The Duke And The King In Huckleberry Finn

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

Though it is at times referred to as a classic, youth novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry

Originally, Huck believes that he should turn in Jim, a slave running away from being sold by Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. He does not see it as following the law, he just believes that it would be immoral for him not to turn in Jim to the cops. Huck Finn was raised to accept the idea of slavery which has been shaped by a society who accepted slavery. The pranks that Huck Finn pulled on Jim reflects Huck Finns attitude towards Jim 's intelligence. In the scene after Huck Finn and Jim get separated in the fog, Huck thinks Jim is stupid enough to believe that none of it

believes Jim to be inappropriate and stubborn at times, as in their exchange over the Biblical story of King Solomon and the French language. Huck doesn’t tell Jim but says to the reader,“ If he got a notion in his head once, there warn’t no getting it out again…I see it warn’t no use wasting words – you can’t learn a nigger to argue” (76-79).

The book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, follows Huckleberry Finn and a “runaway” slave Jim’s relationship. Their bond transitions from a coincidental meeting, to a friendship, and eventually to a father-son relationship. The first stages of their relationship are haphazard, as Huck and Jim do not have a strong previous relationship. The only connection that Huck and Jim share is that they live on the same plantation. Prior to their journey, Huck only recognizes Jim because of the practical jokes that he often plays on him. For instance, in chapter 2 while Jim is taking a much needed afternoon nap, Huck and Tom

Because blacks are uneducated, he sees them as stupid and stubborn. He frequently tells stories to Jim, mainly about foreign kings and history. When Jim disagrees with Huck, Jim becomes very stubborn and refuses to listen to explanations. Huck eventually concludes, "You can't learn a nigger to argue". Jim also seems to accept that whites are naturally superior to blacks. He knows that Huck is far smarter than he is. When Tom Sawyer and Huck are planning an elaborate breakout for Jim, he allows their outrageous plan to continue because they "was white folks and knowed better than him". This mutual acceptance of whites as superior to blacks shows how deeply rooted slavery was in Southern culture. This made it very difficult for Huck to help Jim. When Tom Sawyer says he will help free Jim, Huck is very disappointed. He had never thought that Tom Sawyer, of all people, would be a "nigger stealer". Huck had always considered Tom respectable and educated, and yet Tom was prepared to condemn himself to damnation by freeing a runaway slave. This confuses Huck greatly, who no longer knows what to think about his situation with Jim. When Huck is forced to make a decision regarding slavery, he invariably sides with his emotions. Huck does not turn Jim in, despite having several chances. His best chance to do what he believes is right comes as they are rafting towards Cairo, Illinois. Huck finally

Also as they go more south for example when they are in Arkansas the duke, the dauphin, and Huck speak on his behalf because of the limited rights slaves have in the south. The way Jim talks also is a major factor in the level of hatred in the eyes of the southern people. This is so because Jim talks very uneducated level which puts him in place in the views of the people who believe in slavery and if Jim were to talk smarter or whiter he would be hated even more because they people despise educated slaves. Along with Jim, Hucks language shows his social class and color. Huck was provided with little education and brought up under the Widow Douglas and Aunt Polly who were good people. His past is shown every time he speaks because his thoughts are expressed clearly and exactly how he intended to say it. Although he has errors every now and then, he is still considered the better type of white, unlike his father who as described by Huck was the worse white there was. As a result of Huck’s language he was more respected than and not as pampered with as Jim and some of the other characters. Along with Jim and Huck, Huck’s pap and the Duke and Duchess’s language reflects their race and their level of education. Huck’s pap was a

In Jim, he sees kindness, compassion, and integrity. Ultimately, this is what dissuades him from turning Jim in - Huck remembers Jim 's company, "Jim would always call me honey and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was" (Twain 95). Jim treats Huck with kindness and respect. Huck slowly realizes that even Jim, a slave, is a human-being. He questions the beliefs that had been inculcated in him from an early age. He goes on to help Jim evade imprisonment by lying to men who are trying to capture runaway slaves. Huck tells the men that his father has smallpox and deceives them into letting him, and Jim, leave. Huck’s action goes against everything he knows. He feels guilty for tricking the men (not turning in Jim), but conclusively states, “So I reckoned I wouldn’t bother no more about [right and wrong], but after this always do whichever comes handiest at the time”(Twain 120). Huck begins to realize that he should not feel shame for something that he feels is right. He learns that as an individual, he has the right to a set of beliefs - molded from his experiences - and that he does not have to do what is “socially acceptable”.

