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Change in Huck’s Attitude Towards Jim

At the beginning of the novel, Huck considers Jim property and just but an ignorant slave that was not in the same class that he was. There might be an influence by the society Huck grew up in which makes him think of Jim this was. The culture at the time of the setting of this story put no value on slaves and their individuality, they were mere property, that did not have its own thoughts and could be passed around between owners. This paper will clarify in which ways Huck’s belief shifts from hatred at the beginning of the story to friendship and admiration of Jim at the end of the story.

The first mention of Jim by Huck is when he calls him “Watson’s big nigger, named Jim” (Twain 5). This word choice makes it clear what Huck thinks of Jim-as an object that has an owner and is not free (Smith). Huck and Tom Sawyer do not consider the feelings of Jim when they prank him and make fun of him. Huck is growing in a society that has no regard for people like Jim. When they get lost in the fog and they each go a separate way, Huck tries to convince Jim that it was all in his imagination as if he were so stupid to believe that it was all an illusion. Jim is not happy about this and he calls him out. Huck responds with a tone of superiority and says, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger.”

It is clear that he sees Jim as unintelligent and can be held by a prank from a stupid child and when he has to apologize, he has a hard time doing it (Phiri). there are other instances such as when they are arguing about language and Kind Solomon and Huck states “it warn’t no use wasting words–you can’t learn a nigger to argue. So I quit.” His attitude indicates that despite knowing Jim he still holds to the idea that he is incapable of learning, using reason and applying logic, or making intelligent arguments.

However, as they go a lot of trials together, Huck’s attitude changes. He learns to be respectful and to care for the feelings of Jim appropriately and considers him an equal. In the end, he says this of Jim, “I know’d he was white inside.” By referring to Jim as white, he is seen to consider him his equal. His attitude changes from considering him an object to a person with feelings, intelligence, and with the capacity to apply logic.

Works Cited

Phiri, Aretha. “SEARCHING FOR THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE: THE ‘AFRICANIST’PRESENCE IN MARK TWAIN’S THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN.” English Studies in Africa 54.1 (2011): 88-104.

Smith, Cassander L. “Nigger” or” Slave”: Why Labels Matter for Jim (and Twain) in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Papers on Language and Literature 50.2 (2014): 182.

Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Broadview Press, 2011.