‘The word is there for a reason,’ says Jeff Nichols, the executive director of the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Conn. ‘The word is terrible, it’s hurtful, but it’s there for a reason,’ to convey the language and attitudes …show more content…
Jim may be called the ‘n’ word or slave during the story, but his personality does not carry the negative connotations that come with those words. “Rather, he [Jim] is the moral center of the book, a man of courage and nobility, who risks his freedom- risks his life- for the sake of his friend Huck” (Salwen). Jim is constantly caring and respecting Huck throughout the story, whether it be taking over his watch or listening to Huck’s judgments. Valkeakari talks about how Twain shows Jim’s caringness during the hairball scene. Twain presents Jim as an adult who stops to listen to Huck’s struggles and anxieties. Huck is scared of his father and Jim responds to this by showing true kindness and generosity. This is beautiful and ironic because many people during this time question Jim’s full humanity (Valkeakari