# Augustine St. Clare — Uncle Tom’s Cabin character guide > Augustine St. Clare in Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. **Role:** major **Also known as:** St. Clare, Augustine, Mr. St. Clare **First appearance:** 0014-volume-i-xv-of-tom-s-new-master-and-various-other-matters ## Snapshot A witty, indolent New Orleans gentleman who despises slavery in principle yet cannot bring himself to act against it in practice. ## Who they are St. Clare is the son of a saintly mother and a wealthy Louisiana family, and he has inherited both a genuine kindness and a fatal habit of letting others—his wife, his overseers, the system itself—do the ugly work. He buys Tom on a whim and treats him well, but his charm and self-awareness never translate into the decisive act of manumission that would free the people he claims to love. His household becomes the novel's laboratory for the question of whether good intentions without courage can ever be enough. ## Relationships ### [Eva St. Clare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/characters/eva_st_clare) _family_ Augustine is Eva's loving, indulgent father who adores her deeply and is profoundly influenced by her spiritual purity. ### [Eva St. Clare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/characters/eva_st_clare) _family_ Augustine is Eva's loving, indulgent father who adores her deeply and is profoundly influenced by her spiritual purity. ### [Eva St. Clare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/characters/eva_st_clare) _family_ Augustine is Eva's loving, indulgent father who adores her deeply and is profoundly influenced by her spiritual purity. ## In the story ### [XIV: Evangeline](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-i-xiv-evangeline) Eva's father, a wealthy young gentleman, who negotiates with Haley to purchase Tom. ### [XV: Of Tom’s New Master, and Various Other Matters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-i-xv-of-tom-s-new-master-and-various-other-matters) Introduced as Tom's new master; a sensitive, idealistic man whose romantic hopes were crushed by a fraudulent separation from his first love, leading him into a loveless marriage. ### [Tom's Mistress and Her Opinions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-i-xvi-tom-s-mistress-and-her-opinions) St. Clare engages in a philosophical debate about slavery and religion, criticizing hypocritical justifications and showing a complex, skeptical view of society. ### [Miss Ophelia’s Experiences and Opinions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-i-xviii-miss-ophelia-s-experiences-and-opinions) St. Clare debates slavery with Miss Ophelia, acknowledges his own moral failings, and promises Tom to stop drinking. ### [Miss Ophelia's Experiences and Opinions Continued](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xix-miss-ophelia-s-experiences-and-opinions-continued) Delivers a fervent denunciation of slavery as inherently evil; reflects on his own moral failings and predicts a coming judgment. ### [Topsy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xx-topsy) Purchases Topsy as a project for Miss Ophelia, finding amusement in her antics and using her to challenge Miss Ophelia's views on education and slavery. ### [Henrique](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxiii-henrique) Observes the beating and debates slavery with his brother Alfred. ### [XXIV: Foreshadowings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxiv-foreshadowings) St. Clare is deeply affected by Eva's words and her declining health, reflecting on his past and his love for her. ### [The Little Evangelist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxv-the-little-evangelist) Observes the interaction between Eva and Topsy, reflecting on the power of love and the limitations of discipline. ### [XXVI: Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxvi-death) Eva's grieving father, who struggles with his own lack of faith while trying to comfort her. ### [XXVII: “This Is the Last of Earth”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxvii-this-is-the-last-of-earth) Grieving Eva, he wrestles with doubt and longs for faith, finding comfort in Tom's prayers. ### [Reunion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxviii-reunion) St. Clare mourns Eva and reflects on his moral failings, resolving to fight slavery and free Tom, but is killed before he can act. ### [Concluding Remarks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/chapters/volume-ii-xlv-concluding-remarks) His fairness of mind and generosity are noted as having parallels in real life, as illustrated by an anecdote. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/characters/augustine_st_clare - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_tom_s_cabin_se/characters