Opposites Attract
"Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; 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," (Twain 1) reads the "Notice" before The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Twain claims that he wrote the entire novel purely as an adventure story, and had no intention of creating a deeper statement about the human condition. On the contrary, Twain creates an insight into humanity that the reader hardly expects from the author's impractical notice. He does this by using the two main characters in the novel, Huck Finn, an uneducated boy running away from civilization and Jim, the runaway slave. As these two misfits float down the Mississippi River on a raft, Twain uses the character of Jim and his interactions with others to defy the white perception of the Negro and to ultimately demonstrate his place in American society. Twain does this by showing how Jim does not form to the mold of the stereotypical slave, has real emotions just like anyone else and is an example of the Negro's social standing at that time. In the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain introduces Jim by describing the
This selfless action of Jim reveals more about his character than any other action in the book. Jim is actually a human being capable of feeling the entire spectrum of emotions, disputing the classic view of the Negro. As Huck compares Jim to "white folks," it is one of the highest compliments. Jim, hears the boys moving and decides to wait until he hears it again but promptly falls asleep. This incident can be compared to what happened to many free blacks during their migration northward, trying to find jobs and prosperity. Jim's image also changes when he relates to Huck the story of his daughter, Elizabeth, who loses her hearing after a severe case of scarlet fever. Upon seeing the boy he assumes was dead, Jim exclaims, "Doan' hurt me-don't! I hain't ever done no harm to a ghos'. The author's statement about the perception of white superiority and the freed slave's position in society is potent and powerful. In order to protect him against slave traders who might come upon him, the duke paints his face blue and dresses him up in absurd costumes, leaving a sign that reads, "Sick Arab- But harmless when not out of his head," (Twain 156). Once this realization occurs his guilt overwhelms him. As seen through the eyes of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Jim personifies the stereotypical characteristics of the carefree and often ridiculous Negro. They dressed like white men, acted like white men, but were not granted the privileges of white men. " After the truth is revealed, Tom confides to Huck that his plan "was for [Huck and Tom] to run [Jim] down the river on the raft, and have adventures plumb to the mouth of the river, and then tell him about his being free," (Twain 292). Very often, Huck and the river raft's other passengers, the duke and the king, travel onshore, leaving Jim alone on the raft. He was thinking about his wife and his children.
Common topics in this essay:
Huck Finn,
Civil War,
Tom Sawyer,
Jim Jim,
Negroes America,
Sick Arab-,
River Huck,
Twain Twain,
Ole Jim,
God Amighty,
tom sawyer,
huck finn,
free blacks,
jim's humanity,
adventures huckleberry,
jim personifies,
adventures huckleberry finn,
persons attempting,
huckleberry finn,
compares jim white,
negro jim,
freedom granted,
huck compares jim,
negro's social standing,
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Acceptance Essays
