In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck, the protagonist, is on a journey down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave, Jim. Huck lived in a small town with his biological father, Pap; a drunk who caused him many problems. Jim proves to be more of a father figure to Huck than his biological father Pap. Jim is portrayed as the "true” father of Huck, because Jim teaches Huck lessons, cares for and protects Huck, and Huck seems to care more for Jim than he does for Pap.
A father teaches his son lessons, Jim teaches Huck many lessons both intentionally and indirectly. In order to do this, Jim scolds at Huck. Jim tells Huck, “... all [Huck] wuz thinkin’ about wuz how [he] could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie. Dat truck dah is trash...” (Twain 86) when Huck lied to Jim, by telling him that everything that happened in chapter XV was a dream, and tried making him look like a fool, 15 minutes later “...[Huck] [went] and [humbled] [himself] to a nigger.. [he] [wasn’t] ever sorry for it afterward...” (Twain 86). Huck, a white boy who was raised to believe that whites are better than black, realizes his mistake and apologizes to Jim. Huck learned his lesson and, “... didn’t do [Jim] no more mean tricks..” (Twain 86). Jim also teaches Huck…show more content… When Jim and Huck went exploring in the two-story flooded house, Jim saw a dead man in the house and did not let Huck go in and see the dead body. Jim told Huck to go inside the house “...but [not to] look at [the deceased] face- it's too gashly” (Twain 50). Jim did not want Huck to see the dead man’s face because it was Pap, Jim covered the man so Huck would not have to look at him because it would be too painful for Huck. Jim protects Huck from seeing his dead father. Covering Pap shows that Jim wants to keep Huck unaware of the atrocities that occur in the world around him, any father would do the same thing to protect and care for their