Huck Finn
The Notice at the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn reads "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be shot; persons attempting to find a moral will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot - By order of the Author," (10). Though Mark Twain intends his novel to be read in jest, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn actually conveys an important insight into humanity. The character Jim, a Negro, defies the white man's perception of a Negro, and ultimately illustrates their place American society. This is done as Twain shows that Jim does not fit the mold of the stereotypical slave, has real emotions, and symbolizes the social standing of a Negro at this time. In the first few chapters of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is introduced as the stereotypical Negro. He is ignorant, slow, and believes in many foolish superstitions. These characteristics are evident when Tom and Huck try to sneak out of the house. Eventually, Tom steals Jim's hat and hangs it on a tree branch. "Afterward Jim said the witches bewitched him and put him in a trance, and rode him all over the state, and then set him under the trees again, and hung his hat on a limb to show who done it,"
This is a step taken in the highest esteem as Huck recognizes Jim's capability for emotions. The biggest injustice that happens to Jim during the course of the novel is when the Phelps family recaptures Jim, though he had long since been granted his freedom. While they should be able pursue their American Dream and seek happiness, blacks were labeled previously by society as inferior and still fought that barrier. "he was thinking about his wife and children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick, because he hadn't ever been away from home in his life; and while I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n. His love for his children and compassion and respect for Huck Finn prove the stereotype that Negroes are inhuman and have little or no emotions wrong. At this time in history, blacks were by all means free, though, due to racism, blacks were rarely apt to the rights and privileges apt guaranteed to them. Though Jim is supposed to be disguised from his race, most just see a "strange nigger dressed so and so," (211). I alwuz liked dead people, en fone all I could for 'em. The previous quote also has Huck comparing Jim to the white man. With this, Jim reveals guilt for his own actions and compassion for his handicapped daughter, two more real emotions Huck and the readers now realize Jim feels. Blacks at the time, while now equal in the eyes of the law with whites now still faced the chains of racism. Twain's statements about the idea of white superiority and the position of a freed slave's place in society is shocking and powerful. He is no longer an ignorant foolish creature which he was made out to be. Jim runs into Huck and assumes he is witnessing the living dead, "Doan' hurt me- don't! I hain't ever done no harm to a ghos'.
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Acceptance Essays
