This is a short encounter at the end of the chapter.
Huck has spent the chapter in the company of Judith Loftus, dressed as a girl so he could scout out information. She finds him out, but lets him go.
But he learns that her husband is going to go to Jackson Island on Judith's hunch that Jim is hiding there.
So Huck heads to the island, rousts Jim, and flees in the raft and canoe.
I roused him out and says:
“Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain’t a minute to lose. They’re after us!”
Is Huck concerned that he will be 'caught' as a runaway?
Noone knows Huck is alive!
Hutchinson points out that when Huck uses the word 'us', he has now 'enlisted in the cause of freedom'. He further observes 'His unpremeditated identification with Jim's flight from slavery is an unforgettable moment in the American experience....'
I think that at this point he is more concerned about the capture of Jim than he is of his own discovery. After all, he hasn't done anything wrong, and can return home at any time. His motivation is he still doesn't want to be civilized.
But this is a key conversion moment in Huck.
No comments:
Post a Comment