Huck Finn #2
October 25th, 2006
How are the relationships with adults which Huck has before the journey based on manipulation? How does his relationship with Jim differ once they are on the river? (Compare Huck and Pap and Huck and Jim).
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Huck’s relationships with his elders such as Pap and the Widow Douglas are very respectful and revering. He knows that they are more educated and his innocence doesn’t help the fact that they can make him do what they want because of their role of authority. Jim, being black, is placed under Huck; hence, Huck doesn’t have to do what Jim says, but still respects him to a certain degree.
Huck’s relationship with adults is all based of manipulation. Adults such as pap try to steal his money from him as well as others just as the familes who try to use him.
With Jim, once they are on the river, Huck is less condesending toward Jim and they act as more offriends than a dominate relationship where Huck acts as better.
I think that Huck shows a certain respect for his elders such as Pap the Judge. He does this because like any child knows that the elders have a certain amount of experience and the elders actually can help child. A child feels that since they are older, they are obligated to show a certain respect to them. However, when Huck is with Jim, he does not feel obligated to show respect to Jim. Not only because he is a “slave” but because it is his “buddy”. When people talk to their buddies they tend not to pay attention to how they talk to them. They really do not care what they say to them.