History has proven itself again and again with the simple fact that social classes dictate how human lives are treated. The major aspects in life are directly impacted by what social class someone is in. This dictates many things including who this person affiliates himself with and what kind of quality life that person will live. This is very evident in Antebellum South. Slavery is at its peak in this time, and half the population are slaves. In the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck and Jim travel down the Mississippi River, and encounter a lot of the aspects of the Antebellum South. Because of the society Huck has grown up in, he often feels that he is superior to his traveling companion, Jim. Throughout the story, Twain creates a division, that widens as the story evolves, between how Huck views Jim and how the reader views Jim as a person. This theme happens in almost every part of the book and it is very clear that Huck underestimates Jim.
Jim is a runaway slave that Huck is helping, and this leads Huck to underestimate him, even though Huck acknowledges the fact that Jim is smart multiple times. Jim is presented in the beginning of the book as at most, a side character. No one really expects anything amazing out of him, including Huck and the reader. But as the adventure picks up, the views of Jim from Huck and the reader quickly divide. Mark Twain separates himself from the book altogether on the first page and the idea is
Jim was the only person Huck had for the majority of their adventure and always had to be dependable on him. In Document F, this is the part where Huck comes up with the plan on how to save Jim from the Phelps’ farm. This primarily shows how Huck saw Jim as his friend, “‘Here’s the ticket. This hole’s big enough for Jim to get through, if we wrench off the board,” (Document F). This shows Huck’s plan to help set Jim free and he wouldn’t be going through this trouble if he thought Jim was worthless. He views Jim more as an equal since he believes that he should be free. In Document B, we see how frightened Jim is that Huck is going to tell where Jim is, however, Huck is thinking the complete opposite. Huck believes that it is right to not tell on Jim, “‘I ain’t agoing to tell, and I ain’t agoing back there anyways.’” (Document B). Since Huck won’t say anything about where Jim is, it shows how he sees Jim more as a friend and trusts him enough to go on an adventure together. Jim and Huck truly get to know each other on their adventure together. They get to share many laughs, smiles and talks. With these talks is where Huck gets to also view Jim as someone to look up
Anyone living in the time period Huckleberry Finn was alive for would be taught that black people should seen as slaves, not people. They were treated like objects and property instead of humans with feelings. Very few people were able see black people for who they really were. Huck eventually met Jim and got to know him as a person, instead of a slave. Huck was able to view Jim as a friend, a father figure, and a slave.
Jim struggles with major racial difficulties during this time period and Huck learns from his father that blacks are inferior to whites. He makes many comments and attempts to compare his son Huck to Jim who is seen to be “stupid” because of the lesser knowledge that Jim has than that of Pap. Although when Pap pretends to die and Huck seizes his chance to plot and escape, Jim accompanies Huck on his journey down the Mississippi river to find a new home. So far in the novel Jim has shown his loyalty to Huck and Huck begins to question both of their positions in society. Huck sees that it racial inequality because there is nothing wrong with Jim. He is a forced laborer barricaded by whites chaining him to the land but when Huck comes along what little does he know it is wrong to be with a black man. Huck varies from his father Pap because not only does Pap treat his son as an aggressive drunk but Pap doesn’t see the goodness that comes from Jim or even the mere similarity between these to humans let alone there skin. Well Huck sees that in Jim and that’s all that matters is that even though Huck isn’t getting an education he sees morality in this novel and discovers
In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in the 19th century is about a young boy named Huck Finn and Jim, a runaway slave who go on an adventure. The two travel on a raft along the Mississippi river creating a bond and making memories. Mark Twain presents Huckleberry Finn as a dynamic character who at first views Jim as property and eventually considers Jim as a friend, showing a change in maturity.
In the novel, Huck learns a big lesson. Huck bonds with Jim causing him to rethink many things he is taught. Jim exclaims, “‘Dah you goes, de ole true Huck, de on’y white genlmen dat ever kep’ his promise to ole Jim’” (Twain 83). Jim is a slave, therefore, he is not treated with much kindness.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a coming of age novel by Mark Twain, is a book set in the Antebellum south and is about a young boy, Huck, and a African American Slave, Jim. Throughout the book Huck and Jim encounter lots of adversity and adventures such as slave hunters, meeting con men and much more. Although Huck sees Jim as just a slave and a lesser human in the beginning of the book, ultimately Huck matures sees him as a friend and less of an unequal. During the first adventures and chapters of the book Huck is surprised to see Jim and it’s most likely his first time spending time with a slave.
Mark Twain tells the story of Huckleberry Finn, and his maturity that is developed through a series of events. This maturity is encouraged through the developing relationship between Huck and Jim, as well as the strong influence Jim has on Huck. Jim's influence not only effects Huck's maturity, but his moral reasoning; and the influence society has on Huck. Jim is Huck's role model; even though Huck would not admit it. At first Jim seems to portray a Black stereotypical role with his superstitions and ignorance, although his true identity and maternal role begins to shine through as his interactions with Huck progress.
