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Part 1, Chapter 22
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
The King and the Duke force Huck and Jim to cook catfish for them while they plan to stop for a drink in the next town. The King remarks that there’s something different about Jim, but he does not elaborate. They reach the next town, which is half in Missouri and half in Illinois. The Duke chides Jim for limping, as an injured or physically disabled slave is harder to sell. The men tell Huck and Jim to sit directly outside the saloon while they have a drink. Huck proposes running, but Jim is too wounded and does not trust that making it to the free side of town will actually deliver him to freedom.
The King’s scrutiny suggests he can sense Jim’s intelligence, despite his performed ignorance. That the Duke criticizes Jim for limping when he is the one who wounded him is bitterly ironic. Jim’s suffering leaves him even more dejected and hopeless than before, evidenced by his lack of trust in the supposedly “free” side of town.
Themes
Huck wonders what will happen if Jim is sold and cannot escape. Jim replies that his life will not be that different, except he will belong to someone else. They discuss finding a shortcut to the river and ask a man who comes out of the saloon for directions. He is too drunk to be of any help. Jim declares that, if they do run, it should be back the way they came, toward the raft. Huck has no running left in him. Jim knows he can always run, but that escape is another matter. He tries to keep in mind his goal of freeing Lizzie and Sadie.
Despite Jim’s running away, he once again finds himself a captive. The bitter truth is that, for all his effort, he has not managed to change very much about his situation, as his identity and story are still bound by slavery. Reflecting that he can always run if it is necessary shows how much of Jim’s existence is ruled by the need to survive, and how elusive true escape is. Without the hope of reuniting with his family, Jim feels he might give up on freedom entirely.
Themes
