When Huck first befriended Jim, he was still in this ignorant and immoral state. He, like most others at this time, was a believer and supporter of the institution of slavery, but he did agree to help Jim escape because he himself would benefit from it. He still saw Jim as a slave though, and therefore as someone inferior to him. As his friendship with Jim deepened because of their time spent together on the raft, Huck's view of Jim began to change. This change first became apparent when Huck tricked Jim into believing that he only dreamed about them getting separated in the fog. When Jim learned that Huck tricked him, Huck felt awful about hurting Jim's feelings, and after that, he "didn't do [Jim] no more mean tricks, and [he] wouldn't done that one if [he'd] a knowed it would make [Jim] feel that way" (148). Huck was clearly beginning to truly care about Jim as a person.…
When he is separated from Jim, he is concerned for Jim to some degree. He meets the Grangerfords’ and they allow him to stay with them once they realize that he is not a Sheperdson (p.189). The Grangerfords are in a family battle with the Sheperdson’s. When Huck questions the reason for the feud, no one can give him a true answer as to why they are fighting. At this point, Huck Finn realizes that a lot of what happens is strictly influenced by people around you and he does not desire to be a part of this (p.197-198). Huck Finn finds Jim with the help of one of the Grangerford’s slaves, and Huck is overjoyed to know that Jim is alive and well (p. 198-199). This action shows how Huck has changed. Huck Finn cares about something bedsides what other people think. In today’s society people depend on the opinion of other people. If people could put that worry aside, just as Huck Finn does in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, and focus on what matters most in life, people would have a lot fewer problems. The key point that shows the extent of the transition Huck Finn has made throughout the story is when Huck writes a letter to Tom Sawyer telling Miss Watson where to find Jim at, and then he chooses to tear the letter up and not send it to her (p. 261-262). This shows that Huck has developed a sense of respect for Jim. Huck is not concerned…
One of the greatest moments in the book, personally, was when Huck and Jim were together on Jackson’s island, taking turns, keeping lookout. Jim is depicted as a great friend and caring person for the first time when Huck says, “I went to sleep, and Jim didn't call me when it was my turn. He often done that” (23.30).This part in the book really resonated with me and showed me how kind of a person Jim was. Another instance where Jim proves to be a great friend is when he says,"Pooty soon I'll be a-shout'n' for joy, en I'll say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; 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." (16.14) Jim recognizes the great relationship he has with Huck and again, Jim shows his great character and how he is a good friend.…
To begin with, among the many characteristics of Jim, his compassionate nature shows throughout the book. When Huck and Jim come across the floating boathouse, Jim finds a dead man inside. He advises Huck not to look as he says, “It’s a dead man... dead two er three days... come in Huck, but doan’ look at his face.” At the end of the book the reader finds out that the dead man turns out as Huck’s father. Further on down the river, Huck and Jim engage in a deep conversation. Jim speaks of the family he feels he has left behind. Jim tries hard to save up all his money in hopes of buying back his wife and children when he becomes a free man. He expresses that he feels terrible for leaving behind his family and misses them very much. As a result, Huck feels responsible and guilty for ruining Jim’s freedom. Huck decides that he wants to reveal the truth, that Jim really isn’t a free man. His conscience tells him not to and instead he finds himself helping Jim rather than giving him up. Jim feels so thankful to Huck when he says ". . .it’s all on account of Huck, I’s a free man, ... you’s the best friend Jim’s ever had...” Even further along, Huck becomes separated from Jim and living at the Grangerford’s. Huck doesn’t know if he’ll ever see Jim again. He also doesn’t…
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a young boy named Huckleberry Finn runs away from his life and travels down the Mississippi River with his friend Jim, a runaway slave. The story follows Huck 's moral growth and maturity throughout his many adventures and experiences. The major turning point of the book is when Huck realizes that Jim cares about him, and that he cares about Jim in return. As a child, Huck is taught that Jim isn 't a person because of his skin color and that he does not deserve respect, but Huck discovers that Jim is a person and deserves more respect than most people Huckleberry met on his journeys. He comes to this decision because Jim cares for him and treats Huck better than his own father. Huck says “All right, then, I 'll go to hell.” when he decides to go against the racist teachings of his childhood and help Jim get his freedom (Twain 216-217). The book was written to show what life was like in the 1840s and successfully revealed the way people viewed each other and people of other races. In the beginning of the story, Huck treats Jim poorly because he is taught that…
