Huckleberry Finn True Father

A true father is a necessity for a young boy in order to achieve his goals in life. Not only does a father raise his son, but he also is there to help him mature and develop into a respectful young man, which then leads into adulthood. In the legendary novel by Mark Twain, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” a young boy who goes by the name of Huckleberry Finn is in need of ‘true’ father figure in his life. Huckleberry is not only living with Miss Watson following his mother’s death, but he is also without a true father in life. His real father; Pap Finn, not only is a drunk himself, but he is not a role model in which Huckleberry can look up to. After faking his death, Huckleberry runs away to Jackson’s Island where he then unexpectedly meets …show more content…
One way Twain reveals this characteristic is when Huckleberry and Jim take their turns staying up to keep watch on the raft. Twain states “I had middle watch, you know, but I was pretty sleepy by that time, so Jim he said he would stand the first half of it” (Twain 129). This shows that Jim truly cares about Huckleberry and his protection by sacrificing his time to rest so Huckleberry does not have to worry about being tired. A real father unlike any other puts their children first no matter how it affects them. Another way Twain reveals this father-like characteristic is by revealing how Jim risked getting caught for being a runaway slave just so he could ensure Huckleberry was safe and sound in the Grangerford’s house. Jim does not continue his journey on his own. He decides he will not leave Huckleberry behind, which shows that he is emotionally attached to him. Once again according to Tuire Valkeakari of Providence College in Rhode Island, in an article titled “Huck, Twain, and the Freedman’s Shackles: Struggling with Huckleberry Finn Today” she reveals another major characteristic about Jim in this novel by stating “Because of the societal circumstances in which Huck and Jim find themselves, Jim has no authoritative voice (except for the clairvoyant’s voice temporarily granted to him by the magic authority of the hairball), nor is he in a position to articulate the obvious: in consoling and advising Huck he actually substitutes for the young boy’s father” (Valkeakari 6). It goes to show that even though Jim is an African American runaway slave, he would rather give up his freedom to protect Huckleberry, a young Caucasian boy. This shows that Jim has true morals in life and he will not allow race to interfere with what he thinks is right. This is a third, and final reason that reveals how Jim is