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The struggle between freedom and slavery in huckleberry finn
Literary analysis on jim in huckleberry finn
Huckleberry finn and current society
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Throughout the novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there were countless times that Jim was mistreated and hurt. Jim was a slave, but Huck Finn developed a strong friendship with him. He felt as if he shouldn’t be trusting Tom the whole time, yet still did. Ultimately, Tom knew that Jim was set free and was only planning and following through with the escape to have fun. The way Jim was treated was very harsh, and people took advantage of it, knowing that he was a slave and couldn’t do anything about it. The ending was not appropriate. At the end of the book, Jim did not get the ending he deserved. He was mistreated and faced hardships of being the minority race, so he had to do what people told him to do if they were white. …show more content…
He wanted to have fun and play as if Jim was meant to be locked up merely so they could have an adventure. He wouldn’t have said anything until more family came and verified it. “And his Aunt Polly she said Tom was right about old Miss Watson setting Jim free in her will; and so, sure enough, Tom Sawyer had gone and took all that trouble and bother to set a free n***er free! and I couldn’t ever understand before, until that minute and that talk, how he could help a body set a n***er free with his bringing-up” (Twain 290). Tom didn’t care about Jim and didn’t even care that he broke his own leg in the process, he just wanted to have fun and to have a story to tell people. Everyone was confused at why Tom would do such a thing. Huck was especially confused because he was against slavery and saw Jim as an equal, so that’s when he asked Tom about it. “And he said, what he had planned in his head from the start, if we got Jim out all safe, was for us to run him down the river on the raft, and have adventures plumb to the mouth of the river, and then tell him about his being free, and take him back up home on a steamboat, in style, and pay him for his lost time, and write word ahead and get out all the n***ers around, and have them waltz him into town with a torchlight procession and a brass band and then he would be a hero, and so would we” (Twain 291-292). Tom had known about the risk in everything, and …show more content…
He was very logical and understood things about life, even though he was misunderstood himself, because he was a slave. "’Well, den, dis is de way it look to me, Huck. Ef it wuz him dat 'uz bein' sot free, en one er de boys wuz to git shot, would he say, 'Go on en save me, nemmine 'bout a doctor f'r to save dis one?' Is dat like Mars Tom Sawyer? Would he say dat? You bet he wouldn't! Well, den, is Jim gywne to say it? No, sah—I doan' budge a step out'n dis place 'dout a doctor, not if it's forty year!’" (Twain 275). Jim was a really good man and even though he was a slave, he acted like a true gentleman and put others before himself. Only the only time Tom showed any interest in Jim’s wellbeing was at the end, when his plan fell through and they locked Jim back up and almost hanged him. “‘They hain't no right to shut him up! Shove!—and don't you lose a minute. Turn him loose! He ain't no slave; he's as free as any cretur that walks this earth!’" (Twain 288-289). Even though they knew he was set free in Miss Watson’s will, they still didn’t want to release him. He was eventually set free, but only after going through a lot of work and suffering. This was the only instance shown throughout the whole book that Tom stuck up for Jim and his
Why would anyone in his or her right mind even think about freeing a slave? Everyone in the society was telling Huck that slaves were no more than ones property, but Huck began to question this belief when he got to know the property for who it really was. During the story there are many times when Huck feels an obligation to turn Jim in to the authorities and just get on with his life, but his conscience kept telling him that this man is a real person. Near the end of the story, Jim was stuck in a holding cell, since he had run away. After much consideration of the situation, Huck decides that he wants to free Jim because he believes that he shouldn't be treated that way. Even though the entire town believes that Jim should be contained and treated like property, Huck still sticks to his morals and goes along with the plan that could get him in trouble or even killed. At the end of the story we find out that Jim had always been free, and we now find Huck's actions to be heroic and noble.
Life in the late eighteen hundreds was very different from the life we know today. Not only was there more inequality, there were also more health concerns and lapses in education. Mark Twain, in his book “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has given us a special look into the past through the eyes of a young boy. Though this book is one of, if not the most highly criticized books in the American school system, it is also one of the most highly renowned. Through the criticism, Twain has given us a golden reflective opportunity.
Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim prioritizes other’s needs before his own by sacrificing his freedom to save other characters. When the doctor could not save Tom without assistance, Jim steps out from where he is hiding to help the doctor. In doing so he was “...r[i]sking his freedom...” (Twain 215);whereas, he could have let Tom die to save his own life. But instead Jim willingly risks getting put back into slavery to help save someone else, Tom. Once again, when Huck was staying with the Shepherdsons, Jim decides to wait for Huck. Jim fixes the raft and creates a plan to save Huck and go on with their
...all along Jim was free but being the adventurous boy he is he wanted Jim to turn out and be a hero like the one’s he reads about. Tom knows Jim could have been freed multiple times if he didn’t put him up to all of the childish games. Jim had stayed by Tom’s when he almost died and would do anything for him but Tom couldn’t give Jim the same respect back. His foolishness behavior caused Jim more pain and almost didn’t get him freed. Jim was a father figure to both boys and he stood by Huck’s side since the beginning of the novel.
Maturity is not a fickle expression such as happiness or frustration, but rather an inherent quality one gains over time, such as courage or integrity. Before maturity can be expressed, the one who expresses it must have significant confidence in himself, since self-confidence is the root of maturity. Being flexible and formulating one's own opinions or ideas are aspects of maturity, but neither is possible without self-confidence. The greatest aspect of maturity is the ability to make decisions which society does not agree with. Whether or not one follows through with these ideas is not important. What is important is the ability to make the decision. These decisions represent the greatest measure of maturity.
