"So Jim went to work and told me the whole thing right through, just as it happened" (64). Huck's trick on Jim is that after they got separated in a huge fog and had a time finding each other, he told Jim everything he was saying was a dream and that it didn't happen. Jim was confused because Huck went on saying that they never got separated and there never was a fog, they never had to call for each other and that Huck was there all the time. Huck did this mean trick because he thought he was supposed to. All through his life he was showed and taught to play tricks on African Americans, especially from the infamous Tom Sawyer. After He saw how confused Jim was Huck started to feel bad about his mean trick, Jim had no idea what was going on and probably thought he must be crazy, he felt stupid and demeaned.
After Huck saw Jim walk away to his wigwam without saying anything he felt completely awful about what he did. "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself 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 knowed it would make him feel that way" (65).
Later on, Jim starts to talk about how excited he is to be free and all the plans he had once he was. This makes Huck very uncomfortable because he feels as if he's doing something awful by letting Jim run away. Society has pounded into his head since birth that people should own Jim just because of the color of his skin. Huck decides to turn Jim in and conveniently slave hunters show up. But at the last second he tells the men that the other person on his raft is white and gets them away with a cool lie about it being his father with smallpox. Huck obviously really does care about Jim and this is another way we can see their relationship growing.
I think Twain suddenly suffered from writers block after page 72 because of how the chapter ended. Huck and Jim had gotten separated again and I think Twain was letting the book write itself and didn't know what other adventure to bring them on. He purposed this book to make money and probably couldn't think of another problem to get Huck and Jim into.
I agree with you about Huck thinking "he was supposed to." It really is based off of what he has known throughtout his life and it is just common sense for someone in that time to naturally play a trick without realizing how bad it is.
ReplyDeletehuck does not realize the consequences of a trick really.. he has always played practical jokes without realizing the consequences. now he does. and this not only builds his friendship but also his awareness... I agree with what lauren said...
ReplyDeleteI agree for sure! Huck is just a child and growin up with the kids in his neighborhood and just his group of friends and dad, it was never a big deal to play pranks until now.
ReplyDeleteSonja,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I like both how it's grounded in the text, and is focusing on the evolving relationship between Huck and Jim (which seems central to the novel now, and so will necessarily play an important role in your upcoming essay). I also like your observation that Twain seems to be letting the book write itself. I wonder what the reason for this is. Could it be that he didn't really want to write about race, but it just sort of snuck up on him? We'll see.