Huck and Jim or Jim and Huck
In Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, readers follow a lonesome boy by the name of Huckleberry Finn. Huck after running away from his often absent, abusive, alcoholic father, goes down the Mississippi river to Jackson’s Island. While the citizens of Hannibal, Missouri believe he is dead, he is actually living in this safe haven for three days while “camp fire smoking, and feeling pretty well satisfied”. However without a father or authority figure and alienated from society, Huck becomes very lonely. Then he comes upon a runaway slave, Jim, who has the potential to fill Huck’s needs for a father; however, Huck struggles with this because of Jim’s race. Throughout the novel Huck’s view of Jim …show more content…
I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn 't lonesome now. I told him I warn 't afraid of HIM telling the people where I was. I talked along, but he only set there and looked at me; never said nothin” (53). His immediate reaction is of gratitude and relief for a companion, but as he talks along without Jim uttering a word the reader can already see a hierarchy, with Huck on top, being formed. Jim’s silence shows how he is apprehensive with this new addition of a white comrade, but smart enough to know that if he were to speak up, he may be turned in. Jim at first shows no emotions or speaks a word to Huck in order to protect himself. However, later on the island the reader can see occurrences of Jim being protective of Huck: "It 's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He 's ben shot in de back. I reck 'n he 's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan ' look at his face—it 's too gashly." (61-62). In saying so, Jim shows himself to be a caring, loving, gentle, and emotionally intelligent human being. Jim, really knowing that this body belongs to Huck’s real father but keeping that information to himself, becomes a protective figure for Huck. Later Huck …show more content…
In one instance Jim and Huck get seperated by fog and when they are reunited Jim says, “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead—you ain’ drownded—you’s back agin? It’s too good for true, honey, it’s too good for true. Lemme look at you chile, lemme feel o’ you. No, you ain’ dead! you’s back agin, ‘live en soun’, jis de same ole Huck—de same ole Huck, thanks to goodness!” (93). Jim’s elation shows his absolute devotion and affection for Huck, yet Huck takes this time to play another trick on Jim making Jim believe that he dreamed the whole situation. His inclination to trick Jim demonstrates not only Huck’s childishness, but also demonstrates, more keenly, Huck’s callousness toward Jim, still stuck with his belief that Jim is racially inferior to him. Huck does not yet fully empathize with Jim or understand his emotion and affection towards him. After figuring out Huck’s trick Jim replies: “When I got all wore out wid work, en wid de callin’ for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos’ broke ... En when I wake up en fine you back agin ... I’s so thankful. En all you wuz thinkin’ ‘bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie.” (95). While rooted in affection, this comment shows Jim’s other side of a paternal figure, the side of discipline. Like any father, Jim is not as much angry with Huck as he is disappointed. Jim is not just upset with Huck for lying; he
In Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, readers follow a lonesome boy by the name of Huckleberry Finn. Huck after running away from his often absent, abusive, alcoholic father, goes down the Mississippi river to Jackson’s Island. While the citizens of Hannibal, Missouri believe he is dead, he is actually living in this safe haven for three days while “camp fire smoking, and feeling pretty well satisfied”. However without a father or authority figure and alienated from society, Huck becomes very lonely. Then he comes upon a runaway slave, Jim, who has the potential to fill Huck’s needs for a father; however, Huck struggles with this because of Jim’s race. Throughout the novel Huck’s view of Jim …show more content…
I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn 't lonesome now. I told him I warn 't afraid of HIM telling the people where I was. I talked along, but he only set there and looked at me; never said nothin” (53). His immediate reaction is of gratitude and relief for a companion, but as he talks along without Jim uttering a word the reader can already see a hierarchy, with Huck on top, being formed. Jim’s silence shows how he is apprehensive with this new addition of a white comrade, but smart enough to know that if he were to speak up, he may be turned in. Jim at first shows no emotions or speaks a word to Huck in order to protect himself. However, later on the island the reader can see occurrences of Jim being protective of Huck: "It 's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He 's ben shot in de back. I reck 'n he 's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan ' look at his face—it 's too gashly." (61-62). In saying so, Jim shows himself to be a caring, loving, gentle, and emotionally intelligent human being. Jim, really knowing that this body belongs to Huck’s real father but keeping that information to himself, becomes a protective figure for Huck. Later Huck …show more content…
In one instance Jim and Huck get seperated by fog and when they are reunited Jim says, “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead—you ain’ drownded—you’s back agin? It’s too good for true, honey, it’s too good for true. Lemme look at you chile, lemme feel o’ you. No, you ain’ dead! you’s back agin, ‘live en soun’, jis de same ole Huck—de same ole Huck, thanks to goodness!” (93). Jim’s elation shows his absolute devotion and affection for Huck, yet Huck takes this time to play another trick on Jim making Jim believe that he dreamed the whole situation. His inclination to trick Jim demonstrates not only Huck’s childishness, but also demonstrates, more keenly, Huck’s callousness toward Jim, still stuck with his belief that Jim is racially inferior to him. Huck does not yet fully empathize with Jim or understand his emotion and affection towards him. After figuring out Huck’s trick Jim replies: “When I got all wore out wid work, en wid de callin’ for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos’ broke ... En when I wake up en fine you back agin ... I’s so thankful. En all you wuz thinkin’ ‘bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie.” (95). While rooted in affection, this comment shows Jim’s other side of a paternal figure, the side of discipline. Like any father, Jim is not as much angry with Huck as he is disappointed. Jim is not just upset with Huck for lying; he