Huck Finn Superstitions

In the distance, the horn of a steamboat sounds. The Mississippi River flows powerfully. A raft appears, just a small speck on the great river, carrying a young boy, Huck Finn, and a runaway slave, Jim. In Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the reader dives into a first hand account of these two and their journey, as well as the growth of their thoughts along the way. Long days on the river allow much time for one to think. Though both characters do a considerable amount of reflecting, Jim’s is the most profound, as he uses his thinking to come to conclusions, consider things once they have passed, and realize the effect his words will have. Because of this, Jim is the novel’s most sophisticated philosopher. Jim uses what
This is first apparent in his superstitions, as Huck recalls about him in the quote, “Jim said you mustn’t count the things you are going to cook for dinner, because that would bring bad luck. The same if you shook the table-cloth after sundown. And he said if a man owned a beehive, and that man died, the bees must be told about it before sun-up next morning, or else the bees would all weaken down and quit work and die” (Twain 54). Jim does not rely on what others tell him, yet instead comes up with his own explanations. Whether his superstitions have any legitimacy or not is another matter, but this way of thinking is unique to Jim nonetheless. Jim also uses his own logic to defend his arguments. In a disagreement with Huck about the French language, Jim says, ‘Well, then why ain’t it natural and right for a Frenchman to talk different from us? You answer me that.’ ‘Is a cat a
In a tense moment with Tom and Huck, he catches on to their scheme and doesn’t blow her cover, as Huck says, “Then he [Tom Sawyer] turns to Jim, and looks him over like he never see him before; and says: ‘Did you sing out?’ ‘No, sah,’ says Jim, ‘I hain’t said nothing, sah.’ ‘Not a word?’ ‘No, sah, I hain’t said a word.’ ‘Did you ever see us before?’ ‘No, sah; not as I knows on’ Jim knows the role he plays in all this and says what he needs to to help out Tom and Huck. His thoughts about his actions are also seen in what he hides from Huck, “‘He [Pap] ain’t a comin’ back no mo’, Huck.’...‘Nemmine why, Huck -- but he ain’t comin’ back no mo’.’ But I kept at him; so at last he says: ‘Doan’ you ‘member de house dat was float’n down de river, en dey wuz a man in dah, kivered up… well, den you k’n git yo’ money when you wants it; kase dat wuz him’” (Twain 338). Jim knows that Huck will be heavily affected by the news, so he holds off telling him along the journey. This shows that he has considered what he says before he says it. Throughout Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim proves himself to be the novel’s most sophisticated philosopher. He draws his own conclusions, making him independent. He considers things after they have passed, leading him to reconsider and find a deeper meaning in things. Finally, Jim thinks the effects his actions or words will have, making him a smarter character than those