Customer Reviews

The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Huckleberry Finn

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Jocelyn Chadwick-Joshua's slim volume packs a lot of power. As an African-American rhetorician and Twain scholar, she eloquently makes the case for book's continued study. Using the lexicon of classical rhetoric, she carefully examines the role of Jim in Twain's book to show that he is elevated to a place of prominence and importance in conveying Twain's message of humanity. She examines closely Jim's words, his dialogues with Huck, and the language of slavery used by the society in the novel as a way of exposing Twain's methods.

If one carefully reads Twain's masterpiece and then thoughtfully reads Chadwick-Joshua's book, s/he must surely see that _Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ needs to remain an important element in the American landscape of literature. Without Twain's honest look at race in the 19th century, an important part of the American experience would be lost. We need this book, black and white alike. __The Jim Dilemma_ helps us to appreciate Huck and Jim's journey to freedom all the more.

I just read this book. I wish I could tell the author how much I appreciated it.

The author examines Twain's feelings towards black people. Intellectually, he knew slavery and discrimination were wrong. But he struggled with the concept of regarding black people as equal to whites. In life, he became very close to some blacks, especially one man, who worked for him and his family and respected him, and it could be said loved him. As time went on, he became more fair in his beliefs, though not equivalent to how we think today, I would say.