Paul Lee
Professor Carroll
English 221
June 10, 1991
------------------------------------------------------------


The Relationship Between Huck and Jim,
and Its Importance to an Understanding
of the Novel's Major Themes



Huck and Jim are two major characters in the novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) and first published in 1885. As the major characters, the relationship between Huck and Jim plays an important role in an understanding of the novel's major themes.
Huck is one of the best-loved fictional characters in American literature since the Civil War. As Mark Twain's greatest achievement, perhaps as many as 200 essays have appeared in focusing upon Huckleberry Finn. alone as Thomas Cooley claimed. Huck, who is the son of the town drunkard, is the narrator of the novel and has no sense of humor although his narration of the story is filled with humor. Huck himself is wild, free, uncivilized, and un-attained character.
Since Huck also has a non-conforming style and is completely literal minded, he narrates everything he sees or hears with straightforward accuracy without exaggerating or embroidering.
Jim, who is Miss Watson's slave whom she plans to sell down the river, is the other major character along with Huck in the story. He is very superstitious, as we see in the snake episode. (In this episode he tells Huck that snake symbolizes as bad luck.) In this episode Jim is seen only as a superstitious person, but on the island, the story tells us that many of his superstitions are based on common sense and a knowledge of natural surroundings.
Discussing the relationship between Huck and Jim, one of Jim's primary roles is to act as a gauge for Huck's development. In one episode Huck comes to learn to appreciate Jim's great worth as a human being while they are travelling down the river to Jackson Island. On the trip down the river, we can see Jim's dedication and love for Huck, too.
Since Jim is willing to sacrifice himself for others and take on Huck's duties as they float down the river, Huck is able to see Jim's basic worth. And Huck begins to accept Jim as a human being and becomes aware of Jim's sense of love and humanity, his basic goodness, and his desire to help others.
Huck and Jim are Mark Twain's vehicles for carrying out showing themes to his readers. Dealing with the escapades of youths and captures something of the lost world of young adolescence, the novel was written after the Civil War had theoretically freed the slaves, but the status of the Negroes had not been improved and they were still in the Southern States. The major theme of the novel is truth and civilization. Huck tells us that truth is good and mentions "morality" many times in the story. He also mentions that civilization is noble savage and how human beings are cruel. The story also tells us meanness and cruelty on the civilization. While Huck and Jim are travelling down the river, Huck mentions that shore represents civilization which is cruel.
The relationship betwwen Huck and Jim is very significant to an understanding of the novel's major themes. Huck's conceptions on the major themes of the novel come from his relationship with Jim, whose qualities such as humanity,love, and goodness force Huck into action in this story as one of the great characters in American fiction.


- Paul Lee 이풍호 시인