Love

Chapter 2

Tom and Huck are sneeking off during the night, and Jim hears them. He comes close, determined to listen further, but eventually falls asleep. Tom wants to tie Jim up as a trick. Huck says no. Huck says that it's because Jim might wake up. But the reader is given a second option- Huck is not really up to playing tricks like Tom.
This will change later as Huck tricks Jim on the river into thinking Huck is dead.
But here is an early glimpse at Hucks conscience.

Chapter 8:

Jim's first real encounter with Huck on Jackson island. Huck finds him near his fire, and greets him: "Hello Jim!".
Huck says he was glad to see him.

Jim, thinking the dead Huck is a ghost, is frightened, but then begins his first revelation of who he is:

" I hain't ever done no harm to a ghos'. I awluz liked dead people, en done all I could for 'em. "

"...en doan' do nuffin to Ole Jim, 'at 'uz awluz yo' fren'."

So here is the basis for the beginning of the friendship, and for the master to teach the student. First of all, Jim tells Huck, and the reader, that he likes dead people and does all he can for them.
What does that mean? Is that just superstition? How can we read further into this seemingly throwaway statement?
At it's most basic, Jim is offering that he is respectful of the dead, perhaps prays for them, or performs some sort of ritual to honor them. We don't know. But at it's most simple I think it means that he shows he is capable of love towards the departed souls.

And then, further, Jim says that he has always been Huck's friend. We don't have evidence of that (unless I don't recall from Tom Sawyer). We do know that Huck was reluctant to trick Jim in chapter 2. So there must have been previous encounters.
What has Jim already seen in Huck to reveal that Huck has always been his friend? It would have been acceptable for Jim to have just said "Huck I AM your friend".

Further, Huck reflects that he was glad to see Jim and he wasn't afraid that Jim would rat him out. And that he was no longer lonesome.
So at this first encounter we see trust, friendship, and what appears to be a human to human encounter.

Then in a conversation about preparing a meal, Huck appears to be genuinely concerned that Jim has had nothing to eat but strawberries for the last 3-5 days.
After a meal of catfish and bacon and meal and coffee, they 'laid off and lazied'; so it is apparent that Huck is comfortable just hanging out with Jim.


As Jim recounts his escape, another sentiment about Huck: "I 'us powerful sorry you 's killed Huck, but I ain't no mo' , now."