Thursday, December 6, 2007
Jim's portrayal chapters 1 to 14
This week's question deals with Twain's portrayal of Jim, as well as his role in the story. How does Jim compare, or contrasted, to the other characters in Huck's life so far, from Miss Watson to his Pap? Is he the only person Huck feels comfortable being himself with? Look at examples from the book to state your argument.
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I think the character of Jim is very unique and very different from every other character in the book, mainly Miss Watson and Pap. I feel that Huck can be himself only around Jim because he sees a little bit of himself in him. Miss Watson is there as a provider of rules and guidlines for Huck, while Pap is just a negative influence on him. Jim, on the other hand, is a big help for adventuring along the Mississippi River because if Huck doesn't know what to do, he always does. Jim is also a little kid at heart, in my opinion. He's willing to go on these adventures with Huck. However, right now I don't think Jim is the only character that Huck can be himself around. His friendship with the old lady flourished in the one chapter when he spends time with her. Since Huck spends much more time with Jim than with the old lady, then yes, Jim is the character where he feels most comfortable around.
Mark Twain presents Jim as a true companion to Huck. In chapter 11 “The House of Death Floats By” Huck and Jim begin to create a memorable friendship. Huck states, “ I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here.” (Page 68) This shows how Huck is finally able to sit back and enjoy life. I believe that Jim is the catalyst for Huck enjoying himself, it seems as if Jim and Huck have a Ying/Yang type of bond, where they are lost without each other. Jim appears to be a kindhearted caring person that doesn’t take life/freedom for granted. This is due to his harsh background as a slave, where he was unable to express himself or have any natural rights. I think it is these virtues that make Huck and Jim so compatible, because it is these characteristics that Huck has been deprived of.
At first, Twain seems to portray Jim as more of a side character, someone who may or may not be important in the future. The first time we see Jim, he helps Huck try and figure out where his pap will be going, using a giant "hair ball". This immediatly shows us that Jim is as superstitious, if not more then, Huck. That's one of the characteristics that helps Jim relate to Huck later on in the book. I think that Huck and Jim are very similar people in a lot of other ways as well. They both are simple and down to earth; they don't need or bother with fancy things. They also both have a lot of common sense and "street smarts", which is slightly ironic considering they are both so so superstitious. Jim teaches Huck a lot of new myths and things to be cautious of. Since they can both relate so well to each other, Jim and Huck feel comfortable sharing secrets with each other. Jim tells Huck why and how he ran away, and Huck tells Jim how he faked his murder, and they both trust that the other won't tell. Overall I think that Jim is a really down to earth, trustworthy, loyal and true freind for Huck, which is really what he needs right now.
p.s. jim is wearing a nice blue sweater today. i think gertrude would agree with me.
I think Huck seems most comfortable around jim because they have so much in common. both are running away from lifestyles that challenge them and are attempting to find a new one. In this time period, Jim has a difficult life, being a black slave; he has to deal with racism, segregation, and the fear of being sold. Huck has been tossed from one way of life to another, and he is never really allowed to be himself. At the widow's house, he is forced to be proper and structured, but when he lives with his dad he is mistreated and always thinking of ways to escape. Since both boys are seeking somewhere to hide out and get away from their lives, neither have to worry that the other will give him away.
“Jim this is nice,” I says. “I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here.” (Twain 68)
Twain presents Jim as a true friend towards Huckleberry and in a light that is very positive and helpful on the island. It starts even before they are on the island when Tom and Huckleberry are trying to sneak out. Tom goes back to get something and decides to play a trick on Jim by hiding his hat. Even though Huckleberry does not know Jim as well as he does when they live on the island he still sticks up for him, warning Tom that he shouldn’t have done that. When huckleberry escapes to the island he makes a big deal of wanting no one to find him. He even stages his own death but as he gets used to it he also gets lonely. We see his relief when he spots Jim by the campfire. Not only was he scared that is was going to be someone dangerous but he admits to us that he was glad it was Jim because now he doesn’t have to be lonely anymore showing how comfortable he is with him.
I think that Huck sees Jim as almost like a father figure or an older brother. Huck is seen as a practical character, but Jim keeps him in check and does things to protect him. Huck in turn has formed a bond with Jim, shown in his choice to not turn Jim in to collect a reward. Twain presents Jim as a character with good intentions. All he really wants to do is be free, he’s not looking for any trouble. He doesn’t judge or think badly of Huck, like all others in the town. Jim accepts Huck, despite his troubling past. He just wants some companionship. Huck feels himself with Jim for this reason, he knows that Jim doesn’t think badly of him. Huck is finally out of a society where people aren’t judging him all the time and trying to civilize him. He is free to be the person who he wants. They are both practical characters and know how to maneuver themselves out of most situations that they get involved in. Sometimes Huck gets wrapped up in his “Tom Sawyer-like adventures”, but Jim is always there to balance him out.
p.s.- ophelia- jim is wearing a TRACK JACKET not a a sweater.
