. The first time the reader meets Jim, a very negative description is given. It
is said that Jim is illiterate, childlike, not very bright and extremely superstitious.
However, it is important not to lose sight of who is giving this description.
Although Huck is not exactly a racist child, he has been raised by extremely
racist individuals and has had certain ideas about blacks put in his head. Also,
sad as it is, this description was probably pretty accurate for the time period.
Millions of slaves in the South were not permitted any formal education, were
not allowed any independent thought and were constantly abused. Twain is
portraying a very realistic slave raised in the South during this time period, and to
say that he is racist because of his historical accuracy is ridiculous. Casting
judgment upon him and calling him racist is not only unfair, but also
pointless. The values of Twain's time were different than the values of today.
The very existence of slavery proves this. Twain has no obligation to live up to
today's morals or ethical values, and cannot be expected to because they did not
exist when he was alive. Therefore, the present-day objections to Huckleberry
Finn are ridiculous. It is stupidity to go back and apply standards that are
predominate today, to novels written more than a hundred years ago (Baldanza
2). Also, it is important to remember in Chapter 15, the reader is told of an
incident which contradicts the original childlike description of Jim. In fact, the
reader is presented with a very caring and father – like individual who becomes
very worried when he loses Huck in the fog (Twain 134). This is in order to
point out the connection made between Huck and Jim. A connection that is made
between two people, not a person and a piece of property.
There are many points in the novel were Huck voices extreme oppositio...