Huck previously believes that Jim, as well as other African Americans, do not have sentimental feelings like white folks do. Huck believes that Jim is like an animal who only cares about themselves and how they can survive. However, Jim's mourning helps Huck to learn that Jim has the feeling of love, and that Jim cares
The friendship they developed on the river and through their adventure causes Huck to be more concerned for Jim’s safety than society’s need to keep Jim captive. Huck, therefore, sees Jim as his friend and ignores society’s expectations to treat him less than human. After tearing up the letter he writes to Miss Watson, Huck “... studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’” (214). Huck realizes that Jim is in need of assistance so he decides to do what is morally correct, which is to help Jim escape. Huck decides to act on his morals rather than be held captive by society; Huck believes that he has to act in the best interest of Jim and does not consider what society believes is acceptable behavior.
Jim takes what she says and looks at it from a different perspective. Jim says to Huck, "en I's wuth eight hund'd dollars." When Jim says this he is teaching Huck two different morals: one that being racist is wrong but two if the world looks down on you, you can turn something bad into good. The rest of the population just thinks that Jim is a piece of property and is only good for money. Jim teaches Huck tat that is not the way to look at things and to not be a part of racial
This lead Huck to search for others on the island as he soon realizes he was not alone. A few minutes into his search he discovers Jim, a simple and trusting runaway slave. After convincing Jim that he is not a ghost Huck was thoroughly surprised to find out that Jim had ran away because he found out that he would soon be sold into slavery down south. Even though Huck says that if people were to find out they “would call me a low-down Abolitionist and
But the thought of the disgrace Jim would receive, too, casts a shadow over his own grief. Huck uses biting and unpleasant diction as he
He barely thought of Jim at all-- which was an extreme contrast to Jim’s reaction when one of the Grangerford family slaves brought Huck to where Jim was hiding out. “He nearly
Naturally, as his bond with Jim cultivates, Huck unknowingly treats him as a human. Through Huck’s sensibility, he states, “It didn’t take me long to make up my mind that these liars warn’t no kings nor dukes at all … I hadn’t no objections, ‘long as it would keep peace in the family; and it warn’t no use to tell Jim, so I didn’t tell him” (Twain 125). Correspondingly, Huck gains a consideration for Jim and his personal feelings, which he expresses nonchalantly through motley aspects of their journey. This also shows how his aspects of racism are changing; he starts to believe people are people, no matter
Sometimes you gwyne to git hurt, en sometimes you gwyne to git sick; but every time you’s gwyne to git well agin”(26). Through Jim’s advice, he is able to show the traditional comfort a father may provide while still being honest. The fact that Jim provides Huck with a sort of emotional protection from his biological father, shows how Jim has adopted the role of a fatherly figure for Huck. Another instance when Jim provides emotional protection from Pap is when they discover the house floating down the river;“Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face—it’s too gashly.’ I didn't look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him”(57).
Although Huck looks down upon Jim, he truly did care about him. He cares about him so much, that he disregarded what his conscience kept telling him. He realizes that his thoughts don’t matter when he said, “It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming” (242) Huck prefers to “go to hell” for Jim if it means he does not have to turn on him. Friendship overpowers society’s
Having been raised with the clear distinction of race and the idea that there should be no “free nigger[s]” (Twain, 21), Huck and Jim’s relationship shows a remarkable transformation from a servant-master relationship to one that is less prejudiced, travelling having given Huck the opportunity to see Jim as a person, rather than a servant, and Jim given the freedom of expression. Most significant would be Huck’s willingness to see their cooperative effort as “we” (Twain, 60). Twain distinguishes the characters in the way they speak, but the fact that Jim’s voice is not silenced, him relating his story about his riches, “[he’s] ben rich wunst, and gwyne to be rich agin” (Twain, 35), and even arguing with Huck, “You answer me dat!” (Twain, 34) These instances present the maturity that Huck has undergone over the time spent travelling with Jim, and Jim’s growing confidence in