The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Jim's true role in Huckleberry Finn has long been argued. Some critics believe that he acts as a father figure for Huck. Others believe various other things. However, Jim's real role in the novel is to provide Huck with an opportunity for moral growth because, through his friendship with Jim, Huck learns a great deal about humanity. In the beginning of this Huckleberry Finn, Huck was an uncivilized and ignorant boy. When he moved in with the Widow Douglas, she "allowed she would [him]" but he did not want to stay with her because she was so "regular and decent... in all her ways" (2). He did not have what most people would consider morals. He was so against things moral and civilized that …show more content…
[he] could a paddled ashore and told somebody" (151). He believed that this was as bad as stealing. He decided he would go in town and give Jim up, but when it came time to do it, he could not bring himself to give Jim up. Jim had become too important to him. Later in the novel, Huck again faced this dilemma about whether or not to give Jim up. This occurred after the king and duke had sold Jim to Mr. Phelps. Huck decided to write a letter to Miss Watson, Jim's owner before he escaped, telling her where her runaway slave was. He again felt awful about allowing and even helping Jim to escape from her, and he believed that "people that acts as [he'd] been acting about that n***** goes to everlasting fire" (365). However, then he started thinking about his friendship with Jim and how good Jim had been to him through the whole voyage. He realized how much Jim actually meant to him . He then decided, once and for all, that he would not give Jim up, "and never thought no more about reforming" (368). After this Huck spent all his energy on stealing Jim from the Phelps family, and he did not even feel guilty about it. At the beginning of the novel, Huck believed that slavery was right and that it was not immoral to support slavery. By the end of the novel, Huck had become truly moral because he realized that everyone was just human. Jim's presence in this novel and in Huck's adventure allowed Huck to achieve this great moral growth, It was through Jim that
Throughout all of his adventures Jim shows compassion as his most prominent trait. He makes the reader aware of his many superstitions and Jim exhibits gullibility in the sense that he Jim always assumes the other characters in the book will not take advantage of him. One incident proving that Jim acts naive occurs halfway through the novel, when the Duke first comes into the scene "By right I am a duke! Jim's eyes bugged out when he heard that..." In the novel, Huck Finn, one can legitimately prove that compassion, superstitious and gullibility illustrate Jim's character perfectly.
In the middle of the book, Huck starts to distinguish what is the right thing to do. He starts to think if all the things he was doing before with Jim and Tom were too mean and stupid to do. One specific example is when he decides to steal the money that the king and duke have, “I got to steal that money somehow; and I got to steal it some way that they wont suspicion I done it." (Twain 133) After Huck stole the money Huck and Jim didn’t feel bad at all, and knew that they did the right thing after all. He learns that not everyone can be scammed on, that the real life is important and that you can’t do anything stupid like that. He sees eye to eye with Jim and realizes that he cant have someone taken advantage of just because of their
The relationship between Huckleberry Finn and Jim are central to Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". Huck's relationships with individual characters are unique in their own way; however, his relationship with Jim is one that is ever changing and sincere. As a poor, uneducated boy, Huck distrusts the morals and intentions of the society that treats him as an outcast and fails to protect him from abuse. The uneasiness about society, and his growing relationship with Jim, leads Huck to question many of the teachings that he has received, especially concerning race and slavery. Twain makes it evident that Huck is a young boy who comes from the lowest levels of white society. Huck's father, Pap, is a drunk who disappears for
In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, we are introduced to Huck a boy of about 13 years of age. From a young age Huck grows up in the absence of both his parents. However, Huck is raised by two women who take him in as family, the Widow Douglas and her sister Miss Watson, who make it their goal to “sivilize” (Twain 1) Huck. In the plot of this novel we learn that Huck is beaten repeatedly, and even kidnapped by his overbearing and critical father, Pap. We also learn that Pap, because he is always drunk, is an intimidating figure in Huck's life. Twain also writes about a character named Jim; Jim was Miss Watson's slave, freed after her death. Throughout the novel, Twain creates a strong friendship between Huck
On Huck and Jim’s journey to Cairo, Jim begins to speak about when he is free he will go and find his children and take them from the slave owner. This rubbed Huck the wrong way; his standards of Jim had been lowered because, from Huck’s point of view, why would Jim steal his children away from a man who has done nothing to him? Huck’s conscience began to come into play and he had made up his mind: He was going to turn Jim in when they reach shore. He was sure of it until Jim began to sweet talk Huck, telling him that Huck was the only white man that had ever kept a promise to him. This comment went directly to Huck’s heart; he could not possibly
The first adventure Huck and Jim take part in while searching for freedom is the steamboat situation. Huck shows development of character in tricking the watchman into going back to the boat to save the criminals. Even though they are thieves, and plan to murder another man, Huck still feels that they deserve a chance to live. Some may see Huck's reaction to the event as crooked but, unlike most of society, Huck Finn sees good in people and attempts to help them as much as he can. Getting lost in the fog while floating down the Mississippi River leads to a major turning point in the development of Huck Finn's character. Up to this event, he has seen Jim as a lesser person than himself. After trying to deny the fog event to Jim, he says, "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a [slave]; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterward, neither"(74). He continues by explaining how he could never do such a thing again. Huck has clearly gained respect for Jim here and shows it by feeling so horrible over what he did.
