a Senator ...	GE
Chapter X	The Property is Carried Off	UT
Chapter XI	In Which Property Gets Into an Improper ...	GE
Chapter XII	Select Incident of Lawful Trade	UT
Chapter XIII	The Quaker Settlement	GE
Chapter XV	Of Tom's New Master, and Various ...	UT
Chapter XVI	Tom's Mistress and Her Opinions	UT
Chapter XVII	The Freeman's Defense	GE
Chapter XVIII	Miss Ophelia's Experiences and Opinions	UT
Chapter XX	Topsy	UT
Chapter XXIV	Foreshadowings	UT
Chapter XXV	The Little Evangelist	UT
Chapter XXVI	Death	UT
Chapter XXVIII	Reunion	UT
Chapter XXIX	The Unprotected	UT
Chapter XXX	The Slave Warehouse	UT
Chapter XXXII	Dark Places	UT
Chapter XXXIII	Cassy	UT
Chapter XXXVII	Liberty	GE
Chapter XXXVIII	The Victory	UT
Chapter XL	The Martyr	UT
Chapter XLI	The Young Master	UT
Chapter XLII	An Authentic Ghost Story	GE
Chapter XLIII	Results	GE
Chapter XLIV	The Liberator	UT
Chapter XLV	Concluding Remarks	UT, GE