Today in class we talked about the partnership between Huck and Jim, and I wanted to continue exploring the progression of their relationship. At the end of the raft incident, Huck wakes Jim up, and Jim questions Huck about the incidents that occurred during their separation. In response, Huck denies that he was ever separated from Jim, prompting Jim to write off the series of events as a bizarre dream. Huck then prods Jim to share the dream with him, and after Jim finishes interpreting the tow-heads and current and whoops, Huck reveals that he has tricked Jim by asking Jim to interpret the leaves and broken oar, physical evidence of the turbulent night. Jim realizes that Huck has deceived him and tells him "'Dat truck dah is trash; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren's en makes 'em ashamed.'" Jim walks away and shuts himself up in the wigwam, and Huck divulges, "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger -- but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd a knowed it would make him feel that way."
This scene is especially crucial in our understanding of Huck and Jim's relationship because it highlights the tension present in their companionship. By encouraging Jim to relay his dream and thus fall for Huck's trick, Huck sets Jim up to be made a fool, essentially asserting himself as the superior in their relationship (in this scenario, Huck has a more comprehensive knowledge of what has occurred, and because knowledge is power...). Jim counters this shift in power by explicitly telling Huck how he felt upon realizing that the raft had floated away and what Huck's little joke meant to him. In his censure, Jim compares the debris on the raft to Huck - someone who "puts dirt on de head er dey fren's en makes 'em ashamed." This rebuke seems like more than just a reaction to a hurtful act; it reminds me of something that Miss Watson or the widow might say -- an admonishment of sorts to underline to Huck what he has done wrong. And Huck learns from this lecture; he apologizes to Jim, despite Jim's racial "inferiority," and tells us that 1) he never played any more mean tricks on Jim 2) he wouldn't have done this if he had known that Jim would have been hurt by his actions.
I think that this incident illustrates Jim's affection for Huck and more importantly, it highlights Huck's respect for Jim. As a result of the actions that pass in this scene, we see Jim emerge as another mentor figure to Huck, and I think this will have a significant impact on their rapport.
I agree with your conclusion that Jim cares for Huck, and Huck, in turn, holds respect for Jim, but I disagree with the argument that Huck played the trick on Jim to assert superiority. When I read this passage, I remembered Tom Sawyer's trick with Jim's hat. Jim created a wild story of witches and magic that people came to hear from miles around, and he felt good about himself. I believe Huck was trying to emulate what Tom Sawyer had done and lift Jim's spirits by turning his times of trouble into a dream, making him think he had never truly experienced them. True, Huck might have thought at the time that it was a good joke, but subconsciously, I think Huck wanted to lessen the fear and anxiety that had come with that turbulent night on the river. I don't think that Huck wanted superiority over Jim at all, as we've seen how their camaraderie fosters a relationship of equality between a white child and a black man against all odds. Huck's attempt to recreate Tom Sawyer's triumph also connects to Henry's post about Tom's influence on Huck as a role model, and as the book progresses, I think we will see more of not only Tom's imprint on Huck but also Jim's and the widow's as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a really important encounter, so I applaud Tori for furthering our conversation regarding it. I think that the discussion of power can get really complicated. I do not think that the power in the relationship flips with this encounter, bur rather it is equalized. Even though Huck is a boy, he is a white boy, so Jim already understood that he need to treat Huck with respect. Huck, however, is taught (if not explicity than by what he observes) that black people do not deserve respect. When he realizes how much Jim is hurt, Huck learns how to behave in the future. It seems like Jim is the most vulnerable character that we have encountered thus far. The other characters in the book such as the widow and pap tell Huck how to behave and what is right and wrong, but they do not explain their feelings. Neither of those characters is able to reach Huck. Up until this incident, I saw Huck as an amoral character, but I think that his relationship with Jim illuminates the situation. Huck has never been able to connect to the lessons he is being taught because they make little sense and are guided in neither logic nor emotion, but he can learn lessons with Jim. He can connect to Jim because neither is superior to the other, and he can learn through the special sympathy between them.
ReplyDeleteI'm very curious as to the nature of Huck and Jim's relationship--they'll do something that makes me seem like they have an equal relationship, then one of them will go out and do something that establishes himself as dominant. Of course, that is the nature of real (read: not cliched/from books) relationships. It is interesting though, because, as we discussed in class, they are both used to being seen in society as "underdogs." Then, when put in this position where they are no longer subservient, both characters seem to undergo an ebb and flow of confidence and meekness. Jim will just as soon quietly dissuade Huck and then leave as he will pick a major argument with Huck about King Solomon.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anisha in the sense that their relationship brings an ongoing shift in power, but they both rely on each other to overcome the same challenge: the feeling of loneliness. They have their ups and downs of kindness, but it is safe to say that both Jim and Huck are better off together than separate. Huck has been the subject to oppression from his abusive father and the uptight widow, while Jim has faced hardships as a slave under the white supremacy, and both may have a sense of anger and instability as a result of these "authority" figures. This instability leaves them clueless of how to have a strong connection/relationship with another being - a potential cause of their actions.