Because of his rolling stone like upbringings, conformity is not a part of his forte. In some ways he takes after his father, the infamous town drunk who hasn’t attempted to contact Huck in years. But despite all of the complications and seeming misery, he is a decent boy who only gets himself into a bit of mischief. Therefore, with the difficult life he’s already had at such a young age, it’s a miracle he isn’t either depressed or a delinquent. Jim also hasn’t had it easy. Being a black man living in the south during pre-Civil War times means daily persecution. He lived a life that he could never fulfill because of the metaphorical chains he never got to take off. So he was left no other choice but to run until he found freedom. Although this would be deemed as “reckless” to society, he did it out of love for his family and fear of his life. Every decision Jim made was done with the hope that he would one day be reunited with them. His intentions were pure, and the positive light that’s cast upon him gives the readers a heartfelt sympathy for what he’s going through. Both Jim and Huck had to overcome great struggle until they found solace in the
Jim's character traits are easy to over look because of his seeming ignorance, but in reality Jim possessed some qualities that created a positive influence on Huck. He began by demonstrating to Huck how friends teach friends. His honest compassion also eventually causes Huck to resist the ideas society has placed upon him, and see Jim as an equal-- rather than property that can be owned. Huck knew he was going against society, and of the consequences that he could receive for freeing a slave. "It would get all around, that Huck Finn helped a nigger to get his freedom; and if I was to ever see anybody from that town again, I'd be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame", (269-270). Huck then claims, "All right, then, I'll go to hell…"(272) This shows that Huck was willing to put himself on the line for a slave, because he ceased to view Jim as property and recognized him as a friend. At the beginning of the story Huck would have never done this, but after the many adventures that occur, Jims unconditional love for Huck pierces the shell society placed ar...
Many words the book contains are full of vivid disgust towards black slaves. Every single line talks about how white people despise and refuse to accept the black race. Answering Aunt Sally's question about whether or not anyone is hurt Huck answers, "no mum, just killed a nigger."(Twain 213) This is the one and only acceptable way to talk about black people in the "white" society. In addition to this, not only is the black people treated differently from the white, they are also considered to be one's property. "He is the only property I have," (Twain 122) Huck is perforce to say in order to save Jim. This is the only way to get through without the essence of suspicions. Though Huck shows racism in public as society teaches him, deep inside he understands that Jim is a great person. Through the eyes of Huck Finn, Mark Twain shows that there is more to people then looks and race, showing the importance of beliefs and character.
Maturity in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn "To live with fear and not be afraid is the greatest sign of maturity.". If this is true, then Mark Twain's Huck Finn is the greatest. example of a maturity of the. Huck is the narrator of Twain's book, The Adventures. of Huckleberry Finn.
In lieu of his escape, Jim emphasized his feelings of becoming a free man. Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom (p. 238). Huck came to the realization that Jim was escaping for a far different reason than he, and began to see this “nigger’s” freedom as his own fault; he was an accomplice. Huck’s conscience became plagued by the fact that Jim was escaping the custody of his rightful owner, and he was doing nothing to stop this. In Huck’s eyes, Jim was essentially the property of poor old Ms. Watson, who didn’t do anything less than teach Jim his manners and his books. Altogether, Huck felt that he was doing wrong by concealing this, and felt miserable to say the least.
	Huck’s attitude for Jim is racist which is seen when he decides to play a trick on Jim during their voyage. After Huck plays his trick his attitude toward Jim begins to change, "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterward, neither" (Twain 72). The dialogue throughout the book between Huck and Jim illustrates that Jim is more than property and that he is a human being with feelings, and hopes for a better future.
Slavery, which is no doubt the darkest part of the pre-Civil War American South, is alive and well during the period in which The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is set. Huckleberry Finn unhappy with the life is now living, decides to run away from St. Petersburg, Missouri. Not long after he leaves, he encounters a runaway slave named Jim and they travel the Mississippi River together on a raft. Being a runaway slave makes Jim a fugitive. Obviously, there were many cases of runaway slaves in the pre-Civil War American South. Most of the time, the outcome was very poor for a runaway slave. Luckily, the reader didn’t have to endure this outcome as Jim was freed at the end of the
During times of slavery, every African American in the south was either a slave or a free African American. “She treated me with respect” (Twain 5). Jim said when he was asked about how the Widow Douglass treats him. This shows that the life of Jim was not that bad, he had everything a slave at that time could want, and his owner did not disrespect him. Also most slaves were abused and almost beaten to death. Twain tries to represent the hardships of slaves on a daily basis when he doesn’t portray Jim’s life to be much difficult “Even though Jim was a slave, he was treated like a family member” (Ralph 6). Jim was a house slave and did not have to do hard work in the fields for long hours. In page 3 in Ralph’s Article, he says “Jim had to no motive to leave, he wanted freedom but it would be harder for him because he wouldn’t have all the amenities he had when he was a slave” (Ralph 4).
Specifically, Jim could have been given a sad ending that was realistic and still took a stand against racism. First, it is important to note that it is just as useful to analyze how racism and slavery came to be as it is to condemn them. Judging from a modern perspective, most of the world already condemns slavery and there are many forces working towards universally condemning racism. Of course, narratives that remind us why we condemn racism are important, but so are those that view the dynamic of racism in society, like Huckleberry Finn. In this sense, Huckleberry Finn deserves its place in the literary canon. It provides a different perspective on racism -- Twain could have told the audience to take action, but he chose to study and comment on societal racism instead. The book benefits readers today because it allows them to better understand that blind adherence to society is what allowed slavery to be such a huge institution around Huck’s time, despite the moral objections people have to it
The friendship between Huck and Jim is constantly changing with the chain of events. The two characters encountered many things while floating along with the pace of the Mississippi, such as making decisions. In the novel Huck was forced to make the decision whether or not he would turn Jim in because it would be the, "right thing" to do because Jim was a run-away slave. It was a close place. I took...up [the letter I'd written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand.