preview

What Is Jim's Relationship In Huck Finn

Good Essays

Before the abolition of slavery in 1865, many slaves became close with children because of the considerable amount of time that they spent together. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, “Miss Watson’s big nigger, named Jim” (Ch. 2) becomes a very close figure to Huck. Huck’s biological father, Pap, is abusive, a drunk, and does not take care of him, so he is raised by Widow Douglas. Huck doesn’t like that Widow Douglas is trying to civilize him, so he runs away with Jim. On their journey down the river together, Huck and Jim progressively grow in their understanding of each other’s worth and value, and Jim takes over the role as Huck’s active father figure. In the novel, Mark Twain shows the reader how Jim takes over the role …show more content…

He protects Huck from many different things. One of the main times the reader sees Jim protecting Huck is when Jim protects Huck’s feelings and mind set. As they’re setting down the river they find a floating body, and Jim knows precisely who it is. “It’s a dead man. Yes, indeedly; naked, too. He’s ben shot in de back. I reck’n he’s ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan’ look at his face- it’s too gashly”(Ch. 9). The dead man is Pap, but Jim is not going to tell Huck that. Jim eases Huck away in order to protect him, because he knows it will be best for Huck. “He said it would fetch bad luck; and besides, he said, he might come and ha’nt us; he said a man that warn’t buried was more likely to go a-ha’nting around than one that was planted and comfortable.”(Ch.9) Huck wants to know more about how the man got shot and keeps asking Jim, but Jim keeps his mouth shut. Jim knows that even though Huck does not like his father, seeing his father dead is going to give him sorrow because it’s his father. Jim waits until the very end to tell Huck the truth about the dead man in order to protect his feelings throughout their journey. “Doan’ you ‘member de house dat was float’n down de river, en dey wuz a man in dah, kivered up, en I went in en unkivered him wn didn’ let you come in? Well, den, you k’n git yo’ money when you wants it; kase dat wuz him”(Ch. Last) Jim makes sure to protect Huck from the truth that could cripple his emotions, until he knows it’s a safe time to tell Huck what actually

Get Access