Indeed, the novel only remembers that he is an escaping slave at intervals; Mark Twain’s main concern is for variety of character and incident, for picaresque comedy. Yet while the novel is on the raft Jim becomes a very impressive figure.
(The illustrations that Twain commissioned for the novel keep Jim in this role throughout. There is, for example, no picture of the scene in which Jim redefines “trash.” Whenever he does appear, his mouth hangs open below eyes with amazingly large whites. Twain expressed no objections to this portrayal.
Twain uses Huck’s line and Jim’s feelings for his family to show how African Americans did not differ from whites and that the racist ideas and morals that Huck and millions of others had grown up with were blatantly wrong.
Even though Mark Twain wrote the book in the 1880s, which was more than a decade after the civil war and emancipation of all slaves, racism was still prevalent until the years following the civil rights movement.
As events unfold throughout the novel, Jim's character changes dramatically, showing increasing cleverness, courage, maturity, and perspective. In the first chapters, Jim is an easily frightened boy who is closely associated with his home and family.
Jim. One of Miss Watson's household slaves. Jim is superstitious and occasionally sentimental, but he is also intelligent, practical, and ultimately more of an adult than anyone else in the novel.
Over time, Huck develops an inner conviction that he can't return Jim to slavery. Despite feeling guilty for acting in a way his society considers immoral, Huck decides he must treat Jim not as a slave, but as a human being.
Huck begins the novel very immaturely with a misdirected moral compass and even less intellectual independence. As he travels down the river, his experiences vastly improve his maturity, morality, and most importantly his intellectual independence.
Jim is free, Tom's leg is healed, Huck still has his $6,000, and Aunt Sally has offered to adopt him. Talk about your Hollywood ending. Well, not so fast. Settling down with Aunt Sally—as nice as she is—is about the last thing Huck wants to do.
Jim, fictional character, an unschooled but honourable runaway slave in Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain. Some critics charge Twain with having created a two-dimensional racist caricature, while others find Jim a complex, compassionate character.
Slowly, Huck comes to the realization that Jim too has feelings and they can be hurt just as easily as his own can. By the end of Huck's adventure with Jim, he has decided that he has had enough civilizing and he does not want to follow the societal rules he had been taught.
Jim's unhappy experiences from society also result to Jim's portrayal of freedom. As a slave, he is not treated as equally by society as white people are. His unequal treatment from society causes his wish for escaping from slavery, as Huck's bad experiences from society cause his hope for an unrestricted life.
Tom's confession reveals a new depth of cruelty: he treats blacks only a little better than slaveholders do, using Jim as a plaything to indulge in a great “adventure.” Tom's claim that he meant to pay Jim for his troubles is surely of little consolation to anyone, and indeed, the very idea of making up for such ...
Huck learns about love: Jim teaches what it is like to be loved. Each night he keeps Huck's watch and lets Huck sleep, he calls him "honey" and is always nice to him. He teaches him values of respect, friendship, and loyalty.
When Jim says he will steal his children out of slavery if necessary, Huck decides he must go ashore and turn Jim in to the authorities. Instead of rushing ashore at dawn to free his conscience, however, Huck covers for Jim when he runs into townspeople.
Why does Huck struggle with his decision to help Jim? He fears punishment from the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. He is shy and timid by nature and is afraid to make trouble. He has difficulty freeing himself from societal norms regarding slaves.
Mark Twain uses Jim to express his views about slavery about the book Huckeberry Finn by Mark Twain.. (2005, May 18). In WriteWork.com. Retrieved 22:55, June 11, 2021, from https://www.writework.com/essay/mark-twain-uses-jim-express-his-views-slavery-book-huckebe
Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel, bursting with countless plots, characters, hidden ideas, and one incredible friendship that outlast all of society's critical ideas. Controversy swirls around Jim, one of the primary characters in the novel. He and Huck become the best of friends, defying convention as Jim is black, and Huck is white. Concealed inside this novel are Twain's very own thoughts about societies during the 1800's when he wrote Huckleberry Finn. In doing this, Twain hoped to show his readers how badly African Americans were being treated and some of the hardships they had to endure simply because of their color. Overall, Mark Twain used Huckleberry Finn as a literary vehicle to express his views on the hypocrisy of slavery and the social classes it created.
Huckleberry Finn’s change of attitude. 3.1. Society. The book starts with Huckleberry Finn, who is adopted by Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas. They keep Jim as their slave. Huck says “The Widow Douglas, she took me for her son, and allowed she civilize me…“ (Twain 2017, p.1). This shows that Miss Watson and Widow Douglas take care ...
After that Huck and Jim are on the raft in chapters 14 to 16. This is when Huck and Jim get close to each other and begin to trust each other. In chapters 17 and 18, he is in society again- he stays at the house of the Grangerfords. That is the moment Huck misses Jim and the time on the raft they had.
This shows that Miss Watson and Widow Douglas take care of Huck and teach him values of the society. But it is noticeable that Huck is not very educated, that is shown by the way he talks. He is using slang and incorrect grammar, which is similar to the language slaves use, for example Jim.
The next part consists of chapters eight to eleven where Huckleberry Finn is on Jackson Island.
The new judge decides that Huck has to go back to his father, and in this situation Huck is like a slave, because someone else decides about him and he has to return like a slave to a cruel owner. Huck hears that his father is in town and wants to know for what reason, that is why he asks Jim.