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Huckleberry Finn Passage Analysis

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Is thinking for oneself and caring about people of different races possible in an extremely racist society? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain follows a young boy as he abandons society and meets a runaway slave in the woods as they venture toward freedom. Huckleberry struggles between society's ethics and his own, but acts more on his own independent thoughts because he willingly runs away with Jim (a slave), covers for Jim when faced with the possibility of turning him in, and does these things despite how he was raised. First, Huckleberry acts on his own morals because he willingly runs away with Jim, who is a slave. The following is a passage of when Huckleberry is alone in the woods and first encounters Jim: “...it was …show more content…

This conversation occurs directly after Huck is thinking of turning Jim in (Twain 118-119). Huck’s quick ability to turn around and protect Jim demonstrates a deeper character. Although he wavered in his thoughts, he still chose the non-racist way to act. It is also a big deal for Huck to cover for Jim because he could get in trouble with the law for doing so. This story is thought to take place in the 1840s (“Slavery”). In 1793, a fine of $500 was punishment for “helping a slave escape”, but by 1850, the Fugitive Slave Laws had increased punishment to “$1000, added the penalty of up to six months in prison, and required that every U.S. citizen assist in the capture of runaways (“Historical”)”. To summarize, Huck can get in a lot of trouble if he gets caught helping Jim, but helps him …show more content…

“My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, '...I'll paddle ashore at the first light and tell [on Jim].' I felt easy and happy and light as a feather right off...I went to looking out sharp for a light...By and by one showed...I says: 'I'll take the canoe and go see it, Jim.'...he says: '...you's de best' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de only fren ole Jim's got now'...I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to take the tuck out of me...Jim says: '...de on'y white gentleman dat ever keep' his promise to ole Jim.' Well, I just felt sick (Twain

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Huck lives in a time and place where African-Americans are legally not human, so that influences Huck's brain, causing him to see Jim as a slave. For example, when Jim and Huck become separated in the fog, Huck plays a rude trick. He says to Jim that they were never lost and there was no fog. Jim gives a whole speech to Huck, explaining how Huck made him feel like trash. Huck believing that Jim wasn't smart enough to figure the lie out, as well as lying to him at all, shows that Huck feels as though he is above Jim intellectually.

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Huck has always seen Jim as a slave until they crossed paths while going down the river. The two develop a friendship and Huck starts to care about Jim and his well being. Although Huck views Jim as someone he cares about, he still sees him as a slave as well. “ I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write that nigger’s owner and tell where he was,” ( Document E). Huck is in a continuous battle with his inner self when it comes to his views on Jim.

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When Huck hears this from Jim, it tares at Huck. He decides not to turn in Jim (which he could have done easily.) Huck’s conscience basically ate him alive. Huck was on the verge of turning in Jim, and seemed that was what he should do. However after thinking about it, Huck decided he would feel worse if he turned Jim in as opposed to keeping him free.

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This is the climax of the novel, in which many of the underlying themes are made clear. Huck’s morals overcome his fear for punishment, and he is determined to help Jim even if he has to go to hell for it. Furthermore, Jim is a runaway slave, and in the context of the story, helping a runaway slave, albeit one that was sold and has a new owner, would be almost traitorous to Huck’s community. Another revelation is that Huck has transcended the racial constructs of the time, recognizing Jim’s humanity and considering him someone worth rescuing at great personal risk. In this scene, Huck finally breaks the restraints of society, and indeed, his environment, by ignoring all societal and theological constructs and instead choosing what is right by his conscience.

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Huck has a moral crisis when he thinks, “Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I begun to get it through my head that he WAS most free—and who was to blame for it?” and because of the effect Jim has on his and the lessons he’s taught, Huck realizes that helping him

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In Chapter 16, when Huck sees Jim’s reaction to being near freedom, Huck describes his feeling as, “miserable”, “abusing”, “scorched”, and “die”. Although Jim is happy to face his future, Huck becomes burdened by societal beliefs and more importantly, his own moral values. For Huck, bestowing freedom to a slave is shameful and unethical; no different from one’s “property”. This also implies that Huck values the societies view more than his relationship with Jim. Later on, Huck’s view of the past changes as he separates his own conscience from the societal values.

