Jim and Stereotypes
Chadwick Hansen discerned in the character of Jim a blend of several cultural types--by turns a laughable minstrel figure, a protective mammy figure, a sentimentalist, and a universal image of human dignity and reason. Jim certainly contains these and other contradictions--he is both wise and superstitious, heroic and cowardly, tolerant and bullheaded, prophetic and confused. Much of the recent commentary on Huck Finn has focused on the contradictory character of Jim. Some critics have complained that Jim is at heart a stereotypical character, typical of racist white portrayals of African Americans, particularly as he appears in the last few chapters of the novel. On the other hand, others like African American scholar Maghan Keita, suggest a different way to look at Jim:
I ask people to do a juxtaposition when confronting Jim. Take for a moment the notion that Huck is not the central character, but Jim is. How does this change the notion of what this book is about? How is it that he—a slave and a ‘nigger’—represents all the best qualities in the book, and how does he humanize Huck? How can Huck rise to heroic proportions without Jim? Jim teaches Huck to be a hero. Was Jim a Hero? Listen to this short broadcast from National Public Radio (NPR) that introduces the controversy that has surrounded Jim. In the broadcast, reporter Farai Chideya interviews Stanford professor Shelley Fisher Fishkin, a leading Twain scholar who has written persuasively of African American influences on Huckleberry Finn. Fishkin introduces the same argument as Keita above, that Jim is really the central figure in the book. Do you think Keita and Fishkin’s argument makes sense? Is Jim a well rounded character, or is he too tied up in stereotypes to be redeemed? Stereotypes in Huckleberry Finn Many critics of the novel point out how closely Jim’s behavior and speech fits the offensive stereotypes of African-Americans that were common among white Americans in Twain’s day. Twain himself was known to be fond of the popular “blackface minstrel” shows of the time. These shows featured white performers who wore black makeup and acted out broad comedy, song and dance routines that present a lurid white version of African American culture. The following two websites will give you a chance to consider the ways Twain incorporates these kinds of stereotypes into his novel, and the effects this tradition has had on the ways Jim has been viewed by readers over the years. In “Blackface Minstrelsy,” University of Virginia professor Stephen Railton introduces the history of these minstrel shows, and discusses their influence on Twain’s work. Read through this introduction, and be sure to read the two comedy routines featuring the character “Mr. Bones.” In these dialogues, “Mr. Interlocutor” acts as the straight man and interviewer. The following clip from 1951, starring the white entertainer Cotton Watts, shows how the "Mr. Bones" routine still had a popular following. The Blackface Minstrelsy page invites you to compare clearly racist material like this to two scenes from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: from chapter 8, “Jim's Investment,” and from Chapter 14, “King Sollermun.” How similar do you find the “Bones” dialogues are to the scenes between Huck and Jim? Does this affect the way you view Jim as a character?
A good source of information about how Jim has been viewed over the years is the various illustrations that have come out with the novel. In “Representing Jim,” Professor Railton has gathered examples from a hundred years of illustrations for Huckleberry Finn. As you can see by clicking on the images, the depictions of Jim range from highly stereotypical to dignified and realistic. As you look at the different illustrations, consider the effect these depictions would be likely to have on a reader’s understanding of this character. Which of the illustrators best represent Jim as you pictured him in your own reading? Think For Yourself Critics continue to disagree about Jim. Stereotypes clearly played a part in his creation, but some readers argue that he rises above these conventions, or even reverses them entirely. Others suggest that he is fundamentally flawed, and that his contradictions as a character cannot be so easily resolved or argued away. What do you think? Look at the different depictions of Jim in the novel, as well as the other material we present here, and consider your own response to the character. Jim’s scenes take place in the following chapters:
Particular passages that tend to attract critical attention include:
Which scenes do you find are the most important in forming your own opinion of Jim? be ready to discuss your ideas in class and in writing. |