Huck Finn Jim's Influence

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Jim’s influence A parent has the most influence on a child’s perception of the world, and especially of other groups of people. When a child, like Huck, has a corrupted worldview, especially one based around racism, only a parental figure can evolve his perceptions, a purpose of which Jim fulfils as a proxy. He breaks down barriers buried deeply into Huck’s subconscious as Bollinger argues, “ Both moral languages have their claim over him, but his closer relationship with Jim becomes the deciding factor,” (Bollinger). Bollinger implies Jim represents the sole reason of Huck’s rejection of racist ideals. As the racism embedded in Huck tell him one thing, Jim’s influence, his guidance through example, conquers the deeply held beliefs of Huck. Not only does Jim break down barriers in Huck’s beliefs, he also stirs actions in Huck, actions which Huck once thought of as the gravest of sins, “I would go to work and steal Jim out of …show more content…
Huck’s actions entail a complete rejection of Southern culture, of racism and hate. And the breakdown of racism in Huck’s psyche does not result from eloquent words by Jim, from a speech rivalling Martin Luther King. Jim conquers racism in the mind of young Huck. Jim inspires Huck to spurn bigotry just through example. By serving as an illustration of African Americans, by demonstrating the group as equals, as people, Jim acts as the parental influence America needs to remove the hatred in its heart. Huck, and American culture as a whole, needs to know a black man, needs to understand the man’s humanity, in order to change its views on race, so Twain provides it one. By acting as the definition of a role model, Jim shatters racism in the mind of a young boy and of a country. As Jim educates Huck on a black man’s humanity through example, Twain does the same for America. In order to demonstrate the racism entrenched in a country’s culture, Twain likens America to an ignorant child, and treats
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