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Part 1, Chapter 4
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 camp out in a cave on the island, living on catfish and berries. Huck ponders why his father hates him, remarking that Pap hates the way his hairline has a widow’s peak. He notes that Jim has one too. The two of them discuss superstitions, but Jim is only performing interest, worried about Sadie and Lizzie. He tells Huck it will rain tomorrow—he can tell because of the hawks’ and the ants’ behavior. Jim says all parts of nature talk to one another, but humans have forgotten how to listen. Huck falls asleep.
Huck’s preoccupation with Pap Finn’s hatred of him shows that—though largely naïve—he has experienced his share of suffering. The mention of Huck and Jim’s shared widow’s peak hints at some information the novel has yet to reveal. In addition to his speech, Jim is used to performing interest in white conversation—in this respect, Huck is like any other white person who forgets that Jim has worries of his own.
Themes
A torrential storm hits, and the island begins to flood. An entire house comes floating down the river and gets stuck against some trees. Huck and Jim climb through a window, seeking provisions. Inside, Jim finds a dead white man. He stops Huck from seeing the corpse, slipping again into his normal speech. While Huck isn’t looking, Jim steals some paper and ink from a shelf. He disregards Huck’s questions about why he “sounded so funny,” and the two watch as the house tears away from the trees and floats off down the river. Jim claims he did not recognize the dead man.
The dead white man’s presence immediately provokes fear in Jim, suggesting it is typical to blame white death on Black people. The way he shields Huck from seeing the body draws attention to the boy’s youth and Jim’s desire to preserve his innocence. Jim’s performed disguise is beginning to slip in front of Huck, indicating his heightened stress levels are making the ruse unsustainable.
Themes
Back in the cave, Jim and Huck chew some bacon that Huck found in the house. Huck wonders who the dead man was, but Jim tells him not to dwell on it. Looking at the young boy, Jim thinks of Lizzie and hates the idea of her being afraid. Reflecting on the irony of their situation, Jim points out that white people will assume he murdered Huck, despite his lack of motive. Huck does not like white people, despite being one. Suddenly, a rattlesnake bites Jim’s hand. He sucks out the poison and binds the wound, not sure if he will survive the night.
Jim’s insistence that Huck forget about the dead man suggests he is concealing something from the boy. His preoccupation with thoughts of Lizzie humanize Jim, reminding the reader of the high stakes of his running away. That Jim has to explain to Huck that he will be blamed for the boy’s disappearance highlights Huck’s lack of worldly experience. Despite this naivety, Huck wrestles with his identity as a white person and his disapproval for white actions.
Themes
