Despite the pre-civil war time period and racial tension existing in Huckleberry Finn’s life, he became best friends with a runaway slave. At the beginning of their journey, against society’s teachings, Huck decides to help Jim to freedom. From there he begins an incredible relationship that ignores the color of skin or the social norms. At one point near the beginning of Huck’s and Jim’s trip up the river, Jim declares, “I’s a free man, en I couldn’t ever ben free ef it hadn’ ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won’t ever forgit you, Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now” (106). Later in the story, Jim is taken back into slavery. Huck believes that by helping Jim, a slave and the property of Miss Watson, escape, he will be damning himself to an eternity in Hell. However, Huck knows there’s something wrong with allowing Jim to be in captive and without rights and freedoms. Huck says, “But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind… I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he’s go now” (249). After a lot of thought, Huck declared, “I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again” (250). Although Huck thinks that being a friend to Jim and protecting him from white slave owners is wrong because of his racist upbringing, he decides that Jim is a person just like himself. He chooses to protest against the unjust social rules that ruled the pre-civil war south. Because Huck stands up for what is right even in the face of discrimination or being an outcast by being true to Jim and their
Despite the pre-civil war time period and racial tension existing in Huckleberry Finn’s life, he became best friends with a runaway slave. At the beginning of their journey, against society’s teachings, Huck decides to help Jim to freedom. From there he begins an incredible relationship that ignores the color of skin or the social norms. At one point near the beginning of Huck’s and Jim’s trip up the river, Jim declares, “I’s a free man, en I couldn’t ever ben free ef it hadn’ ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won’t ever forgit you, Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now” (106). Later in the story, Jim is taken back into slavery. Huck believes that by helping Jim, a slave and the property of Miss Watson, escape, he will be damning himself to an eternity in Hell. However, Huck knows there’s something wrong with allowing Jim to be in captive and without rights and freedoms. Huck says, “But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind… I was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he’s go now” (249). After a lot of thought, Huck declared, “I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again” (250). Although Huck thinks that being a friend to Jim and protecting him from white slave owners is wrong because of his racist upbringing, he decides that Jim is a person just like himself. He chooses to protest against the unjust social rules that ruled the pre-civil war south. Because Huck stands up for what is right even in the face of discrimination or being an outcast by being true to Jim and their