In Chapter XVI, Stowe delves into the mind of Marie St. Clare. In contrast to other white female characters in the novel–Mrs. Shelby, Ophelia St. Clare, and even little Eva–Marie does not stand as a moral or compassionate figure. In fact, Marie is racist and self-centered. Her character represents the stereotype of wealthy southerners, living in a fragile ivory tower, unbothered and insensitive to the reality of slavery that props up their lavish lifestyle. We see Stowe not only critique Marie’s lifestyle but subtly warn of its collapse as she describes her pre-church ritual.
First, the narrator contemplates the idea that God “chasteneth whom he loveth, he hath chosen poor Africa in the furnace of affliction” so that they would be closest to God in heaven, resulting in some version of “Christian life” (Stowe, 173-174). The paragraph ends with a reminder of Christian’s belief in the supremity and singularity of heaven: “when every other kingdom has been tried, and failed” (Stowe, 174). The narrator then zooms in on Marie, asking, “Was this what Marie St. Clare was thinking of, as she stood, gorgeously dressed, on the verandah, on Sunday morning, clasping a diamond bracelet on her slender wrist? Most likely it was. Or, if it wasn’t that, it was something else; for Marie patronized good things, and she was going now in full force,–diamonds, silk, and lace, and jewels, and all,–to a fashionable church, to be very religious. Marie always made a point to be very pious on Sundays.” (Stowe, 174) The narrator then pulls Ophelia into the scene: “Miss Ophelia stood at her side, a perfect contrast. It was not that she had not as handsome a silk dress and shawl, and as fine a pocket handkerchief; but stiffness and squareness, and bolt-uprightness” (Stowe, 174)
Marie’s position on the verandah, looking over her luxurious estate–dotted with fruit trees and vibrant flowers (Stowe, 158)–while dripping in silk, lace, jewels, and diamonds presents her character as a sort of queen surveying her kingdom. In order to formulate the full image of the scene in our heads, Stowe taps into our sense of sight, using it to convey Marie’s power as she surveys her vast property from her mansion. Stowe then uses words such as “elegant”, “airy”, and “undulating” to describe her physical presence, in turn framing her as not only graceful but even angelic. This imagery further evokes ideas of heavenly beauty and command over one’s body as well as surroundings–the kingdom that lies before them. Stowe further connects the scene to a sort of heavenly kingdom as the narrator explains that Marie’s appearance and aura constitute her religiosity. However, Ophelia ultimately interrupts the once fluid, silky, and graceful image with her “squareness, ” ripping us out of Marie’s glittering world.
In juxtaposing this scene with a reminder of the centrality of God’s kingdom in Christianity in the previous paragraph, Stowe draws upon Biblical references to false idols and kingdoms. This tension enables readers to immerse themselves in Stowe’s vivid imagery while in some ways holding their breath, anticipating the fall of Marie’s reign. Stowe seems to warn her readers of the inevitable fall of slavery in the United States–as it reflects a sort of kingdom in its hierarchical power structure–through the description of Marie St. Clare’s “religiousness” and the application of God’s ultimate kingdom in heaven.
Questions:
- How does the tone of the poem work with the imagery and diction in this passage as well as its relationship to the previous one? How would you describe the tone?
- What does it mean or add to the scene that Marie and Ophelia are getting ready to go to church in this passage?