Jim As Hero In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Jim as Hero in The Adventures of Huck Finn

        A hero is defined as a person noted for feats of courage or

nobility of purpose. The character of Jim in Huckleberry Finn  by Mark

Twain certainly fits that description. He risked his life in order to free

himself from slavery, and in doing so, helps Huck to realize that he has

worth. Huck becomes aware of Jim's sense of love and humanity, his basic

goodness, and his desire to help others. There are many illustrations of

this phenomenon in Huckleberry Finn.

      The reader first becomes aware of Jim's sense of love and humanity

when Jim discovers Pap's corpse on the houseboat:

Huck's colorful description of the incident only seems to compound the

validity of this statement.

      The third charictaristic that Jim exemplifies is a desire to help

others. In Huckleberry Finn , Jim wishes to free himself from slavery. In

doing so he enlists the help of Huck Finn. As they travel down the river,

Jim sees that Huck will need some help understanding why he should be set

free. Jim's objective is realized when he is sold back into slavery by the

two frauds, the King and the Duke. Once Jim is sold back into slavery, Huck

is left alone and begins to feel lonely without the presence of Jim. Huck

speaks of his being alone in this way:

I see Jim before me all the time: in the day and in the night-time,

sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and

singing and laughing. But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to

harden me against him, but only the other kind. I'd see him standing my

watch on top of his'n, 'stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and

see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come