Huckleberry Finn Relationship

While Huck and Jim are on the river they loose sight of each other in thick fog. Huck pretends to say that Jim was dreaming this whole thing up and he was “ a tangle-headed old fool” (Twain 154). Huck states that he really didn’t disappear he had been sleeping like Jim; however, Jim knew he was lying to him because of the branches and debris collected against the raft. Therefore, Jim becomes sad and angry with him because he could not understand as to why Huck, his friend, would lie to him. Huck’s reasoning for this is once again a prank. He thinks it will be funny to prank Jim again so he decides to say that what Jim is saying about the two of them floating away in the fog didn’t actually happen, but that it was merely a dream. Jim believes him until he sees all of the debris on the raft and therefore knows that they have traveled apart and once again come back together. Jim then cannot understand why Huck would do this to him so he gets angry and sad and isolates himself in the wigwam. Huck admits to himself that what he did was wrong and it really hurt his feelings. He does think this but he doesn’t really want to apologize. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a [slave] (Twain 158). He believes this to be wrong but likes Jim too much as a friend to not do it. This shows his constant compassion for Jim but he still isn’t listening to

Huck isn't the type of person you civilize, you can’t make him be someone he isn't willing to be. Every person who has entered his life has tried to create this image of Huck that wasn't realistic to him in any way, except Jim. Jim, Miss Watson’s runaway slave, has never expected Huck to be anybody but himself. Huck does mature as the time they spend together increases, Huck has never met stability in his life until Jim which is why he takes a liking to him.

Smiley, an author of many books and magazine essays, writes her own criticism of Huckleberry Finn, “Say It Ain’t So, Huck”. Smiley has very strong arguments as she compares her own opinions and backs them up with Twain’s words from the book. Smiley argues that Twains real meaning behind the book is based off of racism. Twain never allows Jim to become a real human, as Jim will always be a slave whether he knows it or not. Although Huck and Jim end up creating a very strong relationship like brothers, Smiley believes that “Twain thinks that Hucks affection is a good enough reward for Jim” (Smiley 460). He would not ever get the treatment Huck did, and Jim’s character was never allowed to grow.

Jim tells Huck he hit her for not listening to get to work, but he then finds out she has been recently made dea when she did not react to the door slamming shut from the wind. He realizes he hit her when she never even heard Jim to begin with. Jim was so distraught begging for forgiveness from the Lord and his daughter, because he would never forgive himself for his mistake. This shows Jim’s deep rooted connection with love of others and his humanity. Not only that, but Huck realizes he cares deeply for his family and is capable of emotions that otherwise racist ideologies have told him are not possible. Huck now believes that this cannot be the case since he sees Jim having strong familial ties with his own eyes. This example of Jim’s release of the minstrel mask makes Huck gain a higher opinion of him.

These qualities tend to lead people in the direction of taking advantage of him. In chapter 2, as Huck and Tom are sneaking off Huck alerts Jim. Jim tries to find what made the noise and almost discovers the boys, but falls asleep. While Jim is sleeping, Tom takes Jim's hat and hangs it on a tree-limb. Afterwards, Jim tells everyone that witches were after him (05). Throughout the beginning these qualities of Jim become more apparent and eventually help him out in many instances. While on Jackson Island Jim’s instincts warn Huckleberry Finn and himself of a brewing storm. His simplistic instincts led to him noticing the flock of birds swarming the sky, and in many cases the right path for Huck and himself. As the novel progresses, Jim’s gullible nature is completely revealed as true faith and trust in people, especially Huck. Their trust is put to the test in Chapter 16, while they pass Cairo on their journey to the Ohio river. While passing the town, Huck preserves Jim's freedom by saying his family has smallpox to the patrol and to not come near the raft (68). Jim remarks that he will never forget Huck’s kindness. Jim’s love for Huck, however, extends past their friendship to the relationship of father and

After Huck finds out that Jim is captive, Huck “set down and cried. [He] couldn’t help it” (210). After returning to the raft and not finding Jim there, Huck is overcome with emotion. The fear of Jim not being around causes Huck to realize how important Jim is to him. 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. By stating that he will “go to hell,” Huck reiterates what he promises Jim in the beginning- that he rather be a “low down abolitionist”; these statements combined supports his feelings to protect Jim from society. When Huck and Tom get back to the house, Huck states, “...it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no

Mark Twain emphasizes the theme that a person's morals are more powerful than the corrupt influence of society in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Based on how Huck Finn views the world and forms his opinions, he does not know the difference between right and wrong. In the novel, Huck escapes civilized society. He encounters a runaway slave, Jim, and together they travel hopes of freedom. But along the way, Huck and Jim come across troubles that have Huck questioning his motives. Throughout their journey, Huck is aware that Jim has escaped but does not know whether or not to turn him into the authorities. Huck’s mentality about society matures and he realizes his need to protect Jim from dangers. As the novel progresses, Huck begins to realize the flaws in society. Huck ultimately chooses to follow his own

Chp.31). As Huck and Jim navigate down the Mississippi River, sharing narrow escapes and miracles, their bond develops. Huck comes to love and respect Jim, but the notion of doing the “right” thing tells him to turn Jim in. From his bringing up, he believes he has a moral obligation to turn Jim in, because Jim is Miss Watson’s ‘property’. But, reminiscing of his Journey with Jim and “how good he always was”, Huck denies the moral code society placed upon him and decides he will do everything to go save Jim. Smiley says that throughout the entire story “Twain really saw Jim as no more than Huck’s sidekick”, as "Jim is never autonomous never has a vote, always finds his purposes subordinate to Huck's, and, like every good sidekick, he never minds” (Smiley). Yet, we see in Huck’s moral dilemma, how he understands how great and amazing of a person that Jim is when they were “floating along talking, and singing, and laughing”, that he finally defeats the concept of Jim being just a ‘sidekick’ or a slave (HF. Chp 31). Huck truly sees Jim as his equal when he commits his entirety to saving Jim, getting mad that to society, Jim amounted only to “forty dirty dollars” (HF. Chp 31). Although he considers turning Jim in and struggles against the constant thought because society would get angry “that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom” and he would be condemned “to everlasting fire” , we see a person able to defeat mainstream conventions and strive for what he as an individual believes stands as truly right (HF. Chp 31). Smiley claims that the story is only “lighting out for the territory" for racism, but without first convincing the majority of people to judge people by their value rather than what

In the text, The Ethical Life, by Russ Shafer-Landau, it questions Jonathan Bennett’s morality and sympathy and how the two of them can come into conflict. Morality and sympathy are connected, but still very different. Throughout this chapter, Jonathan Bennett outlines many important points and factors that go into these connections and how they can overlap and conflict.

It was quite a coincidence when Huck and Jim met in Jackson Island. Their relationship started to change for the first time. Huck said: “I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn 't lonesome now.”(58) From this sentence, a sense of happiness and willingness instead of superiority to stay with Jim has been formed in Huck’s mind. Though Huck was accustomed to being alone before Jim came, in fact, he disliked the feeling of “lonesome”. With the adventure of Jim, Huck started to view Jim as a teammate in this adventure, whose participation was later proved to be of great help to Huck. Even though Huck did not have a notion of superiority to Jim,

Huck Finn felt guilty and sympathized for Miss Watson when he steals her slave because she never did anything wrong to Huck. Miss Watson treated him well and tried to make Huck a better person. Huck believes that stealing her slave will condemn him to hell. Huck realizes that Jim treated him well and carded for him as a father figure and decided he will go to hell. At first, Huck is very muddled about what the appropriate thing to do is. All along his society and upbringings have told him that slavery is rift and stealing is wrong. Huck begins to love Jim because he taught him how to be a better human being, and they soon become inseparable. Huck finally views him or as a slave but equal to everyone else in

Jim, a runaway slave, is the most influential individual when it comes to Huck’s moral development. During the beginning of the novel, Huck’s morals are primarily based on what he has learned from Miss Watson. Huck begins to become wary of such ideals that Miss Watson has imposed on him, and decided all he wanted “…was a change” (Twain 10). As Huck escapes from society by running away he had the chance of running into Jim on Jackson Island. During this time Huck displays his moral growth after playing a trick on Jim. Huck displays his moral growth because after placing a snake skin under Jim’s blanket, which eventually causes Jim to be bitten by a snake, he

This is the climax of the novel, in which many of the underlying themes are made clear. Huck’s morals overcome his fear for punishment, and he is determined to help Jim even if he has to go to hell for it. Furthermore, Jim is a runaway slave, and in the context of the story, helping a runaway slave, albeit one that was sold and has a new owner, would be almost traitorous to Huck’s community.

Specifically, through the controversy of slavery at the time, Huck learns how to listen to his intuition and conscience. His slight hesitation escaping with Jim makes him question the authenticity of his morality. He says, “I begun to get it through my head that he was most free--and who was to blame for it? Why, me … But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could ‘a’ paddled ashore and told somebody” (Twain 87-88). At this stage in the novel, it is important to denote his ambivalence toward the situation. Though he helps Jim, he feels a sense of guilt for going against societal standards. Regardless, Huck has a myriad of opportunities to turn Jim in--and doesn’t. This verifies that Huck progresses in developing his maturity and poise. 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

The historical novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain in 1884, has many literary elements to generate a good plot and compose a good story. Twain introduces the characters, the major ones being Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, as well as Jim. Finn was a white, poor child, who unlike Sawyer was not very dramatic in his way of life. Tom Sawyer read a lot and knew how to make any situation thrilling. Jim, a very mature black child, tags along with Finn (as well as the King and the Duke) to run away, and ultimately needs to get rescued in the end as he is forced into slavery by Ms. Watson. Twain provides a narrative hook by familiarizing the readers with how vivid Tom’s life is when he and Huck sneak through Widow