Similarities Between Huck And Jim In Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn includes an uncommon relationship that helps a reader understand the world of the antebellum South. When Huck Finn, a young, naive, lower-class white boy trying to escape his father finds Jim, a fugitive slave, their adventures present him with a renewed, more accurate perception of society. Stuck on a raft drifting down the Mississippi River, Huck and Jim learn many new things about their world as they pass by numerous people and towns. Their encounter on Jackson’s Island occurs as Huck is fleeing his father, a racist drunk man that exemplifies the stereotype of “white trash.” The vast difference between Pap Finn and Jim’s influences on Huck allow him to discover the world from a new perspective. Twain, who
Huck and Jim have many differences between themselves, most apparent being their race. The most pronounced issue in the antebellum South was the discussion of racial superiority, and therefore slavery. Furthermore, Huck is a child with little experience of the world’s issues, while Jim, despite his being a slave, is a grown man with an immense understanding of the issues of society. While the two have some significant differences, they, in fact, share various similarities. The most prominent comparison is that they each escaped a form of oppression. For Huck, this external conflict is against his father, who kidnapped him and attempted to kill him. For Jim, this conflict is slavery, and hearing that he would be sold to another slaveowner, far away from his family. Each of the two characters flee their oppressive environments to live on the river, and this coincidence is what assembles them for a river journey together. Moreover, Huck and Jim have their personal superstitions and the ability to live on their own. However, neither of them have the ability to live in the society of the time period. Huck, although he has survival skills, could not survive as a young boy in the world by himself. He does not completely understand the rules and the cruelties that happen in the Southern communities. Jim, would simply not survive by himself because of his race. A black man in one of the slave states would quickly be identified and sold into slavery again. What they are able to do together is what makes their friendship strong. As they approached on the raft what they believed was Cairo, Jim exclaims, “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" (87). Jim is confident in Huck to be able to get him to the free states. His praise of Huck represents their close friendship and