In the beginning of the novel, Huckleberry doesn’t see slaves as equals he just views them as slaves until he starts to view Jim in a different light and sees him as an equal and a friend. Huck gets to know Jim personally and realizes that Jim has a family and people that he cares about who he was taken away from because of slavery and societies beliefs. This development is shown in chapter thirty-one when Huck realizes how much Jim means to him, “...and such-like time; and would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was…” (Twain 206). Huckleberry remembers all of the good things that Jim has done for him while they’ve traveled together and he realizes what Jim means to him. Furthermore showing how Huck’s views have changed from just seeing Jim as another slave to seeing him as his friend and someone he cares for and wants to help. When Huck’s views on Jim change it shows that people really can
Transcendentalism can be observed throughout the text of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and through the text textbook examples of Transcendentalism can be seen from the cast of characters and Huck himself and the situations/adventures that he gets himself into throughout his journey, a journey which enables him to develop his Transcendental ideals.. Transcendentalism is a vital part of The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. By reading and studying the content of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn it is perceived that Transcendentalism is a prevalent influence that can be attributed to plot and the motivations of the Protagonist.
Furthermore, Huck internally criticizes Jim’s talk about “saying he would steal his children—children that belonged to a man I didn’t even know; a man that hadn’t ever done me no harm,” and states that it was a “lowering of him” (16). Huck’s lack of moral development epitomizes here, as he criticizes a “n*****” for his utopian vision of a peaceful life with his family. Huck’s conscience starts to attack him in this moment as he no longer thinks about Jim as his friend and starts to acknowledge that, in reality, he’s a black person. Although it appears that Huck is moral since he helped Jim escape, Huck doesn’t disapprove of the institution of slavery; he only helped Jim because he values their friendship. This is further exemplified when Huck makes the decision to take the canoe and go tell on Jim, though he tells Jim that he will go and check if they’re in Cairo. Twain juxtaposes Jim’s two possible futures, one of freedom, and the other of enslavement, to show the influence Huck’s choice will have. When Jim calls out “‘Jim won’t ever forgit you, Huck;
In Mark Twain's The Adeventures of Huckleberry Finn, the protaginist, Huck, goes on an epic journey with his loyal escaped slave, Jim. Throughout their journey, readers see Huck change and mature through his conversations with Jim. Jim would be the last person people would expect to help Huck. Not because he is not capable, but because he was a black slave. To fully understand the importance of Jim, the reader must be familiar with America's civil views when the story takes place, why Mark Twain wrote the novel, examples of Jim helping Huck (specifically their conversations on the raft, and Huck's decision to go back for Jim).
In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck struggles to conform to society’s views and expectations. Society pressures Huck Finn into earning a standard education, but through his worldly knowledge and common sense, he can view the world differently than the people around him. Through his perspective on Southern society, Huck struggles to accept the moral beliefs that have been instilled upon him at birth because he befriends an African American slave. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain effectively uses the motif of dead bodies to suggest that truth finally reveals the inconsistencies in society through Huck’s common sense.
Throughout history, and even into present times, racism appears as an all too common societal concern. From slavery and discrimination to unequal rights, African Americans’ long history of mistreatment led to the desire and craving for freedom. In Mark Twain’s adventure novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, such motives from pre-emancipation era African American slaves become evident. In the novel, the characters’ attempts to leave the shackled south for the non-restrained north in hopes of freedom become justified. By analyzing and understanding how society feels about African Americans based on the geographical locations of the Southern United States, the Mississippi River, and the Northern United States, the reader comprehends the influential drive behind the desire to escape racism.
Year after year The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is placed in the top ten banned books in America. People find the novel to be oppressing and racially insensitive due to its frequent use of the n-word and the portrayal of blacks as a Sambo caricature. However, this goes against Mark Twain’s intent of bringing awareness to the racism in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is classified under the genre of satire and is narrated by a fictional character named Huckleberry Finn. The novel takes place in the south during the year 1845. With his abusive father, and no mother, Huck is left feeling lonely, and as if he has place to call his home. So he decides to leave town, and on in his journey where he encounters a slave he’s familiar with, Jim, who is also running away. This story captures their relationship and growth as they face many obstacles on their way to freedom. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn satirizes people’s greed and violent behavior by mocking the stereotype of southern hospitality.
Jim is ignorant but kind. In the book, he takes care of Huck. Once, the fake Duke and the fake King ask Huck and Jim to stand the night when they go to sleep. It is nice of Jim that when Huck is tired, he stands for Huck and let Huck sleep. According to Huck: “I was pretty sleepy by that time, so Jim said he would stand the first half of it for me; he was always mighty good that way, Jim was” (P138). And there is another time Jim stands for Huck, and Huck says that “I went to sleep, and Jim didn’t call me when it was my turn. He often done that” (P165). Jim is just so kind to Huck, makes Huck be grateful for him. Huck appreciates what Jim done for him. Huck realizes that friends take care of each other because he sees Jim taking care of him. He would not be lonely any more. Also, Jim is a black slave; it is different from a white friend to Huck. This makes him feel the humanity from a slave. He knows the slaves are also humans but not objects because of Jim’s kindness. Huck learns those when he thinks Jim is always mighty good. It is a good environment of having Jim there, Huck is influenced by him to be kind-hearted and selfless. Huck sees the nice side of a slave instead of a bad side which is described by people in general, too. Jim is the friend who accompanies Huck, affects him to feel the