Jim then warns Huck not to look at the man's face, which allows Huck to have the motivation to continue his adventure thinking that his father is not dead. Jim continues to stay with Huck and provide him with moral support on the river, serving to develop Huck’s moral development along the way. An example of this moral support is where in Chapter 16, Huck makes up a story to preserve Jim's freedom and then Jim remarks he will never forget Huck's kindness. Huck later experiences a coming of age when he is faced with the ultimate moral dilemma of reporting Jim at the Phelps Farm to Miss Watson. Feeling conflicted about stealing “property” from Miss Watson, he writes a letter which he then crumples up after fully understanding that his letter would harm Jim, who he then realizes is a human being. This incident evokes feelings of regret in Huck, and shows that Huck is the one good person in the novel.…
Huck’s need for an authority figure is also satisfied when he encounters Jim. They meet on Jackson Island after Huck fakes his own death and Jim runs away from Miss Watson, both doing those things in order to achieve freedom. Their coalition can be seen as the catalyst for Huck’s moral growth, as Huck begins to change his perspective towards Jim from that point on. Right when the two meet, Jim asks Huck to not tell others about him being a runaway slave. Without hesitation, Huck honors Jim and says “I’ll stick to it. Honest injun I will. People would call me a low down Ablitionist and despise me for keeping mum, but that don’t make no difference” (32). This shows that Huck is willing to take criticism for Jim despite it not benefiting him in any way. More importantly, this is the first time that Huck shows indifference towards societal standards. Then, Huck feels concern for Jim for the first time when Huck causes Jim to get bit by a snake by placing a dead rattlesnake on Jim’s bed. Huck acknowledges that the bite was all his fault, and makes up his mind to not play tricks like that again, knowing what he did was wrong. One of the most significant escalations in Huck’s view of Jim occurs when he lies to Jim about his disappearance. When Jim finds out that Huck was lying to him, Jim expresses his disappointment in Huck. Seeing that Jim cares for him engenders Huck to feel sympathetic towards Jim and put himself down to apologize to Jim. This is also the first time that Huck sees Jim as an equal human being, proving that Huck and Jim have a mutually respecting relationship. As T.S. Eliot said, “Huck in fact would be incomplete without Jim, who is almost as notable a creation as Huck himself. Huck is the passive observer of men and events, Jim the submissive sufferer from them; and they are equal in dignity”. In this way, Huck experiences significant growth to his…
This unique void in the relationship stems from Jim’s fear that if he disagrees with Huck, Huck could sell him out to the authorities. Despite the thought never crossing Huck’s mind, the ominous tone remains in the back of Jim’s head. On the other hand, Huck feels insecure in his relationship with Jim at this point in the novel, and fears that he could lose Jim’s friendship and he “ warn’t going to let Jim find out it was all my fault”(55). This is one of the only inhibiting factors in the relationship between Huck and Jim, as both of them did not want to fully express themselves in fear of retribution from the other. Huck learns to respect Jim’s superstitions after the rattlesnake bite, and he was “getting to feel that way myself “ (55). Ironically, after the experience, Huck became more level headed when it came to pranks, not because of logic and reason, but due to his agreement of superstition. As the novel progresses, the reader learns how Huck adapts his behavior to his most recent experiences. After Jim got bitten by a rattlesnake, Huck becomes more superstitious, but he soon reverts back to his normal attitude, as life gets better; a trend that will begin to manifest later in the…
