The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by the American writer Mark Twain. Although it was published in 1885, the novel is set in the southern part of Missouri during the 1840s, back when slavery was legal in the United States. The novel narrates the journey of Huckleberry “Huck”, a 13 year old boy, and Jim, a runaway slave, as they try to get Jim to a free state. The novel is considered a classic for its unique satirical perspective of racism and slavery in the United States. The excerpt above is from chapter 15 of the story, when Huck plays a mean joke on Jim, making Jim believe that when Huck got lost and almost died drowned in the Mississippi river, was all a dream. This passage is important to the overall meaning of the book because of the tone, conflict, and the themes explored.
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This scene serves as a turning point for Huck, since he finally begins to evolve as a person and character. He also begins to distinguish from what is humanly just and what is socially just. He realizes that Jim has feelings as well, and he decides to take those into account, as after Jim gets upset, he “feel[s] so mean” and does not “do [Jim] no more mean tricks” (Chapter 15). Huck also realizes that he cannot behave poorly without expecting bad consequences. This scene is also improves Jim and Huck’s relationship, as it begins to shift from a friend-friend relationship to a father-son relationship. Huck starts seeing Jim as a better father figure than his own father, Pap. This is because Jim is able to speak to Huck in a rebuking way so Huck can reflect with his own self in order to grow and become a better person, something that Pap fails to do. We also see that Jim feels affection towards Huck, as he worries so much about him. Huck as well starts to feel affection for Jim, as he starts caring about his feelings and about what Jim thinks of
This scene serves as a turning point for Huck, since he finally begins to evolve as a person and character. He also begins to distinguish from what is humanly just and what is socially just. He realizes that Jim has feelings as well, and he decides to take those into account, as after Jim gets upset, he “feel[s] so mean” and does not “do [Jim] no more mean tricks” (Chapter 15). Huck also realizes that he cannot behave poorly without expecting bad consequences. This scene is also improves Jim and Huck’s relationship, as it begins to shift from a friend-friend relationship to a father-son relationship. Huck starts seeing Jim as a better father figure than his own father, Pap. This is because Jim is able to speak to Huck in a rebuking way so Huck can reflect with his own self in order to grow and become a better person, something that Pap fails to do. We also see that Jim feels affection towards Huck, as he worries so much about him. Huck as well starts to feel affection for Jim, as he starts caring about his feelings and about what Jim thinks of