Preview

Huckleberry Finn: the Caring Characteristics of Jim

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
319 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Huckleberry Finn: the Caring Characteristics of Jim
Throughout the entire novel, Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Jim has clearly been the most loyal, honest friend to his peers. Jim shows his kindness mostly to Huck, but the most apparent instance where Jim’s loyal characteristics show is at the end of the book when he gives up his freedom to help Tom Sawyer who was shot in the leg. I am not shocked at all about Jim’s decision to do this, largely because he showed great character to everyone he met and always took care of the people he knew.
One of the greatest moments in the book, personally, was when Huck and Jim were together on Jackson’s island, taking turns, keeping lookout. Jim is depicted as a great friend and caring person for the first time when Huck says, “I went to sleep, and Jim didn't call me when it was my turn. He often done that” (23.30).This part in the book really resonated with me and showed me how kind of a person Jim was. Another instance where Jim proves to be a great friend is when he says,"Pooty soon I'll be a-shout'n' for joy, en I'll say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; I's a free man, en I couldn't ever ben free ef it hadn' ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de ONLY fren' ole Jim's got now." (16.14) Jim recognizes the great relationship he has with Huck and again, Jim shows his great character and how he is a good friend.
It was not at all surprising that Jim would help a friend out, even if it meant losing his freedom, because it is completely in-character for Jim to carry out a good deed. Jim is model in this book, always looking out for his friends and caring for

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    When Huck first befriended Jim, he was still in this ignorant and immoral state. He, like most others at this time, was a believer and supporter of the institution of slavery, but he did agree to help Jim escape because he himself would benefit from it. He still saw Jim as a slave though, and therefore as someone inferior to him. As his friendship with Jim deepened because of their time spent together on the raft, Huck's view of Jim began to change. This change first became apparent when Huck tricked Jim into believing that he only dreamed about them getting separated in the fog. When Jim learned that Huck tricked him, Huck felt awful about hurting Jim's feelings, and after that, he "didn't do [Jim] no more mean tricks, and [he] wouldn't done that one if [he'd] a knowed it would make [Jim] feel that way" (148). Huck was clearly beginning to truly care about Jim as a person.…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism In Huck Finn

    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In chapter 8 on page 41, Huck and Jim seem to grow a bond, a bond that society wouldn’t accept, when Huck later finds out that Jim ran away and were wondering in the woods they seem to develop a close friendship. Huck could have told someone that Jim ran away but instead Huck accepted Jim and took part in an adventure along with Jim.…

    • 253 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Throughout the book, Jim is displayed as a character of loyalty. No matter what the situation, or how hard it may be Jim remains loyal to his friends. Specifically in time such as the boat and the robbers, Jim shows loyalty when helping and not leaving Huck. Every time Huck was in trouble, Jim was always there to help. This characteristic is portrayed throughout the book.…

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This story is about a boy who pretty much has a front row seat to witness the horrible things that we see being broadcasted on the news today; such as racism. Huck knows that the racists situations that he is witnessing around him are wrong in the eyes of society, but in his heart he knows what's right, which is why he chose to help Jim. Throughout the adventure , Huck struggles with the thoughts of turning Jim in, not because he knows it's the right thing to do but because he knows what could be the consequences for himself and Jim. The only thing that is holding Huck back from turning Jim in is their friendship and what he feels in his heart.…

    • 287 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Censorship in Huck Finn

    • 1676 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a young boy named Huckleberry Finn runs away from his life and travels down the Mississippi River with his friend Jim, a runaway slave. The story follows Huck 's moral growth and maturity throughout his many adventures and experiences. The major turning point of the book is when Huck realizes that Jim cares about him, and that he cares about Jim in return. As a child, Huck is taught that Jim isn 't a person because of his skin color and that he does not deserve respect, but Huck discovers that Jim is a person and deserves more respect than most people Huckleberry met on his journeys. He comes to this decision because Jim cares for him and treats Huck better than his own father. Huck says “All right, then, I 'll go to hell.” when he decides to go against the racist teachings of his childhood and help Jim get his freedom (Twain 216-217). The book was written to show what life was like in the 1840s and successfully revealed the way people viewed each other and people of other races. In the beginning of the story, Huck treats Jim poorly because he is taught that…