In Chapter 14, Huck and Jim argue about why French people don’t talk the same way as American people. Jim’s argument is very rational; he says that French people and American people are both men so “‘why doan’ he talk like a man? You answer me dat!’” (14). Twain creates this seemingly trivial scene as an allegory to the fact that whites and blacks are both men, yet they are treated starkingly differently. In addition, Huck realizes “I see it warn’t no use wasting words—you can’t learn a nigger to argue. So I quit” (14). Huck believes he is smarter than Jim because society innately believes that white men are superior to blacks, yet Jim is wiser and more rational than Huck because Jim recognizes the faults in society that Huck overlooks because he is so accustomed to them. This scene also exemplifies that Huck’s morality hasn’t increased because he can’t see past society’s restricting lens, and recognize that Jim’s argument makes sense. Huck and Jim become separated because of the fog but after much panic and loneliness, they are later reunited. However, Huck pretends it never happened and calls Jim a “tangle-headed old fool” (25). Huck’s act of dishonesty towards Jim portrays the superiority that white men felt over blacks in this time. Although Jim believes Huck at first, Jim realizes that Huck lied and confronts him: “En all you wuz

Throughout Huckleberry Finn, Huck sees countless people get taken for a fool and believe foolish things. Most obvious are the people that get taken in by the King and Duke, but even earlier in the book, Huck sees people believing untrue things. For instance, when Huck tells the watchman that he has a family that

Huck rushes back to the island and demands that Jim be ready to run with him, meaning that Huck has risked his own freedom to save Jim. “Git up and hump yourself, Jim. They’re after us,” Huck finds out they are looking for Jim on Jackson’s Island and he rushes back to let him know (Twain 63). Huck could’ve easily ran and left Jim, but he didn’t. This is the first time where Huck begins to change and value Jim as a companion and friend. Huck realizes the value of Jim, outside of being a slave, and risks his own freedom in order for Jim to remain free. Huck realizes that Jim is a good and true friend and that lying is what will keep them safe and together in the society that they are living in. “He’s sick--and so is Mam and Mary Ann,” Huck lies to the men who want to search the raft for slaves (Twain 90). He says his family has smallpox which is what drives the slave searchers away. Huck knows they must lie about their intentions and who they are in order to be successful. This also proves how awful society was, they would have taken away Jim, no questions asked, and it just simply becomes easier to hold their tongues. This is when Huck first begins to protect Jim and defy society once again. Huck later hurts Jim’s feelings by playing a cruel trick on Jim and feels bad. Huck knows white people aren't supposed to, but he apologizes to a slave

Wisdom is to maturity as writing a paper is to taking an English course. And wisdom can only be gained through life experience, good, bad, or in between. Huck’s maturity is developed through his adventure down the Mississippi River, where he must make “adult” choices that will affect not only him but his dependent friend, Jim, showing that all kids need is to be given responsibility in order to become responsible.

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is seen as a nobler person when not exposed to the hypocrisy of civilization. Huck does what he believes is right, even if this means going against common practices in the society around him. This is seen through Huck’s actions when helping his slave friend, Jim. Throughout the novel, Huck shows his friendship for Jim, especially when everyone is trying to capture him. This was also shown when Huck apologizes to Jim, and sees them both as equals and also freeing Jim after being sold.

They meet up at Jackson’s Island, and decide to stay together while they set out on the river. At this point, Huck is known to lie about many things. Any time he gets into trouble, he will lie to help himself. However, growing extremely close with Jim changes him, and after the Duke and the Dauphin sale Jim, Huck stops lying and becomes a better human. Jim did not just provide someone for Huck to go through life with, Jim provided a true friend who changed Huck’s outlook on what is right in life. He considers turning Jim in several times, but eventually makes the decision to not turn him in and cause his friend to go back to the life he left. At the start of the book, Huck would have turned Jim in with no hesitations, but Jim helped Huck to discover that what is right by society’s rules is not always morally right. Thus, his relationship with Jim makes him less civilized in society’s eyes, but more civilized through the eyes of people who have a good heart and want to help others. Society would have condemned Huck for these choices, but considerate people would praise him for making a kind decision. Without Jim, Huck would not have been able to make a decision like this that showed his good

Twain uses colloquial diction to convey Huck’s struggle between the values of his southern upbringing, which urge him to return Jim, and his strong friendship and loyalty with Jim, which encourage him to protect the runaway. Although Huck lacks education, Huck interprets the laws in ways that are morally sound, an interpretation that most educated people fail to understand, while they blindly accept the injustice of slavery. Throughout the novel, Twain makes use of uneducated diction and syntax to convey an ironic contrast between Huck’s ability to discern between moral and immoral actions and his lack of education.