James Part One, Chapters 5–8 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Part One, Chapters 5–8

Part One, Chapter 5

Using a trotline from the river, Jim and Huck manage to subsist off of fish as well as berries that they find on the island. Huck asks Jim why his father hates him so much, and although Jim does not have an answer for him, their conversation shifts to a discussion of superstitions. Jim does his best to stay engaged, but his mind keeps going back to Lizzie and the fear she must be experiencing. The next day, Jim and Huck endure a torrential rainstorm that threatens to flood the island. Surprisingly, the rising waters bring a floating house past them, and with the hope that they might find some food, they head inside. Huck is grabbing a few items out of the kitchen cabinets when Jim discovers a dead body on the floor. The idea of being in a room with a dead white man unnerves Jim, and he refuses to let Huck look at the corpse. They return to their cave on the island and, as Jim attempts to bolster their fire, a rattlesnake bites his hand.

Part One, Chapter 6

The snakebite leaves Jim feeling numb and feverish, and he struggles to maintain a clear frame of mind. In his delirium, he dreams that the French philosopher and writer Voltaire is with him by the fire. Voltaire emphasizes his belief that all humans are inherently equal, yet certain environmental and social conditions cause certain individuals, like those of African descent, from developing to the same extent as whites. This logic frustrates Jim, and he demands to know why his race is subject to slavery. Before Voltaire can answer, he wakes up and finds that Huck is very confused by the words that Jim mumbled in his sleep. Jim sends Huck out to look for any berries that may have survived the storm while he stays behind, worried about what other ideas or words he may let slip during the night.

Part One, Chapter 7

When Jim finally recovers from the snakebite, he explains to Huck that he is desperate to check in on his family. Knowing that he cannot risk going himself, Jim begs Huck to put on a disguise and travel to the slave quarters on his behalf. Huck begrudgingly puts on a dress that he took from the floating house and takes off in the canoe. Once alone, Jim pulls out the paper and ink that he found in the house and begins to write, first the alphabet and then full sentences. He vows to not let slavery define him and hopes to find meaning through his words.

Part One, Chapter 8

While Huck is away, Jim passes the time by collecting wood, fish, and foliage with which he disguises their cave. He considers telling Huck that the corpse in the floating house, the one he claimed not to recognize and refused to let Huck see, was Pap Finn, but decides against it. He becomes increasingly restless as the exhaustion brought on by the snakebite wears off, so when he sees smoke in the distance, he begins to panic. Huck emerges from the trees and tells him that, since some men were following him, he built the fire as a distraction. Together, they gather what they can, wade through the remaining flood waters, and sail away from the island.

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