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Throughout the novel, Jim undergoes a significant transformation that allows him to reclaim the individual identity that slavery stole from him. He learns to find his voice, embrace his emotions, and write his own story. The sense of agency that Jim develops throughout his journey stands in stark contrast to Twain’s original version of the character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain’s Jim is powerless to control his fate, relying purely on the actions of others in order to secure his freedom. By examining Jim’s point of view and reshaping his story, Everett is able to offer a more nuanced look at the injustices of slavery. The aim of the narrative becomes less about questioning the morality of slavery, as it is when told from Huck’s perspective, than it is about how to challenge its dehumanizing effects. Jim’s love of reading works to further elevate this point by allowing him to directly confront the biases of the famous thinkers and literary characters that come to him in his dreams. 

While Jim’s character steadily develops throughout the course of the entire novel, a few key moments stand out as being particularly formative. He first appears as a gentle and obedient man, playing along with Huck and Tom’s games and dutifully following Miss Watson’s instructions. Jim is also very conscious of maintaining his slave persona around white people. This reliance on code-switching, or speaking in different ways depending on the context, emphasizes the idea that he has not embraced his true identity. Although his escape from Miss Watson’s is initially about saving his family, Jim’s journey comes to have a profound impact on how he understands himself. This shift begins when he acquires a pencil with the help of Young George. The pencil is a symbol of power, and for the first time in his life, Jim can write his own story. He begins to do so literally as he makes consequential choices, such as when he steals and runs from Emmett, helps Sammy flee Henderson, and saves Huck from drowning in the river. Jim finally allows himself to feel, and he lets those emotions guide him rather than adhering to social expectations of who he should be. This change inspires him to reveal his true self to Huck, his son, and to seek justice by killing Hopkins. In the end, Jim emerges as a fully-realized individual. His declaration that his name is James symbolizes this transformation and leaves the door open for him to continue navigating the world on his own terms.

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