1. James, by Percival Everett, is contemporary a remake of Huckleberry Finn, where Jim would rather be called "James" instead of "n- Jim", and it follows Twain's plot only up to a point. Most relevantly, James is bought by Daniel Decatur Emmett, a historical figure who had a minstrel show. Emmett claims to be James' employer but he reflects that:
Slaves didn’t have the luxury of anger toward a white man, but I had felt anger. The anger was a good bad feeling. (...) He bought me, yes, but reportedly not to own me, though he expected something from me—my voice, he claimed. I wondered what he would do if I tried to leave. In my head I could hear him shouting, “But I paid two hundred dollars for you.” A man who refused to own slaves but was not opposed to others owning slaves was still a slaver, to my thinking. (p. 155, chap. 30)
How can this reflection be a commentary on the complicated plan of Jim's "release" from chapters 35 to 40.
2. Comment on the following disclosure dialogue of chapter 42, p. 328-329
3. Do you think there is any symbolism in Tom Sawyer using his wound bullet in a watch, and checking it regularly, as portrayed also in the picture of p. 333, chapter 43?
8 comments:
2. The following disclosure dialogue reveals that Jim, throughout all of Huck’s adventures and attempts on setting him free, was already a free slave. Huck’s guilty consciousness and, most importantly, Jim’s struggles were all in vain. This revelation makes the ending of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn troubling and ambiguous. After learning about this revelation, the reader sees the book in a new, much more sombre and depressing, light.
Tom’s comment on why he didn’t reveal that Jim was free until now is very telling. He doesn’t show remorse and even argues that he wanted “the adventures of it”. This comment shows that for Tom, Jim’s freedom is a mere game. The word “adventures” is light-hearted and positive, a stark contrast to what Jim had to face when he believed he was still enslaved and fighting for his freedom.
The term “adventures” also connects to the title of the novel. The reader suddenly realizes that all of the “adventures” described in the book were completely futile and also served to entertain the two white boys, but also the reader. The entire novel describes unnecessary obstacles and hurdles in Jim’s escape to freedom.
Matilde Ribeiro 161233
This passage from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is important because it shows the characters’ personalities and some big ideas about freedom and morality. Tom’s dramatic speech, "Turn him loose! He ain’t no slave; he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth!" shows how he loves making things exciting and adventurous, even when the situation is serious.
The irony is present when Aunt Sally points out that Jim was already freed in Miss Watson’s will. This makes all of Tom’s risky plans to "save" Jim unnecessary. When Tom admits he only wanted to do it "for the adventure," it shows how thoughtless he can be. He treats something as serious as someone’s freedom like a game, while Huck has grown to care deeply about what’s right and wrong.
This part is both funny and serious. It shows how Tom’s privilege lets him treat Jim’s freedom as just a fun project, while Jim’s life and dignity are on the line. Twain uses this moment to make readers think about how people often take real struggles lightly when they don’t directly affect them. Overall, the scene highlights the difference between Tom’s childishness and Huck’s growing sense of morality, while also making a deeper point about freedom and justice.
Cristiano Araújo 164943
(answer to number 2)
3. Carolina Amaro
I believe that the image of Tom Sawyer keeping the bullet in a watch and checking it often is truly symbolic. He is a character with a romantic perspective of adventure and heroism, for him the bullet might work as a trophy, showing his love for drama and storytelling, rather than reflecting on the serious consequences of his actions, for example the danger he put himself and Jim into. Tom focuses on glorifying himself highlighting his immaturity and his obsession with adventures inspired by books.
1- In my opinion, this reflection relates easily to the complicated escape plan invented by Tom and Huck in the last chapters of the novel. Even though Tom and Huck wanted to free Jim, they ended up creating another prison for him: the complicated, unnecessary and prolonged troubles that they made him go through before liberating him, which were, in themselves, a type of torture. They had the good intention of making him a free man but, in order to accomplish that, they decided to create their own adventure tale, and therefore extended unnecessarily his captivity. This relates to the excerpt “a man who refused to own slaves but was not opposed to others owning slaves was still a slaver”, since they ended up becoming Jim’s slavers, by making him wait longer to be free, and by forcing him to do so many pointless things. This part of the excerpt points out the hypocrisy of people who refuse to own slaves, but who see no problem in others owning them, but I believe that it can also relate to the hypocrisy and ridicule of the last chapters of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Because it is, indeed, ironic that the so-called saviors became the jailors. Even though they “reportedly” didn’t want to own Jim, they “expected something from” him (for him to go through all those elaborate tasks), just like it is stated in the excerpt.
Ana Rita Franco
1. In this excerpt of James by Percival Everett, the reflection on Emmett’s ambiguous relationship with slavery resonates with the tension in Huckleberry Finn between Jim’s desire for freedom and the complex power dynamics at play during his "release." In Chapters 35-40 of Twain's novel, Huck’s attempt to free Jim is undercut by social and legal constraints. Emmett's perspective on being a "slaver" despite not owning slaves directly critiques the illusion of emancipation and the moral and legal entanglements that stop true freedom, similar to the situation Huck and Jim face.
3)
I do believe there is deep symbolism behind Tom wearing “his bullet around his neck on a watch-guard for a watch,” which only corroborates the reader’s conception of Tom.
Tom’s attachment to the bullet and his constantly “seeing what time it is” is a symbol of pride, since he got shot and lived to tell the tale. However, turning the bullet into a trophy only tells the reader what he already knows about Tom: he cannot see the fine line between fun and foolishness. After all, Tom only gets shot because his childish play to free Jim takes too long, as he disregards or is oblivious to the gravity of the situation. After being shot, one would expect Tom to alter his behavior, as being negatively affected by one’s own foolishness normally instills some regret, maturity, and conscience. Still, what he does with the bullet proves no development in his character; he was shot and remained the exact same, treating everything without seriousness and like a fictional book, a game. What further exemplifies this is that, immediately after this “disventure” (desventura) that gravely injured him, Tom wants to “get an outfit and go for howling adventures amongst the Injuns (…) for a couple of weeks or too,” proving the lesson was not learned.
After consideration, the reader comprehends that the true symbolism behind proudly celebrating the bullet, the battle scar, is that Tom will forever be the same irrational and flamboyant showman who lives for the thrill and cares for nothing else.
Matias Castiel
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