Jims True Colors Essay

Submitted By cameronjones66
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Cameron Jones
Ms. Lindberg
English II CP
14 Feb. 2013 Prompt 4: Jim’s True Colors Throughout many works of literature we notice that at least one character is misunderstood. While I read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one character that stood out to me was Jim. Jim was a runaway slave that was overlooked just as any other black person at the time. He runs away and ends up with Huck, a runaway white boy. Huck gets to know Jim and changes his original stereotypical opinion. The characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn looked at Jim as just another slave, who had no personality, and was not to be treated as a human. As a reader, you realize the amount of segregation that was present in America and the personality that Jim has is equal to or better than any other white character in the book. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is set in late 1830’s – early 1840’s. During this time period America was facing an increasing problem on skin color. If they were black, they were given no normal rights and were not treated as humans. However, there was much more to their personality that “white folks” didn’t realize. I believe this made Jim’s character stronger because he accepted the fact that he was completely overlooked in America and he wasn’t cared about. Huck is referring to Jim when he tells the reader, "I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n." This adds to the novel to prove that Jim had a soul, and had just as many feelings as any other American during this time. Jim is smart enough to realize that there were very few white people that would take the time to form their own opinion of him, instead of listening to stereotypes. This helps me, as a reader; realize just how much segregation lived throughout America during this time period. Today skin color still presents issues here and there, however it is nowhere near the intensity that it was during the 1830’s and 1840’s. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is an example of the common lifestyle that was in America at this time. When we see another person today, we realize their eyes or hair color, however during the 1830’s and 1840’s skin color was the first characteristic to judge about a person. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is just one of many that have a difficulty with skin color. Huck announces after he learns about Jim’s real character that “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up 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 a knowed it would make him feel that way.” This quote really adds to the novel because it shows that Huck took time to get to know Jim and find out just what he is like, and he realized that he is just like any other human. If only America looked past the exterior color and saw what true colors people had on the inside,
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