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979 Words | 4 Pages

Here, Huck clings to his own understanding of what is right, instead of accepting what others believe to be true. This is especially evident when he realizes, “But somehow I couldn’t seem to strike no places to harden me against him…” (Twain 215). Despite what he has been taught, Huck knows that Jim is a good person, and is just as human as a white person.

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Huck goes against the law to help his friend become free, something that if he were to be caught he would be tarred and feathered or thrown in jail. Huck’s loyalty to Jim is a significant sign of true family and Jim's feelings towards Huck reciprocate as Jim says "Pooty soon I'll be a-shout'n' for joy, en I'll say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; I's a free man, en I couldn't ever ben free ef it hadn' ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de only fren' ole

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Unfortunately, his actions is the complete opposite of what society wants him to do: to help a runaway slave gain freedom. He essentially runs away with a slave that once belongs to Miss Watson, a previous guardian of his. All of her attempts to civilize Huck is worthless to him because he blames himself for betraying her. Based on the quote, “I tried to make out to myself that I warn’t to blame, because I didn’t run Jim off from his rightful owner; but it warn’t no use, conscience up and says, every time, ‘But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could a paddled ashore and told somebody.’ That was so— I couldn’t get around that noway.

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It may be difficult for me to understand the true feelings of the author but I can find meaning in Huck’s attitude. At the beginning of their journey along the Mississippi River, Huck shows that he views Jim as inferior and less than human when he says “Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I begun to get it through my head that he was most free—and who was to blame for it? Why, me” (74). Huck’s conscience leads him to believe that Jim is in the wrong for escaping slavery, despite the fact that Huck essentially did the same thing when he escaped in search of his own freedom. Later on in the story, Huck appears to be changing.

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Huck feels blameworthy for not turning Jim in after he heard Jim talking about stealing his family from their owner by hiring an abolitionist. He feels like it is wrong to steal slaves from people who are

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466 Words | 2 Pages

This transition is the result of the extended period of time that the two spend together, which allows Huck to look past the differences that he has been taught to observe for his entire life and view Jim for what he is; a fellow man. By the end of this passage, Huck’s resolve to do right by Jim is so strong that he is willing to suffer eternal damnation rather than betray Jim. Perhaps Huck’s most important statement in this passage is “Alright then, I’ll go to hell”; here he decides he’s willing to go to hell for eternity rather than causing Jim to return to his life as a slave. At first Huck just thought of Jim the property of another person, a good to be bought and sold regardless of any evidence that he was a human being. As they travel together, this viewpoint is gradually weakened by examples of Jim’s humanity, culminating in a model shift that goes against everything Huck has been taught about the societal status of a

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434 Words | 2 Pages

This quote shows how Huck views Jim, seeing Jim now as a person who can feel. From Huck's understanding Jim was a slave and being a slave meant that Jim couldn't have feelings, although not treating Jim like a slave. Huck finds out that even though Jim was a slave, he feels the same for his people as white people feel for each

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1083 Words | 5 Pages

(Twain 87-88). At this stage in the novel, it is important to denote his ambivalence toward the situation. Though he helps Jim, he feels a sense of guilt for going against societal standards. Regardless, Huck has a myriad of opportunities to turn Jim in--and doesn’t. This verifies that Huck progresses in developing his maturity and poise.

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1818 Words | 8 Pages

The portrayal of Jim has been criticized by many as rude and comical; however, these criticisms only examine his face value. Jim, despite his status as the butt of many jokes, proves to be an intelligent, morally grounded friend and father figure to Huck. Jim, unlike Col. Grangerford, is not gilded, but golden. The content of Jim’s words draws sharp contrast to his discombobulated speech.

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