James

James

by

Percival Everett

Easter is an enslaved blacksmith. Huck and Jim meet him when they're under the control of the King and the Duke, who convince Easter to shackle Jim while they leave for the night. Sympathetic to Jim's plight, Easter unshackles him when the King and the Duke leave, and they spend the night commiserating with one another. At one point, Easter implies that he can tell Huck isn't fully white, but Jim gets him to drop the subject. Nonetheless, Huck is disarmed by hearing Easter and Jim drop their "slave talk." When the King and the Duke eventually return to find Jim unshackled, they whip Easter, which enrages Easter's enslaver, Mr. Wiley, who says Jim must work for him until Easter recovers. As a result, the King and the Duke leave Jim behind, separating him from Huck.

Easter Quotes in James

The James quotes below are all either spoken by Easter or refer to Easter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 24 Quotes

“Why is that, Jim? I thought we was friends. I thought you trusted me.”

“I does trust you, Huck. Cain’t you see dat? I trusts you wif my life.”

[…]

“I understand why you talk the way you do.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean it makes sense.”

I studied his face. He was talking with his eyes closed, as much fighting sleep as losing to it. There was a lot of this in that face. “You be a smart boy, Huck.”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Huck (speaker), Easter
Page Number: 144
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Chapter 26 Quotes

“White folks watch us work and forget how long we’re left alone in our heads. Working and waiting.”

I smiled. “If only they knew the danger in that.”

“I don’t believe they even know we talk to each other,” Easter said.

“They can’t accept it. They won’t accept it. And they’re always surprised.”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Easter (speaker), Young George, Mr. Wiley
Related Symbols: Pencil
Page Number: 151
Explanation and Analysis:
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Easter Quotes in James

The James quotes below are all either spoken by Easter or refer to Easter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance Theme Icon
).
Part 1, Chapter 24 Quotes

“Why is that, Jim? I thought we was friends. I thought you trusted me.”

“I does trust you, Huck. Cain’t you see dat? I trusts you wif my life.”

[…]

“I understand why you talk the way you do.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean it makes sense.”

I studied his face. He was talking with his eyes closed, as much fighting sleep as losing to it. There was a lot of this in that face. “You be a smart boy, Huck.”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Huck (speaker), Easter
Page Number: 144
Explanation and Analysis:
Part 1, Chapter 26 Quotes

“White folks watch us work and forget how long we’re left alone in our heads. Working and waiting.”

I smiled. “If only they knew the danger in that.”

“I don’t believe they even know we talk to each other,” Easter said.

“They can’t accept it. They won’t accept it. And they’re always surprised.”

Related Characters: James (Jim) (speaker), Easter (speaker), Young George, Mr. Wiley
Related Symbols: Pencil
Page Number: 151
Explanation and Analysis: