The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of those books that stays with the reader long after you finish it. It’s adventurous and funny at times, but its biggest accomplishment is that it forces readers to confront the ugliness of racism and slavery in America. What stood out most to me was the relationship between Huck and Jim as they travel down the Mississippi River together. Their dynamic is really the heart of the novel. Huck represents us all and begins with the prejudices he has been taught by society, yet over time he starts to see Jim as a real person rather than just a runaway slave. He questions the white “masters” right to own a person. A person who is no different from everyone else and deserves respect and freedom. To have the dignity inherently owed to every human being. Huck’s gradual change gives the story its emotional weight. Jim is easily my favorite character. He is far more interesting and intelligent than Huck or many of the other characters believe. Throughout the novel, Jim shows compassion, wisdom, and emotional depth. He thinks about his family, he tries to protect Huck, and often acts as the more mature person despite how society dismisses him. He rises above his fear and anxiety and becomes a better person. Twain uses Jim to rip apart the social norms of the time and show how wrong and dehumanizing the attitudes of the time were. Even when other characters underestimate him, Jim repeatedly proves he understands people and situations better than they do. While reading this book I found that the strongest moments came from the quieter, simple interactions between Huck and Jim. Their conversations and growing trust feel genuine. The Mississippi becomes a place where the rules of society briefly fall away and a common bond is created. Huck’s internal struggle over helping Jim escape slavery is frustrating at times, but it also reveals how deeply racism was ingrained into the culture around him. The book can be uncomfortable to read today because of its language and racist stereotypes. Some sections feel harsher and more dated than others, and that tension makes the novel difficult but important to discuss. I feel it’s better that this be so as to write it any other way would be “whitewashing” history. A thing I find in many historically based tv shows and find disrespectful to the struggles people injured in the past. The thing that saved the book for me is that Jim’s humanity ultimately stands out above everything else. He is the character with the most heart, intelligence, and dignity in the story, which is why he remains the most memorable part of the book for me.