''Tit for Tat'' is an

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voyag ...

novel written anonymously by "A Lady of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Overview

''Tit for Tat'' is one of several examples of

plantation literature Anti-Tom literature consists of the 19th century pro-slavery novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's ''Uncle Tom's Cabin''. Also called plantation literature, these writings were generally written by autho ...

that emerged in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

in response to the

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...

novel ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U. ...

'' by

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...

, which had been criticised in the south for inaccurately depicting the practices of

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and the relationship(s) between master and slave. ''Tit for Tat'', however, is an isolated example of the genre where, instead of defending slavery or attacking

abolitionism Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The Britis ...

like other works of the genre, it attempts to attack the enthusiasm for ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' upon its initial release in the United Kingdom.Slave Narratives and Uncle Tom's Cabin
Africans in America, PBS, accessed June 22, 2009 Thus, ''Tit for Tat'' could be seen as attempting to promote

anti-British sentiment Anti-British sentiment is prejudice, persecution, discrimination, fear or hatred against the British Government, British people, or the culture of the United Kingdom. Argentina Anti-British feeling in Argentina originates mainly from tw ...

in the United States rather than promoting slavery.

Plot

The novel follows Totty, a young urchin living in poverty in Victorian-era

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Totty is stolen from his family whilst young, and forced to work as the apprentice of a sadistic

chimney sweep A chimney sweep is a person who clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys ...

. Totty's suffering is ignored by the

philanthropists Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

, who are so concerned with the welfare of black slaves in America that they fail to notice that they have simply replaced their own slavery with

child labour Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such e ...

Publication history

''Tit for Tat'' was first published in its entirety by Garret & Co. in 1856, but unlike other anti-Tom novels such as ''

Aunt Phillis's Cabin ''Aunt Phillis's Cabin; or, Southern Life as It Is'' by Mary Henderson Eastman is a plantation fiction novel, and is perhaps the most read anti-Tom novel in American literature. It was published by Lippincott, Grambo & Co. of Philadelphia in 1 ...

'' or ''

The Planter's Northern Bride ''The Planter's Northern Bride'' is an 1854 novel written by Caroline Lee Hentz, in response to the publication of ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852. Overview Unlike other examples of anti-Tom literature (aka "plantation ...

'', the novel has not been republished in the modern day.

References

External links

''Tit for Tat'' at the University of Virginia
1856 American novels Anti-Tom novels Works published anonymously {{1850s-novel-stub