Huck Finn Blog Post #2

             Huck and Jim have an extraordinary relationship.  Huck, a young boy and Jim, a runaway slave, at first glance, don't appear to have much in common.  From the minute they discover each other in the woods, though, the two find they want the same thing: freedom, and from this, they develop a unique friendship.  Soon, a father-son relationship is shared between the two, Jim being the father and Huck being the son.  This relationship reveals itself in various instances throughout the story.  When Jim and Huck find the raft with the corpse on it, Jim sternley tells Huck, "It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face -- it's too gashly” (Twain 112).  Cleary, Jim has taken on the role of protector towards Huck.  Just like any father, he wants to shield Huck from seeing the grotesque and grim realities life sometimes presents.  This, I would imagine, is the first older male that truly cares about and strives to keep Huck safe. 

           Love is aonther very evident component in the paternal relationship between Jim and Huck.   In chapter fifteen, the two are travelling by river in the dark of an extremely foggy night.  Huck has the canoe, and is behind Him, who is occupying the raft.  The fog is so thick Huck and Jim cannot see one bit; they keep in touch by "whooping"- but then loose each other.  After a while, Huck spots the raft in a distance and paddles over to it.  When Jim wakes and sees Huck, he exclaims, "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!" (Twain 112).  Jim is obviously ecstatic to see him- this quote exemplifies just how much he treasures Huck.  His sheer joy and relief in finding Huck alive and well is akin to the feelings a father would have.  The love Jim and Huck share is obvious in many cases, this being one of the most telling.