James

James

by

Percival Everett

Pencil

James’s pencil represents his desire for and struggle to regain agency and self-determination as an enslaved person. Young George steals the pencil from his enslaver at Jim’s request, and the man implores him to…

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Books

Books represent the intellectual freedom that cannot be taken away by the institution of slavery. Before the novel begins, Jim has taught himself and other enslaved people to read using the books in Judge Thatcher

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