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Jesse Mock
Mr. Rubino
Ap Lit. & Comp.
22 September 2014
A Father
In the Novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huckleberry Finn, the main character is
often debated as being Jims son. Jim is an African American slave in the novel who escaped
with Huckleberry, creating a bond as they try and escape their past, looking for a new
beginning. The fact that critics believe that Jim is hucks true father could be true in a
figurative sense, but in a literal sense, he could not be.
With debates between critics, I believe that Jim could be a father figure to Huckleberry.
In the Novel, it is clear that Huck is a white, a pure white male, not having any mixed
coloration allowing him to be accepted in society. Jim on the other hand was obviously and
evidently of black color, answering the question that he is not Hucks father. Although this
is evident throughout the novel, I can see how critics believe that Jim is Huckleberrys true
father. He teaches Finn lessons that he can use in life and these lessons are generally what a
real father should and would teach his son. In my opinion, this makes him Hucks true
father.
Throughout the story, Jim develops an awed and almost loved attachment for Huck. In
the middle of the novel when they were leisurely traveling down the river, heading for
Cairo, they became separated. Huck figured that since he kept hearing Whoop sounds that
he was right next to Jim and that he could relax and just let the current take him down the
river. Before Huck knew it, he had fallen asleep and lost track of where Jim was in the fog.
Long story short, Jim was worried sick that Huck could have gotten hurt and that he was
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separated from him for what seemed like days to Jim. When they finally caught up with
each other Jim started to spill to Huck that he worried sick by saying, "Goodness gracious,
is dat you, Huck? En you ain' dead -- you ain' drownded -- you's back agin? It's too good for
true, honey, it's too good for true. Lemme look at you chile, lemme feel o' you. No, you ain'
dead! you's back agin, 'live en soun', jis de same ole Huck -- de same ole Huck, thanks to
goodness!"(315) In this little dialogue, Jim expresses fatherly concern for Huck almost as
if he is his son. Jim also says, "heart wuz mos' broke bekase you wuz los', en I didn' k'yer
no mo' what bcome er me en de raf'"(Chapter 15), when they were separated by the fog.
This dialogue shows how Jim didnt care about his freedom at that moment, he was just
worried about Huckleberry. Jim plays it off as if Jim is crazy and that they were only
separated for a matter of minutes rather than days. This little moment when Jim makes it
evident that he cares for Huck shows how he is developing a fatherly role and trying to
show and care for Huck, whether he knows it or not. This bond grows as they spend more
and more time together as their journey continues.
Another moment that represents how Jims character could represent Hucks true father
is when they met up after Huck spends time with the Grangerford's family after his boat is
crushed. Jim found out where Finn was after they were separated, again. Once the families
nigger took Huckleberry to where Jim was, he explained to Huckleberry what happened
that night. Jim explained,
"I got hurt a little, en couldn't swim fas', so I wuz a considable ways behine
you towards de las'; when you landed I reck'ned I could ketch up wid you on
de lan' 'dout havin' to shout at you, but when I see dat house I begin to go
slow. I 'uz off too fur to hear what dey say to you -- I wuz 'fraid o' de dogs; but
when it 'uz all quiet agin I knowed you's in de house, so I struck out for de
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woods to wait for day. Early in de mawnin' some er de niggers come along,
gwyne to de fields, en dey tuk me en showed me dis place, whah de dogs can't
track me on accounts o' de water, en dey brings me truck to eat every night,
en tells me how you's a-gitt'n along." (Chapter 18)
This quote shows how Jim cares greatly for Huck and how he risked getting caught and
becoming a slave again to meet back up with Finn. Huckleberry then noticed how he
missed Jim and how their bond that they created is one of a father-to-son bond.