Huckleberry Finn Race and Developing conscience 8 16

Huckleberry Finn: Race and Developing conscience 8 -16 31 October 2021 Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Images by Kemble. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Stereotypes of race Even in non-slave states, black people were regarded with disdain Typical traits: Drunkenness, Superstition, Laziness, comic Stage portrayal of the comic/happy negro being duped and unaware of his fate are common. Twain gives Jim equality of a sort, though the stereotypes are not far from sight at any time. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Superstition in Chapter 8 & 10 1: The bread: local practice that quicksilvered bread will find a corpse. Huck believes it – it finds him. 2: Jim believes Huck to be a ghost 3: Jim believes Huck to produce the utensils through witch craft 4: Jim says the birds presage rain – comes true 5: Jim says it is bad luck to catch a bird, leading to death 6: Jim ‘you mustn’t count the things you are going to eat for dinner’ 7: Jim Bees must be told of owners death to avoid death of the swarm 8: Jim ‘Hairy arms and hairy breas’’ is a sign of wealth – disproved by Huck 9: Jim touching a snake brings bad luck 10: Huck a snake will return to its dead mate. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Comic Jim’s ‘investment’(8): A comic tale which hints at ignorance and greed but also shows a recognition of charity. Jim can point fun at Balum as ‘one of dey chuckle heads’ The snake in 10 is intended as a prank – important because Huck feels first stirrings of guilt and respect for Jim as a result. The cross-dressing interlude which serves the purpose of warning the pair The Solomon discussion History and French lessons in 14. Serve to prepare for the Dauphin in 2 nd section. Humour at Jim’s inability to grasp the idea of French – and in the version of a Socratic teaching dialogue. Note that Huck’s knowledge is far from perfect. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Comic with purpose: The fog (15). Huck returns to the raft after storm and plays a prank – pretends that he never left the raft and that Jim has been in a drunken stupor. Jim goes as far as to interpret his ‘dream’ before Huck shows him the detritus of the storm and convinces him that it was all a trick. Jim’s hurt is deep and evident to Huck: ‘my heart was mos’ broke bekase you wuz lost… I could a got down on my knees and kiss’ yo’ foot… An all you wuz ‘thinkin ‘bout wuz you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie…’ Huck’s conscience awakes: It was 15 minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself before a nigger – but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither’ Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Relationship Jim saves Huck from ‘lonesomeness’ Increasingly self reliant as a pair. Jim is clearly affectionate towards Huck In 14 Huck acknowledges that the relationship is not master/servant: ‘He was almost always right. He had an uncommon level head for a nigger. ’ NB Huck’s taught prejudice is clear here and throughout the early part of the book. This will be the catalyst for his moral anxiety from 15 onwards. In 15 Huck apologises and ‘humbles himself’ – a huge statement for the times. Compare this to Pap’s attitude. Or to the idea the Miss Watson has been talking to a slave trader, from ch 8 Ch 16 is the crucial point in the development of Huck’s awareness of right and wrong. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Chapter 16 Huck’s dilemma: Jim wishes to buy the freedom of his family. Huck is reminded that Jim is ‘rightful property’ and determines to paddle ashore and inform on him. His conscience does not let him and he invents the story of the small pox as the pair sail past Cairo represents freedom for Jim and anxiety for Huck who must betray his friend Huck’s response Pro slavery Pro Jim He was mos’ free-and who was to BLAME for it? Me. I tried to, but the words wouldn’t come What had poor miss Watson done to you that you But I warn’t man enough (still feeling his could see her nigger go right off under your eyes conscience as a denial of manhood) and never say a word? Give a nigger an Jonathan Peelinch JLS 2018 an’ he’ll take an ell

Nature vs Nurture Huck fails in his duty as a white boy to hand Jim in. He describes the event with a careful irony – the verbs of failure describe what is possibly his greatest success – resisting the immoral attitudes of the time. He is horrified by Jim’s excitement: ‘it most froze me to hear such talk’ (of freedom) I was sorry to hear Jim say that (of freeing his children), it was such a lowering of him’ He debates his feelings after the failed hand over: ‘s’pose y’d a done right and give Jim up, would you felt better than what you do now? . . . I was stuck’ His conscience overcomes the inbred racism of society – he is truly removed from society now… becoming truly civilised. In the South, below Cairo, even nature is segregated – ‘here was clear Ohio water in shore… outside the Old regular Muddy. ’ Jonathan Peel JLS 2018

Moving on to disaster Having missed Cairo, the pair are now in danger. Both are criminals in a world hostile to blacks and all who help them. This is the world of Southern Manners, Chivalry and hypocrisy about which Twain is merciless in the next 16 chapters. After a digression to a raft-party on the river, the raft is lost – destroyed by a paddle steamer – as the new harsh world of the South metaphorically smashes the homeliness old-time world of the raft. The pair are separated. Twain stopped writing at this point. New narrative will take up his theme of savage social criticism, and move away from the pastoral idyll of raft going comradeship. Jonathan Peel JLS 2018