Huck And Jim's Journey

At the start of Huck and Jim’s journey together, they form a bond of friendship, however, Huck fails to see Jim as an equal. Huck has faked his death in order to escape from Pap, and he plans to venture down the river alone. However, he finds Jim running from slavery. They agree to stick together and not turn each other in, as they both have freedom in mind: Jim from slavery, and Huck from Pap. Being on the island with Jim isn’t so bad, because it’s better than him being alone. With this in mind, Huck says, “Jim, this is nice, I says. I wouldn 't want to be nowhere else but here” (66). Huck hasn’t been raised as a civilized human being, so he doesn’t mind being friends with Jim, a runaway slave. As their journey progresses, Huck finds out

However, he chooses to go back for Jim and save him. He wakes Jim up and says, “Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain 't a minute to lose. They 're after us!"(82). When Huck says they’re after us it shows that Huck associates himself with Jim, The men are really only after Jim, but Huck sees themselves as friends, and says us, when he could 've easily said you. While Jim and Huck form a relationship on their journey together, there is still a significant hierarchy to their friendship. Huck has grown up in a society where he has experienced the hatred and injustice done towards the black population. Because of this, he feels that he is better than Jim. Although they are friends, he doesn 't see Jim as a human being. Huck pulls a prank on Jim, making him think that Huck is lost. When he returns, Huck tries to convince Jim that he’d been here the whole time, and that he’d never been lost. Jim gets angry with Huck, because he was genuinely worried for him, and Huck tried to have fun and pull a prank on him. Huck explains, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it

As the novel progresses, Huck begins to question the ideals of society, as he deals with the decision to turn Jim in. As Huck and Jim continue on the river, Huck goes to civilization to try and find directions to Cairo, and he is facing some inner turmoil as to whether or not he should turn Jim in as a runaway slave. He feels that it is wrong to help a slave run away, because that’s what he’s grown up learning. Right as he leaves to boat to go find directions, Jim says, “Jim won’t ever forgit you, Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de ONLY fren’ ole Jim’s got now” (?????). Huck leaves the boat feeling guilty for thinking of turning him in, yet he’s still convinced that he has to do it, so he goes and continues on his way. He runs into two slave catchers, who ask to check the boat, which would’ve been the easiest way for Huck to turn him in. However, Huck feels obligated to protect Jim, and convinces the slave catchers that it’s his sick father in the boat, evading the capture of Jim. In this moment, Huck starts to question the ideas of society, thinking to himself, “What’s the use you learning to do the right when it’s troublesome to do right and ain 't’ no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” (119). What he’s known to be right doesn’t seem right to him anymore, and he’s starting to question his own moral compass. Later on in the novel, Huck struggles with the same predicament, where he feels the need to write a letter to Mrs. Watson,