James Part One, Chapters 9–12 Summary & Analysis

Summary: Part One, Chapters 9–12

Part One, Chapter 9

Having safely escaped the island, Jim asks Huck about his trip to the mainland and the status of his family. Huck reports that Sadie and Lizzie looked very sad and that many in the community suspect Huck’s father, Pap Finn, or Jim to be Huck’s killer. He was unable to go to Tom for help, so he merely stole some candles and matches from Miss Watson’s kitchen and returned to Jim. As they sail down the river, Huck continues to wonder why his father hates him. Fog soon rolls in, and Jim and Huck struggle to navigate the river. When a riverboat quietly descends upon them, they muster all of their strength to paddle themselves to safety.

Part One, Chapter 10

Jim and Huck continue to sail down the river, and Huck asks Jim why he does not want to travel across the border into Illinois to find freedom. Jim explains that he does not want to leave Huck alone, but internally, he cannot bring himself to be so far away from his family. When night falls, a storm comes up and, seeing a wrecked steamboat in the distance, Huck insists on searching it for supplies. Jim is hesitant, but he reluctantly helps Huck guide their canoe to the shore. Not long after their arrival, Huck emerges from the steamboat urgently declaring that they must flee. A band of robbers is on board, and Huck overheard their conversation about their need to kill a man. Their own canoe, which Huck poorly tied to a tree, is gone, so they steal the robbers’ boat and hear their shouts as they sail away. In the morning, Jim and Huck comb through the loot in the boat. While there is little in the way of food, Jim is thrilled to find a stack of books among the jewels and articles of clothing. Huck, assuming Jim is unable to read, cannot understand why Jim has such an attachment to the books.

Part One, Chapter 11

Huck fondly recalls a story that Tom once told him about a genie in a magic lamp who would grant each person three wishes. When he asks Jim what he would wish for, he expresses doubt that a presumably white genie would grant him any wishes. Huck explains that first he would wish for adventure, and then he would wish for all slaves like Jim to be free. Once Huck falls asleep, Jim convinces himself that it is safe for him to read one of his books. If anyone were to question him, he could simply argue that he is just staring at the letters on the page. He views reading as complete freedom as he joyfully begins to read from the novel he has chosen.

Part One, Chapter 12

That afternoon, Jim and Huck discover their canoe and raft caught on the bank not far down the river, so they decide to leave the robbers’ boat behind. Huck continues peppering Jim with questions after they set sail again, asking Jim what his name would be if he had the power to choose one. Jim explains that sometimes people pick names based on their character traits, and he decides that his name would be James Golightly. They fall asleep, and when a loud passing steamboat wakes Jim up, he discovers that the canoe has disconnected from Huck and the raft. Panicked, he attempts to search in the dark for Huck until he eventually lays eyes on him. Huck plays a joke on Jim once they are reunited, attempting to convince him that their separation was just a dream. Jim goes along with this narrative for a little while, but he eventually gets Huck to admit that he was kidding. Huck then gets very serious and asks Jim if he is stealing him from Miss Watson. Jim attempts to explain to him that the concepts of right and wrong are not defined by state law but rather an internal sensibility. He then vows to make enough money to buy Sadie and Lizzie their freedom.

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