ReplyDeleteI think this episode is evidence of Huck maturing. Before this incident, Huck did things without regard for the consequences of his actions. He did not think of what Pap or the widow or what any of his friends would think if he just ran away on the raft. In this instance, Huck sees his action as just a practical joke, and does not consider the effect this joke could have. When Jim calls him out on it, Huck is forced to deal with the consequences. For all of Huck's pros, he has been a fairly selfish person throughout the beginning of the novel. He does not consider the effect his choices have on other people. Huck has made choices impulsively in the past, but he has now seen the effect his seemingly harmless choices can have on others. Huck, a young child thrust into a weird situation, is a constantly changing, dynamic character.
ReplyDeleteI think this incident is very humanizing for Jim. Up until now, we have seen Jim being treated like an object by all of those surrounding him and even acting like one. Despite their seemingly equal partnership, Huck constantly makes comments in awe of Jim's knowledge of things since he is nothing more than a lowly object. Yet, in this scene, both Jim and Huck are confronted with Jim's pain, an emotion that has not yet been relayed to the reader, forcing us all to feel the reality of Jim's situation. Despite his fulfillment of the role of almost being Huck's slave and our acceptance of that behavior, he turns everything around, shocking the reader out of their complacence with the two characters' relationship and forcing us to think twice about how they treat each other.
ReplyDeleteI think this exchange also highlights what Huck and Jim value. Huck is clever, and being clever is one of the most important things to him—it's what has kept him alive and granted him his freedom. Jim, however, finds relationships to be important. He has friends, and as we learned in tonight's reading, a family. Huck's friends can only live in an imaginary world, and has never had a good relationship with the figures of authority in his life. As a result of this disparity, Huck doesn't understand that making a joke like this to Jim would cause any pain, until he learns that Jim finds their relationship important.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really fantastic post, Tori! I like how you zoomed in on one tiny incident and crafted meaningful ideas. I was initially not sure whether to agree with you or Natalie on the interpretation of Huck's trick. However, I don't believe that the two are mutually exclusive. Tom Sawyer played a trick on Jim with the hat, and he probably would not have done the same to a white man. Perhaps Huck pulls a practical joke with the subconscious mindset of establishing superiority.
ReplyDeleteI also think this scene is a crucial point in Huck's development into a mature thinker. At some point we all realize that our actions do affect others. Before Jim's feelings were hurt, Huck saw only his own benefit from it and not the harm it could cause Jim. This fits in with Tori's claim that Huck would not have done it in the first place had he been aware of the consequences. I'm curious to see how this new self-awareness plays out in the rest of the story.
I find it ironic in this exchange, along with many others between Huck and Jim, that the two characters seem to learn so much from each other. The two previously lived under some sort of of greater influence; of Huck, Pap and Miss Watson, and of Jim, society. One might expect Huck and Jim to learn the virtue of respect because each is surrounded by a greater influence, however it is instead learned and understood through a very mutual relationship, with no clear voice of authority. I think this is Twain's way of telling us that you cannot genuinely learn something without experiencing it.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with Natalie, I don't think Huck's prank is meant to assert superiority. I believe he is willing to do it to anyone regardless of their status precisely because he lacks the concept of respect and care for other people. The interesting thing in this episode is that the end of it is the first time we see Huck displaying genuine respect to someone. Obviously the change signifies an important development in Jim and Huck's relationship as well as Jim's influence on Huck. At the same time, I think through this episode Twain depicts how respect is supposed to be formed naturally, through genuine relationships rather than status.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily agree or disagree with any of these interpretations, but instead pose a different question: Does there have to be a deeper reason as to why Huck commits the joke? Huck is still a child, and it's not unusual for him to have a playful side. I don't think there is any malicious or generous intentions behind his act besides a good laugh. There are other parts of the novel Chapter 14 right off the top of my head where Huck and Jim have discussions about other things namely their knowledge of stories and the world where there may be superiority/inferiority developing, but I think this episode is just a good reminder that Huck doesn't know the impact of his actions meaning that he doesn't have much foresight yet. It is too early to determine his growth.
ReplyDeleteI think that Huck's realization that he had wronged Jim is paramount to both the text and Huck and Jim's relationship. Even though Huck initially has a hard time "humbling himself to a nigger," the important thing is that he does do it. While he and Jim have had a somewhat peer-based relationship throughout the book, this is the first time that Huck must openly acknowledge their relationship as equals, and thus go against the extremely ingrained racism in society. I think Huck's feelings of guilt certainly demonstrate that he respects Jim as a peer and as another human being rather than something less than that.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late response. I think this post was very well done. As we know, Huck Finn is an anti-racism novel and this episode supports the book denouncement of ignorance. Huck has been raised in a society where racism is the norm and we cans see that in how he talks, his thought processes, etc. For Jim and Huck's friendship to grow, Huck will need to overcome that. This incident shows that Jim and Huck care for each other, and this advancement in their relationship will hopefully move Huck to see Jim as his equal.
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