Jim's influence on Huck Finn

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Mark Twain is phenomenal at subtly implementing his own beliefs into his writing, and into the heads of his methodical characters. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Twain implies many themes from that time period into his writing. As he does so, he plants one of the most important themes into the head of the young character of Huckleberry Finn. That theme is moral and government laws. This theme drives the story, creates personal conflict, and makes Huck see the world through new eyes. Twain did this by using one character to influence Huck many times throughout the novel, by showing Huck what morals are good and bad from an honest man’s view. Twain chose to make this character one who has no sense of hatred, but only a shear want for freedom. What Twain has put into the text made Huck evolve; it was the kind hearted Jim. Mark Twain streamed many believes though Jim to Huck; this is how and what is being streamed.
Huckleberry Finn starts as a child with little thoughts concerning slavery and its importance in the south. In the fourth chapter Huck encounters Jim for the first time in the novel; you can plainly tell that Huck is intelligent, but submissive to new ideas. This is discovered when Jim tells Huck of the hair ball oracle. “It felt pretty solid, and only rolled about an inch. But it warn’t no use; he said it wouldn’t talk.” (Huck Finn page 25) Huck finds himself trusting Jim, and this leads way to the overall evolution of Huck’s believes. Further in the novel Huck finds himself arguing with himself over one thing; Whether or not to turn Jim in or not. By this time they have set out for Cairo in search for freedom, and that is what brought this emotion to Huck. He feels morally wrong for stealing Jim from Miss...

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...He often done that.” (Huck Finn page 225) It was in chapter that Huck had assessed that Jim was white on the inside, despite the color of his skin. It was an easy excuse for Huck to do so, because Jim had become a father figure to Huck and that was difficult for Huck to grasp at his current age. Twain had meant for Jim and Huck to become as close as father and son, or close enough, because parents influence their children more than anyone else. Twain used that idea because Huck depended on Jim the way a son would a father, and that made it easier for Twain to get his ideas in. So in a way Twain made a representation of himself in his own novel, making his novel even more complex. By doing so Twain made Jim stream all of the beliefs, thoughts, and emotions of Twain strait to Huck through kind fatherly words of wisdom.

Works Cited

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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