Jim

Jim and Huck FinnJim and Huck in On the Raft, illustration by E.W. Kemble for chapter 12, page 92, of the first U.S. edition of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

Jim, fictional character, an unschooled but honourable runaway slave in Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain. Some critics charge Twain with having created a two-dimensional racist caricature, while others find Jim a complex, compassionate character. The relationship between Jim and Huck forms the crux of the novel, with Jim acting as a surrogate for Huck’s loathsome father.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
Citation Information
Article Title: Jim
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 04 January 2015
Access Date: November 14, 2026