Dialectic Journal, Huck Finn Ch. 9-16

Dialectical Journals: Huck Finn

Quote 1:

"'En all you wuz thinkin' 'bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie. Dat truck dah is trash; en trash is what people is dat puts dirt on de head er dey fren's en makes 'em ashamed.' Then he got up slow and walked to the wigwam, and went in there without saying anything but that. But that was enough. It made me feel so mean I could almost kissed his foot to get him to take it back. It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a ; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterward, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd 'a' knowed it would make him feel that way " (83-84).

Analysis:

Huck plays this trick on Jim, but doesn't realize it would hurt him so much. Jim is very hurt, and goes inside the wigwam. Huck has to bring up courage to apologize to Jim because he is a . This is sort of ironic because Jim was just talking about kissing Huck's feet because he was glad he was back, but then Huck feels so bad for hurting Jim, that he could kiss Jim's feet, even if he was a . Huck seems to have a moment which will help him along on the path of equality between whites and blacks as well.

Quote 2:

"'Jim, this is nice,' I says. 'I wouldn't want to be nowhere else but here. Pass me along another hunk of fish and some hot corn-bread.'

'Well, you wouldn't 'a' ben here 'f it hadn't 'a' ben for Jim. You'd 'a' ben down dah in de woods widout any dinner, en gittn' mos' drownded, too; dat you would, honey.'"

Analysis:

This part is actually ironic, because Jim is a , and Huck is white, and Jim has helped Huck a lot, possibly to the extent of saving his life. This is ironic because normally, a white person wouldn't take the help of a .

Quote 3:

"I waked him up, and I reckoned it was going to be a grand surprise to him to see me again, but it warn't. He nearly cried he was so glad, but he warn't surprised" (108).