An Analysis of Huckleberry Finn's Chapter 42

HSummary * Uncle Silas went to town and didn't hear anything about Tom. He went home and remembered that he had forgotten to give Aunt Sally the letter he picked up from the post office the other day. * It was from her sister, Aunt Polly, but before she could read it, she saw Tom being carried to the door on a mattress by Jim and the doctor. They saw that Tom isn't well (he was sleeping), and quickly rushed him off to the bedroom. * Some of the local men wanted to hang Jim but were unwilling to risk having to compensate Jim’s master. They treat Jim roughly and chain him hand and foot inside the shed. * The doctor explained everything that happened and even told them that Jim is a good person because he risked his freedom to help Tom. Huck was glad that they decide not to hang him and to treat him a little bit nicer. * Eventually Tom wakes up, and he told Aunt Sally about how he and Huck freed Jim. She was shocked and wanted to give them a good beating. * Just as he finished explaining everything, Aunt Polly walked in. She told Aunt Sally that Sid was really Tom, and Tom was really Huck Finn. Aunt Polly appeared after hearing about Sid's arrival in a letter from Aunt Sally. She knew immediately that something was wrong. Tom found out that Jim was being kept in the shed again, and got very annoyed. He told them that Jim was really free because Miss Watson freed him in her will after she died two months ago. Huck was in shock and cannot believe that Tom would go to all that trouble to free a free man. But he knew that this was Tom's style, to make everything just like an adventure. * Aunt Polly told Aunt Sally that she had written her two letters. Tom hid one of them, and Aunt Sally was just about to read the other one. Huck and Tom got reprimanded for playing such tricks and causing so much trouble.
Character development * Jim's refusal to leave Tom in Chapter 40 becomes more significant in Chapter 42 when he allows himself to