Come on now. Slaves, for a variety of reasons, are usually some degree of subservient. It's ridiculous to argue that acknowledging this suggests a "uniform character." Lack of education, the society they lived in, the example set by their peers growing up, the ever-present danger of beating and/or death for those who stuck out, it's not about character, it's about survival and the fact that the vast majority of people conform to norms. Even terrible, unjust norms.
I'm sure most slaves were "disenchanted" with the institution of slavery (though certainly not all). That doesn't mean they're going to risk their lives and their children's lives.
Correct me if I'm wrong, it's been a while since I read it, but didn't Eliza only decide to run because she didn't want her son to be sold away from her? Tom could have run too, she warns him that he's being sold. But he chose not to because he didn't want some other slave to be sold instead. This type of self-sacrifice and concern for others was central to Tom's character. This is not weakness.
Yes, there were slaves like Turner, obviously. Though equally obviously the exception, not the rule. And while Beecher Stowe portrays these characters, she centres, quite rightly I think, on the one most likely to prick the conscience of slaveowners and white people who tacitly endorsed slavery. She also, quite rightly, highlights the brutality of slave owners. Remember, Uncle Tom's Cabin was a political work. And it reflected the realities of the time.
So the fact that you might prefer all the slaves to be portrayed as belligerent gunslingers simply shows the gap between your experience now and their experience then. Your inability to empathise with them in more nuanced terms is, frankly, a cause for celebration.
The colloquial use of "Uncle Tom" is not about somebody who wouldn't try to escape bondage. If that were true, the term would be used very differently. And certainly wouldn't apply to MLK or Obama or even Clarence Thomas.
It's about somebody who would betray other black people to get ahead. Somebody judged to be so eager to be accepted by his "massers" that they've abandoned their values or their beliefs. Both of these, could apply to Clarence Thomas or Tim Scott. But Uncle Tom is the antithesis of these traits. So you might not relate to him, your character and values might be different from his, but he was faithful to himself and his fellow slaves until the end.
And more importantly, criticising black people should operate in the same way that criticising anybody else does. No racialised terms are required. This is the main point I'm making.
