Uncle Tom’s Cabin · Character

Eva St. Clare

A frail, luminous child whose instinctive love for everyone she meets—enslaved or free—quietly shames the adults around her into seeing what they have chosen not to.

major

Also known as Eva, Miss Eva, beloved Eva, Little Eva, Evangeline St. Clare

First appearance: XIV: Evangeline

As a major figure in Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Eva St. Clare is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Eva is a beautiful, ethereal child who befriends Tom and later falls overboard, only to be rescued by him.

In the storyXIV: EvangelineOpen this moment free

See Eva St. Clare in XIV: Evangeline Book page

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Eva is the only daughter of Augustine St. Clare, a delicate girl whose mother's self-absorption has left her largely in the care of servants and her father's indulgent affection. She befriends Tom on the riverboat south and claims him with a child's uncomplicated certainty, and her tenderness toward the enslaved people around her exposes the moral contradictions her father cannot resolve. Her presence in the New Orleans household forces everyone—her father, her cousin Ophelia, the enslaved people themselves—to reckon with what it means to love someone the law calls property.

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The fuller portrait of Eva St. Clare sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Eva St. Clare in XIV: Evangeline

Character Web

39 connections

A slice of how Eva St. Clare sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Friendship
Other

Character groups

St. Clare household and Shelby family
Quaker and abolitionist helpers
Diverse minor characters and slave traders
Protagonist

+34 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

The "Endnotes" chapter serves as the dramatic climax because it abruptly shifts the narrative focus from the c…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Marie St. Clare
family · ambivalent
Eva is the beloved but spiritually distant daughter of the self-absorbed and… How this plays out →
Uncle Tom
friendship · positive
Topsy
friendship · positive
Mammy
friendship · positive
Augustine St. Clare
family · positive
Marie St. Clare
family · ambivalent
Eva is the beloved but spiritually distant daughter of the self-absorbed and… How this plays out →
Uncle Tom
friendship · positive
Marie St. Clare
family · ambivalent
Eva is the beloved but spiritually distant daughter of the self-absorbed and… How this plays out →
Topsy
friendship · positive
Mammy
friendship · positive
Augustine St. Clare
family · positive
Uncle Tom
friendship · positive

Marie St. Clare
Eva is the beloved but spiritually distant daughter of the self-absorbed and hypochondriac Marie.
Uncle Tom
Eva and Tom share a deep, Christ-like bond of mutual love and spiritual kinship, with Eva seeing Tom as a noble soul.
Topsy
Eva shows unconditional kindness to the wild, mistreated slave child Topsy, inspiring her first feelings of love and humanity.
Mammy
Eva treats Mammy with gentle affection and respect, in stark contrast to Marie's harshness, offering her comfort.
Augustine St. Clare
Augustine is Eva's loving, indulgent father who adores her deeply and is profoundly influenced by her spiritual purity.
Marie St. Clare
Eva is the beloved but spiritually distant daughter of the self-absorbed and hypochondriac Marie.
Uncle Tom
Eva and Tom share a deep, Christ-like bond of mutual love and spiritual kinship, with Eva seeing Tom as a noble soul.
Marie St. Clare
Eva is the beloved but spiritually distant daughter of the self-absorbed and hypochondriac Marie.
Topsy
Eva shows unconditional kindness to the wild, mistreated slave child Topsy, inspiring her first feelings of love and humanity.
Mammy
Eva treats Mammy with gentle affection and respect, in stark contrast to Marie's harshness, offering her comfort.
Augustine St. Clare
Augustine is Eva's loving, indulgent father who adores her deeply and is profoundly influenced by her spiritual purity.
Uncle Tom
Eva and Tom share a deep, Christ-like bond of mutual love and spiritual kinship, with Eva seeing Tom as a noble soul.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Eva St. Clare in XIV: Evangeline

In the story

Eva St. Clare appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XIV: Evangeline
Eva is a beautiful, ethereal child who befriends Tom and later falls overboard, only to be rescued by him.
XV: Of Tom’s New Master, and Various Other Matters
The delicate young daughter of Augustine and Marie, named after Augustine's mother, and the object of her father's deep affection.
Tom's Mistress and Her Opinions
Eva shows her loving and innocent nature, spending time with Tom and expressing that having many servants means more people to love.
Miss Ophelia's Experiences and Opinions Continued
Shows compassion for Prue, suggesting her drinking was due to unhappiness; also arranges for Tom to write a letter about his redemption.
Topsy
Fascinated by Topsy's wild behavior, she enjoys her company despite Miss Ophelia's concerns about negative influence.
XXII: “The Grass Withereth—The Flower Fadeth”
Eva's health declines; she speaks of seeing heaven and spirits. She becomes more thoughtful, advocating for teaching enslaved people to read and expressing a desire to free them.
Henrique
Shows compassion for Dodo and gently reproaches Henrique for his cruelty.
XXIV: Foreshadowings
Eva's health is failing, and she speaks openly about her impending death, urging her father to free the slaves.
The Little Evangelist
Shows Christ-like love and compassion toward Topsy, urging her to be good.
XXVI: Death
The dying child, who gathers the servants to speak of salvation and shows compassion to Topsy.
Reunion
Eva's memory and spiritual influence continue to inspire St. Clare and Tom, appearing in Tom's dream as a guiding angel.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Eva St. Clare unlock in the free preview.

See Eva St. Clare in XIV: Evangeline