Uncle Tom, the protagonist in Uncle Tom's Cabin embodies one of the book's main themes: that of religion. In the book, one of Tom's defining characteristics is his faith. He not only reads his Bible (which is outstanding and unusual for the time...slaves werent' allowed to read or write), but Tom leads prayer meetings for fellow slaves. He believes that God will redeem those who have suffered the most by giving them extra glory in the afterlife. We see in Chapter three where he uses religion to comfort those who have been suffering, and we also see that he is a compassionate man that cares for others and takes on their problems as his own.