Mark Twain’s representation of Jim in the novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” so far is that of a sibling, balancing between the picture of an older and younger sibling in some traits. Jim is represented as older in some cases such as his guidance and protection of Huck’s innocence. For example when the two look through the window of the house that had the dead man in it, Jim tried to avert Huck’s eyes by covering the man’s body with cloth and he tried to explain to him that discussion of a dead man and how he died was “bad luck”, although there’s obviously a deeper reason of morality to not speak about something as sadistic as a dead person, and Jim tries to silence Huck’s curiosity with his warning to stop Huck from scaring himself. But the other traits that Jim contains are more adolescent, such as his gullibility and superstitions. For example, when Huck placed a dead snake at Jim’s feet, luckily Jim didn’t realize that it was in fact dead, because the snake’s mate returned to its dead body and bit only Jim’s heel. Jim returned to the moment that Huck picked up the snakeskin which, based on his superstitions, brings bad luck to the two of them. The arbitrary explanation that Jim used shows how childish some of Jim’s thoughts are, rather than assuming something more reasonable, possibly Huck pulling a cruel joke of some sort. Jim is easy to manipulate like a lot of younger siblings. And in their relationship between their older siblings, in this case Huck takes the role of the older of the two, the older sibling pulls mean practical jokes on their more gullible family members.
From the first 14 chapters, we can see many characteristics that tell about Jim’s character and his insight in life. He is a remarkable man of intelligence and compassion, which is ironic because both Huck and Tom are quite the opposite. We can witness his compassion as he travels down the river as Huck’s companion. In addition, Huck, at first, seems very superstitious, which we can see from his time spent on Jackson’s Island. However, it is his deep analysis and wise knowledge of the natural world that gives him an alternate form of “truth” or intelligence. Even though he is terribly distraught from the separation of his wife and children, the permanent separation from them is his only motivation for his criminal at of running away. Like Huck, Jim is realistic, modest, and knows about his situation and how to accomplish goals without speaking his mind or acting boldly. In fact, from my writings of Othello and Romeo and Juliet, I can inarguably say that Huck is the only real adult, who provides a positive and respectable example for characters like Huck to follow. He is at the mercy of other characters, and is the only character that Huck feels comfortable with. One strong example to show is when they walked together along the river, and Huck felt very comfortable to talk to him because of his compassionate nature, his noble self, and loyal friend.
Mark Twain displays Jim as a good companion of Huck, as they are both fugitives hiding from society. Jim, as a enslaved black in the South, defies the law to run away from a society that has denied him the “natural rights” that are allegedly granted to every human being upon their conception. Huck has been subject to the abuses of his father, who is often drunk and irresponsible. Together they make a good pair, and Twain shows this through his descriptions of the interactions between Huck and Jim. We see from when they first meet on the Island, that there is a trust between them that is only further established when Jim explains why he ran off, and Huck promises to keep it a secret, even though he believes this wrong. Their trust continues to grow between them, and especially because they must depend on each other to live on this secluded island.
i kinda like jim's vibe. he's a lot like huck finn, in a lot of ways, which might be why they get along so well. they're both a little knowledge hungry, although huck is a little more so than jim. they're both very practical, while at the same time they manage to be very superstitious and afraid of some odd things. huck and jim have also spent a lot of time together before; so, this whole running-away-together thing isn't completely a burden, with another person there.
on the other hand, jim is also portrayed as a big senseless + superstitious oaf sometimes, when huck feels frustrated w/ him and feels as though he has to teach an old dog new tricks. he is much less educated than huck, which leads to an odd dynamic in their relationship-- the usual wise oldie vs. innocent young one is kind of flipped here.
i kinda like jim's vibe. he's a lot like huck finn, in a lot of ways, which might be why they get along so well. they're both a little knowledge hungry, although huck is a little more so than jim. they're both very practical, while at the same time they manage to be very superstitious and afraid of some odd things. huck and jim have also spent a lot of time together before; so, this whole running-away-together thing isn't completely a burden, with another person there.
on the other hand, jim is also portrayed as a big senseless + superstitious oaf sometimes, when huck feels frustrated w/ him and feels as though he has to teach an old dog new tricks. he is much less educated than huck, which leads to an odd dynamic in their relationship-- the usual wise oldie vs. innocent young one is kind of flipped here.
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