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Part 1, Chapter 20
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in James, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance
Identity, Narrative, and Agency
Racism, Dehumanization, and Hypocrisy
Innocence vs. Disillusionment
Family, Alliance, and Loyalty
Summary
Analysis
Jim and Huck run from the revival tent together, with the King and the Duke close behind. On a storefront in town, they see a wanted poster for a runaway who looks just like Jim. Jim pulls Huck along, but he sees the King and the Duke stop at the poster too. Huck is afraid the con men will try to turn Jim in for the reward money of 300 dollars. Still, the boy worries about what the townsfolk will do to the King and the Duke if they are captured. Jim remembers the route to their raft and unties it just in time to cast off, leaving the King and the Duke on the riverbank.
It is worth noting that Jim is not certain the wanted poster is for him, but he knows that it could still potentially lead to his murder. Huck’s ability to feel compassion for the two con men, despite their treachery, speaks to his innocence. Still, even he seems to recognize that the men are likely to prioritize money over Jim’s life.
Themes
Huck wonders if they ought to save the King and the Duke. Jim is astounded by his innocence and gently reminds Huck that the men will not only turn him in but were also lying to steal people’s money. Huck and Jim discuss how people sometimes accept lies over truths that scare them. Huck feels he does this, intentionally forgetting that Jim misses his family and feels things just like he does. Later, Jim talks about knowing Huck’s mother. She was a kind woman, but Jim is reluctant to call her pretty. Huck asks if Jim was friends with his mother, but Jim distracts him by pointing out a steamboat that has caught fire.
Huck’s trusting nature, Jim knows, will get them into more trouble—here, cynicism and distrust are qualities that help Jim survive. His assertion that sometimes lies are more palatable than the truth explains his own performed identity: white people are more comfortable believing the lie of his ignorance than they are with the truth of his intelligence. That Huck self-reflects and admits to dehumanizing Jim indicates a surprising willingness to acknowledge his mistakes and change. The way Jim avoids Huck’s questions about his mother suggest he is keeping some secret from the boy.
Themes
