Practice Free Response Question 8:

Jim is often considered to be Huckleberry Finn’s “true” father. He is often presented as a father-like figure for Huck to look up to, revere, and respect. Although they do not always get along, there is a bond between then that is reminiscent of a father and son. They both want the same thing and are striving to get there together.

In the beginning of the novel, Jim, a middle aged black slave, is often poked at by Tom and Huck, playing pranks that often hurt Jim’s feelings. Yet we see when Huckleberry needs help and advice, he goes to Jim and his “magic” hairball. This isn’t a perfect example, but Huck did go to him first, which began to build up his trust in Jim.

They next section of the model, Huckleberry runs away and he bumps into Jim who had run away as well. Instead of turning him in, he decides that he was going to let Jim travel with him. Huckleberry almost immediately plays a prank on Jim, trying to convince him that the idea of his getting lost was ridiculous. Throughout this entire time, Jim appears to be heartbroken over the fact, because he thought that Huck was dead, and it was truly upsetting. Then, like a parent, Jim just looks disappointed over the fact that Huck would try to trick him. This just eats Huck up inside, and makes him feel guilty, although Jim never got angry, the power of guilt ate him up. This is very much a parental type reaction, a defense mechanism. Jim cares enough about Huck, and he just wants him to realize that.

As the story continues, you see Jim taking close care of Huck, providing him with shelter, and slowly changing Huck’s view on slavery. Like a parent, he greatly influences Huck’s way of thinking. He starts off not wanting to sell Jim because it was too much work, but later, he doesn’t want to give Jim away because he truly cares for him. It’s a relationship that is bonded together by more than words. For example when Jim and Huck needed to get away fast, they just both know how to work off of each other, and do what they are supposed to, a bond that doesn’t require words. It’s a touching example of Jim’s love to Huck.

Huck is like Jim’s child, but whether he shows more of a motherly or fatherly bond is uncertain. But Jim portrays both well, he watches Huck like a mother hen, but also lets him lead his own life, more like a father.

In my opinion, Jim very much is portrayed as a father figure, and Huck looks to him as a son to his father. It is a touching and sentimental idea, they are both runaways that are brought together to form a bond. Although they are from two different societies (black slave and white) they are both portrayed to be more than what it seems. The story makes you love Jim and truly love what he does for Huck. It is like reading a story about an adventure between a father and son.