Last week, we have finished Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. After finishing the book, a few thoughts came to mind, some that were particularly frustrating (please note, I am not trying to devalue the book—it was definitely a good read). But I’m not here to write a summary of the book (those who haven’t read it can do so or can look online for a summary). However, the frustration I felt was the realization that most of the actions done by Jim and Huck were done, in hindsight, for no actual purpose. It was a troubling aspect that a lot of what they did was for potentially no reason. Throughout Huck and Jim’s journey, Jim had to be careful of who say him, and what he was “allowed to do” because of his black identity, set by society’s standards. In the end, we find out that Jim has technically been a free man all throughout the adventure when Tom reveals that he has known all along that Miss Watson has been dead for two months, and that she freed Jim in her will. That whole entire time when Jim was constantly cautious about being caught as a “runaway slave”, he was actually free! To me, that was frustrating because I seemed to sympathize for Jim. I felt sorry for all the masking, hiding and what not, he had to do because of his identity; especially since morally Jim seemed to be the only decent human being in the end... Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Jim was free all along?!
Last week, we have finished Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. After finishing the book, a few thoughts came to mind, some that were particularly frustrating (please note, I am not trying to devalue the book—it was definitely a good read). But I’m not here to write a summary of the book (those who haven’t read it can do so or can look online for a summary). However, the frustration I felt was the realization that most of the actions done by Jim and Huck were done, in hindsight, for no actual purpose. It was a troubling aspect that a lot of what they did was for potentially no reason. Throughout Huck and Jim’s journey, Jim had to be careful of who say him, and what he was “allowed to do” because of his black identity, set by society’s standards. In the end, we find out that Jim has technically been a free man all throughout the adventure when Tom reveals that he has known all along that Miss Watson has been dead for two months, and that she freed Jim in her will. That whole entire time when Jim was constantly cautious about being caught as a “runaway slave”, he was actually free! To me, that was frustrating because I seemed to sympathize for Jim. I felt sorry for all the masking, hiding and what not, he had to do because of his identity; especially since morally Jim seemed to be the only decent human being in the end... 
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Brooks, I agree that morally, "Jim seemed to be the only decent human in the end". We see the heroic act he does to protect Huck, and Huck does not show his readers any reaction towards Jim. As if Jim puts all the effort into the relationship, and Huck is just there. Jim was manipulated and it's hard to see the "good guy" robbed of his freedom in the novel.
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