During the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim and Huck were not close. They were barely even friends. Huck thought of Jim as a servant, not a friend. As the book progressed however, Jim and Huck became closer. One could even say that by the end of the book Jim was like a father or brother to Huck. As Huck develops as a person, it becomes easier for him to see Jim as a human and not just property and helping him, while it may be wrong, is the right thing to do in his eyes.
When Jim is sold to the Phelps’ Huck is forced to make his final decision as to whether or not to save Jim. Huck shows maturity when he says: “But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind” (214). This was a huge struggle for Huck because he had no one to tell him what to do. When he finally says, “And for a starter I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again; and if i could think up anything worse, I would do that too, because as long as i was in, and in for good, I might as well go the whole hog” (214). Huck finally shows that he is better than society’s twisted
During the story Jim was taken and sold back to slavery. Huck would not let that happen to his friend Jim. Huck said “Don't ever let on to know us. And if you hear digging going on nights,it’s us; we’re going to set you free”(225). This shows how Huck is going to try and do everything possible ,even try digging, to help set Jim free. Huck cares alot about Jim he doesn't think it is morally right to leave a human locked up and worked as a
While he chooses not to hand Jim over, his position remains unclear. His moral compass is muddled. “I was stuck…but after this always do whichever come handiest at the time”. (l60). A true turning point reveals itself through Jim’s emotional vulnerability to Huck about Jim’s devotion to his family. While still bound by white southern culture, this added dimension to Jim’s character allows Huck to see past traditional stereotypes. Huck begins to view Jim more as a person and less as a slave. Having said that, Huck never reaches the point that readers so desperately wait for. While he decides to help Jim, Huck views his decision as morally wrong. It is Twain’s way of keeping Huck from overcoming the bounds of his culture, and Huck’s incomplete moral
In Mark Twain's book The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, confusion between morality and conformity is a constant struggle for Huck. The moral development of Huck Finn, a boy who lives with a widow to protect himself from the wrongs of society is serious. Huck is very mature, he can handle most situations like an adult. He can even make a decision like leaving home and faking his own death. Huck is not the average 12-14 year old boy, he must make decisions that most can’t or don’t. Huck can easily be one that’s identified as a transcendentalist, he has individual power, maturity, and common sense intelligence that makes him a person with great values.
It shows Huckleberry Finn in a moment of understanding and compassion. He displays a new level of maturity with the decision to help Jim, instead of turning him in. He is reminded how Jim has shown nothing but kindness to him, “I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing...I’d see him standing my watch on top of his’n, ‘stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping”. Huck was also reminded of the time Jim called him “the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the ONLY one he’s got now” Huck is forced to decide between two things, everything society has told him or his own personal judgment. Ultimately, he decides on what he thinks is right and because of this, he is able to free his dear friend
In the book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Huck's unbiased view on the world allows for Huck to view the world more literally and see the unfair treatment of slaves, unlike those whose judgment has been clouded by society. In the beginning of the novel, Huck continuously deceives Jim, treating him as a toy. One night, on the river, a heavy fog creeps in, separating Huck and Jim. In next morning, when Huck finds Jim asleep on the raft, he comes up with a devious plan to trick Jim. As he shakes Jim awake, Huck pretends that they were never separated the night before.
Twain’s goal in creating the novel was to “argue against pro-slavery” (Muller). The main goal was to bring attention to slavery’s immorality, which is how Huck acted within the book. At first Huck did not think much of for Jim. Huck believed that Jim was an ignorant and uneducated man, yet he is soon to discover that Jim is not only sane, but also a great companion. Throughout the voyage, Huck’s mind came accross turning in Jim, so that he did not have to worry about Jim any longer.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain gives a notice in the book saying nobody should attempt to analyze the morals of the story. However, morality is a key point to seek in the narrative. The main character, Huck Finn undergoes a great deal of moral development. With Twain’s satirical writing, he places Huck in many situations where he has to choose between having a sound heart or a deformed conscience. After going to live with the Widow Douglas, Huck tends to follow society’s path upon arrival. As he slowly drifts away from society, he begins to listen to himself. This transformation is accurately depicted by Huck’s relationship with Jim. Though Huck commences being insensitive to Jim, he transitions to understand Jim. This is