1) Chapter I of Uncle Tom’s Cabin opens with two white men in conversation,
mixing business with a bit of front- porch moralizing. Think of this chapter as a reader might have encountered it in 1851, as an installment of a serialized novel—in other words, with no foreknowledge of where it is going. After you’ve finished the chapter, look back at its title and comment on any undertones you might find there.
2) Why, over the years, has Tom been variously admired and vilified for his temperament?