Huckleberry Finn And Jim Essay, Research Paper
Humanistic Depiction of Jim
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written” (Wallace 1). Many people in the African American community share this rather extreme view, believing that the book promotes racist ideas and agendas. Others, however, regard it as holding one of the highest positions in the canon of American literature. On an international level, it is “a fixture among the classics of world literature” (Kaplan 352). How can such a discrepancy exist regarding people’s perceptions about the meaning or intent of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? The majority of the problem is that opponents to the book get entirely caught up with the word “nigger” to the point that they do not pay attention to important changes in the book that yield anti-racist ideas. Also, opponents to the book, such as Julius Lester, take a myopic look at the character Jim without fully realizing the extent to which he is portrayed as a fully realized human being. Instance after instance, Twain writes about Jim in ways that help the reader come to understand that he is just as important, with just as much feelings, as anyone else in the book. Contrary to what many adversaries state regarding The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the book does a wonderful job portraying Jim as a character with just as many feelings as any white person in the book, while at the same time encompassing the unfortunate reality of the time.
In order to subvert Huck’s misconception of “nigger” Jim, Twain first exposes Jim’s humanity when the two are separated from each other on the river during a dense fog. Huck, alone of the canoe, searches for Jim, who is alone on the raft. When Huck finally catches up with the raft, he finds Jim asleep, apparently exhausted from the terrifying ordeal. Instead of waking up Jim to celebrate their reunion, Huck decides to play a trick on him. Lying down beside Jim, Huck wakes him up and says, “Hello, Jim, have I been asleep? Why didn’t you stir me up?” (285). Jim is overcome with joy upon seeing Huck. Huck, however, acts as if he had never left the raft and convinces Jim that he has dreamt the entire episode. Confused and intimidated by Huck’s foolery, Jim acquiesces to the lie and thus his own sense of inferiority. Jim reverts to the only means he knows to help him rationalize his bewilderment, superstition. He redefines his real experience with a fictitious interpolation “painted up considerable” with supernatural warnings and signs (287).
However, when Huck mockingly points to “the leaves and rubbish on the raft, and the smashed oar” and asks “what does these things stand for?” Jim realizes that Huck has played a mean trick on him (287). Jim is deeply hurt by Huck’s cruelty and exposes the depth of his feelings by telling Huck:
“What do dey stan’ for? I’s gwyne to tell you. When I got all wore out
wid work, en wid de callin’ for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz
mos’ broke bekase you wuz los, en I didn’ k’yer no mo what become
er me en de raf’. En when I wake up en fine you back agin’, all safe
en soun’, de tears come en I could a got down on my knees en kiss
you’ foot I’s so thankful. En all you wuz thinking ’bout wuz how you
could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie.” (287).
Jim chastises Huck telling him he is no better than the pile of trash on the raft: “trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head or dey fren’s en makes ‘em ashamed” (287). Huck is surprised at Jim’s capacity to possess such strong, “human” feelings. His perception of Jim is so knocked off balance that he acknowledges Jim’s feelings and his humanity by apologizing to him. Huck decides that he wouldn’t “do him no more mean tricks; and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d knowed it would make him feel that way” (287). Already, Twain is showing his readers the start of what will become a progression of improvement in Huck’s behavior towards Jim.
Although Huck is not a racist child, he has been raised by extremely racist individuals who have, even if only subconsciously, ingrained some feelings of bigotry into his mind. It is also important to remember that this description, although quite saddening, was probably accurate. Jim and the millions of other slaves in the South were not permitted any formal education, were never allowed any independent thought and were constantly maltreated and abused. Twain is merely portraying, by way of Jim, a very realistic slave raised in the South during that time period.
Another view of Jim’s humanity and progression of Huck’s understanding is given when Jim shows his capacity to feel lonesome for his family. “Huck overhears Jim often lamenting the loss of his family. One morning, Huck sees him “setting there with his head down betwixt his knees, moaning and mourning to himself” (337). Huck admits, “I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n.” This scene in the book establishes Jim as an emotional character with a capacity for human love.
Nowhere in the novel is Jim’s humanity more apparent than when he offers the ultimate sacrifice, his freedom, to save Tom’s life. Huck and Tom help Jim escape from the Phelps’ Farm, and in the process, Tom is wounded. It soon becomes apparent that his injuries are serious. Jim volunteers to stay with Tom while Huck fetches a doctor, even though he knows that he will probably be captured and returned to slavery. Believing that Tom would do the same for him if their places were reversed, Jim says:
“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 gwyne to say it? No, sah–I doan
‘budge a step out’n dis place, ‘dout a doctor; not if it’s forty year! (408).”
Huck acknowledges Jim’s unselfish act of humanity through the only perspective he knows, his white consciousness: “I knowed he was white inside, and I reckoned he’d say what he did say–so it was all right, now, and I told Tom I was agoing for a doctor” (408). Huck goes to town, finds the doctor, and sends him to where Tom is lying. Jim hides in the bushes and waits. When the doctor finds Tom and realizes the seriousness of his wounds he says, ” ‘I got to have help, somehow; and the minute I says it, out crawls this nigger from somewheres, and says he’ll help, and he done it too, and done it very well. I never see a nigger that was a better nuss or faithfuller, and yet he was resking his freedom to do it ” (414). I found this scene to be the most powerful in the entire book. It was clear throughout the book, especially as Huck and Jim were nearing Cairo, how much freedom truly meant to Jim. The fact that Jim was willing to give up his long life dream of freedom to save a white boy portrays Jim as a humanitarian in the greatest sense of the word. Not only was he losing his freedom, but also the only chance he had to see his family again.
Clearly, critics who claim that Jim is shown only as a typical dumb black slave are not taking the book, as a whole, into account. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain never presents Jim in a negative light. Jim is not shown as a drunkard, a mean person, or as a cheat. This is in ironic contrast to the way Huck’s white father is depicted. Huck’s father, Pa, is portrayed using all of the above characteristics. In the end, Jim is shown to be a good friend, a man devoted to his family, and a loyal fatherly figure to Huck.
Works Cited
Wallace, John H. “The Case Against Huck Finn” The Press of Ideas. Ed. Julie Bates Dock. Boston: Bedford Books, 1996. 457-64.