    • 1676 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    As a slave, one is not a person. Mark Twain, author of the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, questions the belief that slaves are not people. Throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain satirizes the morality of the 1800s in regards to how slaves are treated and implies that his own ethics disagree with the generally accepted morals of the time.…

    • 209 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Jim's loyalty to Huck is best demonstrated through Jim's decisions on the river. Jim, who is a runaway slave, heading to Cairo in search of work and his family, is heading downriver with Huck and misses his turn for Cairo. Jim's decision to remain with Huck costs him a chance to find work and a chance to find his family, whom he dearly misses. Their mistake in navigation also leads the duo farther South into slave territory, bringing potentially hazardous situations for a runaway slave. Jim's loyalty is reinforced later on in their adventures, as Jim passes his greatest opportunity for freedom in order to find medical attention for the wounded Tom Sawyer. Jim's loyalty to the two young boys simultaneously contradicts racial stereotypes while affirming the consequences may accompany decisions of loyalty.…

    • 880 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eventually, morality(religion) and education have different roles and different influences in all the characters in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Also, have different impact in society during the time Huck Finn. The world and mentality of people have changed a lot since the time of this book, morality and education have now a great importance for everybody. These topics have a lot of influence on people, and everybody have different points of view. Still exist people that believes that everybody must follow what the bible say, and also people who does not believe that education is something that is worth it. It is all about how people handle these topics, which everyday become more important for our society.…

    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn, the main character of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," faces many challenges growing up. Being a runaway child of an alcoholic and abusive father, Huck encounters many obstacles. Statistics do not show a positive outlook for someone with a bad childhood. Neglected by his father, Huck smokes cigarrettes as a coping mechanism. In the article, "Child Abuse and Neglect," it states that children who have been neglected have the "inability to accurately recognize emotions in others.…

    • 312 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn is one of the most significant and remarkable novels published, representing pure American Culture, and the conflicts of civilization and living freely. Huck meets Jim when he was on the run looking for food. Jim was on the run away from Miss Watson because he was afraid that she was going to sell him to someone from New Orleans. At first, Huck thinks Jim is a ghost, although he is not.…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck's True Father

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Huck had a father, not a good one but a biological one at least. Yet, Huck never looked up at him like one and didn’t really consider him like a father to him. If there had to be a fatherly figure in Huck’s like that he looked up and respected it would have to be Jim. Thought the book Jim showed many characteristics and actions that would earn him this title. He was found being selfless and protective over Huck, but in all he showed he was a true and loyal friend. Jim is someone that could fill in the father figure for Jim and fulfill it by being a loyal friend towards him.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn's Journey

    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most loved novels in American literature. Due to its popularity, there are a lot critiques and analyses of the work, especially of Huck and his development. But in all the analyses of Huck, people have neglected to appreciate one of the most important protagonists in American literature, Jim. Without Jim's guidance for Huck, Huck's journey would have failed. In Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim plays the role of a father to Huck by providing for his physical, emotional, and moral well-being.…

    • 1191 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck Finn Racist

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Mark Twain made Jim a likeable character. Jim was an honest, loyal, kind, caring, and admirable character. Even though the author also made him a little dumb and superstitious, he was still one of the most likable character in the book. Twain also made Huck’s father out to be a bad guy, he was mean and he was…

    • 916 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Whether or not to turn Jim in was something Huck toggled with constantly throughout his adventure. He knew that Jim belonged to the widow Douglas who had done so much for him, but Huck still felt compassion for Jim, who he had developed a deep friendship with on account of their experiences together. Because of his bond with Jim, Huck did not want to feel guilty if something bad were to happen to his friend, but at the same time, he did not want to be held accountable for helping a runaway slave.…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Huck became someone that Jim could talk to, someone he could consider family. We see Jim tell Huck of how excited he is because of Huck’s bravery. “Pooty soon I'll be a-shout'n' for joy, en I'll say, it's all on accounts o' Huck; I's a free man, en I couldn't ever ben free ef it hadn' ben for Huck; Huck done it. Jim won't ever forgit you, Huck; you's de bes' fren' Jim's ever had; en you's de ONLY fren' ole Jim's got now. (16.14)” We can see Jim cares deeply about Huck because he relies heavily on Huck to get him out of the horrors he had to deal with each day in his life of slavery.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays