Ewen Wang
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain targets Southern selfishness and ignorance by ironically imposing cruel treatments on Jim’s humane character, consistent with his goal to satirize racism.
Twain embeds his criticism of racism in Jim’s logical character and cruel fate to avoid denunciation himself. Early in the novel, Huck and Jim debate about whether the French talk the same way. Huck does not think so, but Jim convinces him otherwise by contrasting a cow with a cat, and comparing a Frenchman with a man. He says “Dad blame it, why doan’ he talk like a man?” (Twain 60). This seemingly silly debate serves as an outlet for Twain’s message that people of all heritages should be equal. Through Jim’s simple logic, Twain demonstrates the unreasonable nature of slavery and attacks the belief that blacks are not humans. Jim’s frustration, conveyed through “Dad blame it,” shows his weariness of being a slave and that with minimal logic, the foolishness of racism is exposed. After the dauphin sells Jim, Huck meets a boy who thinks the reward for capturing Jim is “like picking money off the street” (159). The boy’s fascination of exploiting Jim’s freedom for his own welfare reveals that Southern greed is even inherited by children. According to Jane Smiley, “Twain really saw Jim as no more than Huck’s sidekick” (357). However, her argument is misleading since “given the subtlety of Mark Twain's approach, it is not surprising that most of his contemporaries misunderstood or simply ignored the novel’s demystification of race” (Smith 374). Smiley overlooks Jim’s importance and assumes that the “true subject of the work” is “Huck’s affection and responsibility to Jim” (356). In reality, Twain avoids criticism while targets racism by carefully embedding his attacks in Jim’s logical character and the treatment he receives.
Twain preserves Jim’s humane characterisation and cruel treatment in the ending chapters as he continues to criticize Southern ignorance and selfishness. During his captivity, Jim condemns Tom’s plans. However, “white folks… [know] better than him” and force him to obey (188). Jim is aware of Tom’s foolishness, but white decisions overpower him by convention, even if he is mentally superior. To enhance his adventure, Tom offers Jim spiders, which Jim denies with “bless you, honey”. Tom calls Jim foolish and says that “there’s more glory to be gained” by owning rattlesnake than by simply escaping (197). Ironically, Tom is the one playing an immature and risky game. Regardless of Jim’s sincerity and superior intellect, Tom belittles Jim with his cruel and selfish ideas. Hence, Twain portrays that slaves are regarded as props that enhance the ignorant game that is slavery, which lingers on the selfishness of the owners. When Jim sees Tom wounded, he suggests to find a doctor while he hides. Huck thinks that Jim is “white inside” (207). By risking his freedom to help Tom, Jim maintains his selfless and logical qualities that are assumed to be of whites. Therefore, Jim is certainly the most genuine human in the novel (Saunders 200), and Twain preserves this with his message throughout the entire story. Ironically, a group of farmers soon captures Jim and decide if he should be hung. Their only objection is that “he ain’t [their] nigger” and his owner would “make [them] pay for him” (214). Clearly the men are concerned about their personal welfare and have no consideration for who Jim is. This disturbing event mocks slave owners’ value of personal property over humanity.
Works Cited

Saunders, George. The Braindead Megaphone: Essays. New York: Riverhead Books, 2007. Print.

Smiley, Jane. “Say It Ain’t So, Huck: Second Thoughts on Mark Twain’s
	‘Masterpiece.’” Harper’s Magazine. Jan. 1996: 61-67. Rpt. in
	Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 3rd ed. Ed. Thomas Cooley. New York:
	Norton, 1999. 354-362. Print.

Smith, David L. “Huck, Jim, and American Racial Discourse.” Leonard, Tenney, and
Davis 105-115. Rpt. in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 3rd ed. Ed. Thomas Cooley. New York: Norton, 1999. 354-362. Print.

Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1885. New York: Dover, 1994. Print.