Most of the development of their relationship to each other comes in the beginning of the book. During the second half of the book, the character of Jim takes somewhat of a back seat to the rest of the story. Jim is either left behind on the raft, or confined to a cell for most of the chapters after Chapter 19. Despite his infrequent appearances, it is in the last half of the book that the bond of trust is solidified in Huck’s heart. When Huck decides that he will free Jim and declares, "All right, then, I’ll go to hell," (pg. 206) he bases that decision on events that have brought the two closer during the trip, such as the foggy night and the time Huck saved Jim by saying he had smallpox. These are probably two of the key events in the story as it relates to the relationship between Huck and Jim. It is the first event, the foggy night, which brings about a major change in Huck. He risks his life trying to navigate the river in the fog in order to be reunited with Jim. When the raft first drifts off, Huck could have stayed on the shore and been safe, but he does not even think of not following Jim because he knows Jim would be caught if Huck was not with him because they were in the south and slavery was still going on and people would take Jim and put him back into slavery and undo what Huck was trying to do. When he…
Jim is a good friend who is trying to protect Huck from being hurt or damaged. In the story Huck keeps insisting that he wants to talk about the dead men they saw. Jim keeps trying to avoid the fact so he says “it would fetch bad luck’’. Jim keeps implying that it would haunt him and he is trying to avoid the fact it is Huck's dad so it doesn’t hurt him. As you can see Jim is being a good friend and is trying to look out for his friend to keep him together.…
Hucks realization that everyone is equal even if there color is different from him or her is a huge change in a person’s character and out look on life. Jim in shock and excitement finally found Huck after thinking he was dead saying “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead- you ain’ drowned you’s back again? It’s too good for true, honey, its too good for true” (pg.84). This proves that Huck and Jim have a strong relationship caring for each other just like family. It’s the moment Huck realizes the color of Jim doesn’t effect Hucks feelings for Jim. Huck cries out of love for Jim wanting his forgiveness more then anything “It made me feel so mean I could almost kissed his foot to get him to take it back” (pg.87). This shows that Huck doesn’t want to loose Jim he’s family to Huck. This is a big change to Hucks life because he was scolded from his tricks and childish behavior. Learning lessons…
During The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck was forced to deal with his morals and how he should not help Jim escape to freedom. Huck actually ended up stealing Jim from a farmer to get him to freedom. While Huck is spending so much time with Jim, his opinion of him changed. When Huck and Jim were on their way to Cairo, Huck was in a canoe and got separated from Jim on the raft. Jim had fallen asleep and when he woke up Huck tricked him into believing the whole thing was a dream and they had never been apart. Huck then realizes that what he did was a little harsh and feels the need to apologize. “...I didn’t do him no more mean tricks and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d a knowed it would make him feel that way.” (Twain 87). Huck feels sorry for playing tricks on Jim and he starts to realize that Jim being black doesn’t mean he deserves to be treated poorly. By putting this in the book, Mark Twain was foreshadowing the friendship to…
During the book, Huck hasn’t really experienced what life really was and what you might encounter during times that just come out of anything. Jim is someone that you might call strange and unexpected. When Huck and Jim were together on the island and going down the river, Huck was mainly giving orders to Jim, but on occasion he didn’t. The reason why Huck was giving orders more often was because that was the environment that he had grown up around. As time goes on he begins to realize and understand how a black man has been treated throughout life and starts to respect him more and more by who he actually is. When Huck was deciding whether to tell Mary that Jim was with him, “ It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a slave; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither” (Twain 92). Huck was scared to what was going to happen if he would tell Miss Watson, but he overcame it very well.…
While all this is happening, while Huck is playing these tricks on Jim, we have to remember Huck is still a kid. He’s only around 13 years old, and that’s what kids do. They don’t think before they do things, and they like to play pranks and tricks on people. Huck was just trying to have fun with Jim, not be mean to him and be racist to him. In the novel Huck and Jim have a good relationship, they become friends and Huck starts seeing him as a person rather than a slave. They form a bond, a friendship.…
Huck was raised in a society where slaves were not treated like actual human beings, and throughout the story, Huck starts to see that Jim actually has…