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Part 3, Chapter 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in James, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Speech, Performance, and Willful Ignorance
Identity, Narrative, and Agency
Racism, Dehumanization, and Hypocrisy
Innocence vs. Disillusionment
Family, Alliance, and Loyalty
Summary
Analysis
Jim thinks of the rumors he’s heard of an underground railroad. Looking out at the beach, he sees—miraculously—his notebook washed ashore. People see his Black form, unattended by a white person, and assume he is robbing dead bodies. Emmett is on the beach and shouts that Jim is robbing him again. Only when Jim begins to run does he realize Huck is with him. The boy insists they stay together, but Jim disagrees, insisting Huck return to Missouri. Huck takes the fact that Jim can read and write as more proof of his lying nature, but still demands to accompany him north. Knowing that Huck’s apparent whiteness may keep him safer than he’d be on his own, Jim relents.
Emmett’s brief reappearance sees him demanding his notebook, perhaps symbolizing his attempts to appropriate more Black experiences (though he does not know that Jim has written in the book). Huck’s persistent loyalty signifies that, despite his anger at Jim, he cares for his father. Furthermore, Huck now has a deeper understanding of the advantages of passing as a white person and realizes that he—though a child—may be able to use that privilege to protect Jim.
Themes
