Love knows no limitations; Neither should Blacks:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Through The Eyes Of Love Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents perhaps the most influential moral dilemma of the 19th century. It explores slavery and its effects through the eyes of a young boy with a sharp moral compass. Throughout the novel, Huck must face slavery in its red eyes, while trying to discover himself, and the thing we call civilization. Huck must go against everything he has been taught in the South once he is confronted with the ultimate moral issue; turn in the runaway slave named Jim, or help him escape. Jim becomes not only a source of moral dilemma Huck must face, but a father figure to Huck, who manages to break the chains that bound him to the brutalizing effects of slavery and rise above the injustices thrown at him constantly. Huck and Jim form a bond that even they do not know exists at first, one of fatherly love to his child. Huck discovers the truth of slavery through Jim’s fatherness, and fights to free him. Huck manages to push past the racism he was taught to accept, and burns his own path in a forest of corruption, deceit, and prejudice. Jim’s fatherly figure reveals itself soon after he meets Huck; when Jim realizes the child will not turn him in, as Jim was a runaway slave. While at first he treats Huck with great reverence, as if Huck was his master, he soon becomes comfortable with Huck and starts to play a more fatherly role. The pair travel together, gaining a bond that is constantly tested. Jim’s fatherly figure can be seen clearly whilst they traveled in their raft along the river. The two get to talking of kings and witches and the sort, and when Huck mentions King Solomon, Jim perks up. He tells Huck he knows the story, and thinks Solomon a fool. Huck on the other hand, considers Solomon “the wisest man” (Twain 77). An argument ensues over Solomon. Jim stands his ground with his thought that Solomon was a fool for wanting to kill his child, for having many wives, and owning no factories: “Yit dey say Sollermun de wises’ man dat ever live’. I doan’ take no stock in dat.”(77). Huck believes that because, “the widow told me so,” Solomon was indeed a wise one. (77). While the argument itself is of little importance, the way Jim conducted himself matters immensely. While he was talking with Huck, he treated himself like an elder and a father, unlike the slave status he had; “Doan’ talk to me ‘bout yo’ pints. I reck’n I knows sense when I sees it...” (78). This illustrates that Jim is willing to take the risk of talking down to a white child, to convince Huck of his point. Jim is acting a father to Huck, and risks talking out of his place. “Blame de pint! I reck’n I knows what I knows.” Here we can see how Jim, a slave, a black, considered scum by Southerners, is willing to …show more content…
Twain’s entire message of the book was to show how blacks had feelings too, and that whites and blacks did not need to be apart. By portraying Jim as such a father figure to Huck, Twain was able to paint a convincing picture of what could be if the South drove past slavery. Jim, and all blacks, were to Twain, people, capably of emotion, instead of the property that many viewed them …show more content…
The novel uses Jim as a father figure to Huck, someone that cares deeply about him, regardless of race. The novel unites the two together, on an epic journey that continually tests their bond, but is never able to break it. In a multitude of chapters is Jim’s fatherly-ness viewed, and in countless others, is Huck’s changing view of slavery. Through Jim and his actions, Huck is able to push past the social and moral norms of his time, and becomes someone capable of seeing past the hatred. He becomes what we all want to; morally superior. Perhaps Twain is calling upon us all, to become like Jim, surpassing all limitations and chains, and to think like Huck, that all are equal and none are
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Through The Eyes Of Love Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents perhaps the most influential moral dilemma of the 19th century. It explores slavery and its effects through the eyes of a young boy with a sharp moral compass. Throughout the novel, Huck must face slavery in its red eyes, while trying to discover himself, and the thing we call civilization. Huck must go against everything he has been taught in the South once he is confronted with the ultimate moral issue; turn in the runaway slave named Jim, or help him escape. Jim becomes not only a source of moral dilemma Huck must face, but a father figure to Huck, who manages to break the chains that bound him to the brutalizing effects of slavery and rise above the injustices thrown at him constantly. Huck and Jim form a bond that even they do not know exists at first, one of fatherly love to his child. Huck discovers the truth of slavery through Jim’s fatherness, and fights to free him. Huck manages to push past the racism he was taught to accept, and burns his own path in a forest of corruption, deceit, and prejudice. Jim’s fatherly figure reveals itself soon after he meets Huck; when Jim realizes the child will not turn him in, as Jim was a runaway slave. While at first he treats Huck with great reverence, as if Huck was his master, he soon becomes comfortable with Huck and starts to play a more fatherly role. The pair travel together, gaining a bond that is constantly tested. Jim’s fatherly figure can be seen clearly whilst they traveled in their raft along the river. The two get to talking of kings and witches and the sort, and when Huck mentions King Solomon, Jim perks up. He tells Huck he knows the story, and thinks Solomon a fool. Huck on the other hand, considers Solomon “the wisest man” (Twain 77). An argument ensues over Solomon. Jim stands his ground with his thought that Solomon was a fool for wanting to kill his child, for having many wives, and owning no factories: “Yit dey say Sollermun de wises’ man dat ever live’. I doan’ take no stock in dat.”(77). Huck believes that because, “the widow told me so,” Solomon was indeed a wise one. (77). While the argument itself is of little importance, the way Jim conducted himself matters immensely. While he was talking with Huck, he treated himself like an elder and a father, unlike the slave status he had; “Doan’ talk to me ‘bout yo’ pints. I reck’n I knows sense when I sees it...” (78). This illustrates that Jim is willing to take the risk of talking down to a white child, to convince Huck of his point. Jim is acting a father to Huck, and risks talking out of his place. “Blame de pint! I reck’n I knows what I knows.” Here we can see how Jim, a slave, a black, considered scum by Southerners, is willing to …show more content…
Twain’s entire message of the book was to show how blacks had feelings too, and that whites and blacks did not need to be apart. By portraying Jim as such a father figure to Huck, Twain was able to paint a convincing picture of what could be if the South drove past slavery. Jim, and all blacks, were to Twain, people, capably of emotion, instead of the property that many viewed them …show more content…
The novel uses Jim as a father figure to Huck, someone that cares deeply about him, regardless of race. The novel unites the two together, on an epic journey that continually tests their bond, but is never able to break it. In a multitude of chapters is Jim’s fatherly-ness viewed, and in countless others, is Huck’s changing view of slavery. Through Jim and his actions, Huck is able to push past the social and moral norms of his time, and becomes someone capable of seeing past the hatred. He becomes what we all want to; morally superior. Perhaps Twain is calling upon us all, to become like Jim, surpassing all limitations and chains, and to think like Huck, that all are equal and none are