Huck Finn And Pap's Relationship Essay

Jim Vs Jim
The White Americans significantly had an advantage against the African Americans. Mark Twain wrote, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” to display how a black man can be a father figure of a typical white child. The two Jims, Jim Finn or “Pap” and Jim the black run-away slave differ in verities of ways. Pap, as Huck’s biological father is portrayed as a drunk and a complete failure. Considering Pap’s negative behavior, Huck never really liked Pap because of his violent acts and Pap was ignorant towards Huck’s school work. Jim the slave however was presented as Huck’s father figure. Throughout the journey with Huck, Jim felt the need to take care of Huck just like his kids at home. Again, Huck never liked his real father Pap so it
is safe to say that Huck would much rather claim Jim as his father than Pap. Jim Finn, Huck’s father makes a good display of general debasement of white society and is a total embarrassment to his family.
Before Huck met Jim the run-away slave, Huck never felt loved because he never had anyone who looked out for him but the Widow and Miss Watson. Although they were Huck’s only support, Huck never appreciated them just from the fact that they expect him to be more “sivilized”. Pap never expected anything from Huck but getting more liquor for him. Even the friends of Huck believe that Pap means nothing to Huck. “Yes, he’s got a father, but you can’t never find him, these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tan yard, but he hain’t been seen in these parts for a year or more”. (pg 6) People talking about Pap like this make it seem like Pap has been laying home drunk for a long time. Huck himself also describes Pap in an off putting way. Huck says that Pap is unpleasantly pale, long greasy hair, disgusting, and terribly dressed. This imagery that Twain projected convinces the reader that Huck really hates his father that much. Considering these dilemmas, it is fair to say that Pap is nowhere near a father of Huck or a father in general. Pap seems more like the devil or a hole to this society
and especially Huck. From Pap’s point of view, Huck is not his son; Pap sees him as his money maker that gets him whisky. Twain tries to make Pap seem as pointless from the part when a man is found dead in a house and not revealing anything about who that person is and how he was shot even though it was Pap. Twain also went on with the story putting the death to the side like nothing happened making the readers forget about the dead man or Pap. This indicates that Pap doesn’t matter to Huck anymore and he had forgotten about his father. After Judge Thatcher’s attempt to reform Pap, Pap sues Judge Thatcher for Huck’s fortune. Pap threatened Huck about going to school. Despite Pap’s threats, Huck continued to attend school. It is strange how much Pap is jealous of Huck’s education and how Huck is able to read and write. Huck runs away and finally feels free away from Pap and this is very ironic because Huck feels safer away from Pap. S Jim, the run-away slave was the complete opposite of Pap.
Jim was intelligent, caring, passive and most importantly, a father figure of Huck. Huck met Jim after he faked his death and ran away to an island. Jim ran away from Mrs. Watson because he overheard that she is going to sell him. Huck and Jim had similar goals throughout the story. Their goal was to be free. Jim and Huck however becomes closer and eventually builds a strong friendship throughout the journey on the Mississippi River. Jim starts off as just a runaway slave but later on, Jim strives for freedom at Cairo. The relationship between Huck and Jim wasn’t just a simple relationship but it came to the point where Jim was almost identified as Jim’s father. Jim has children himself but since they’re not with him, Jim felt the need to support Huck. After getting separated on the raft because of a mist on the river, Jim said, “I could a got down on my knees en kiss your foot I’s so thankful” (pg 65). This shows that Jim and Huck need each other considering that they are both separated from their families and has no one else that can support them. Also, this part represents a typical father and son relationship because a proper father would be worried if their son had been lost and later when found, they are overly happy. Unnecessarily, Huck lies to Jim that the whole mist thing was all a dream but later, Jim finds out that it wasn’t perhaps a dream. Jim felt betrayed and became angry. Since Huck felt so bad after
realizing how much Jim was worried about him, Huck thought to himself, “It made me so mean I could almost kissed his foot”. (pg 65) This implies that Huck indeed feels bad for Jim after his distress about losing him. With this, Huck also decides not to turn Jim in to the runaway slave hunters simple because Huck believed that he would feel worse if he did the right thing. Huckleberry Finn, being the mischievous and adventurous boy himself proves that a black man can be a friend and that they are human not a property. Huck never felt safe with Pap from the fact that he is so violent but Huck felt safe with Jim and Jim was Huck’s only support. Twain shed light on Jim to indicate how a white man just like Pap can be worse than a slave who is more intelligent and a better father with a better personality. In conclusion, Twain was successful in pointing out that a black man can even be a father figure of a typical white child.