James: A Novel

Huck tells Jim the story of the two feuding families he’d been staying with. Jim worries that it was traumatic for Huck to witness their violence. He has been traumatized by the lynchings he’s seen. Later, Jim falls asleep while writing and has a vision in which John Locke appears. He interrogates the philosopher about his hypocrisy and the two argue back and forth: How could such a keen thinker with a strong sense of right and wrong permit the system of enslavement? During their argument, Jim wakes to the sound of Huck’s voice and the noise of dogs. They meet two men, one old and one young. After some conversation, it becomes obvious that the two are confidence men. One is on the run after selling a product that he advertised as a cure for dental tartar that also removed enamel. The other is on the run after having “accidentally” caused bodily harm and death while providing “medical” treatments. The conmen claim to be British and French royalty. Huck is enthralled, but Jim understands that the men are not, in fact, an English duke and the rightful king of France. The conmen propose that the four join together. Chagrined, Jim realizes that they will be difficult to get rid of.

The Duke and the King, as they like to be called, ask why Huck and Jim are traveling and whether Jim belongs to Huck. Although Jim can tell that it pains Huck to say it, Huck indicates that Jim does belong to him. He fabricates a story about his family having died in a rafting accident while they were all on their way south to Louisiana to work with their relatives. Jim observes wryly that confidence men are easy to con: The Duke and the King believe Huck’s tall tale completely. The two men want better food than what they can forage and propose heading into a town. Huck worries that someone will try to take Jim from him, and the men point out that they could claim to be his owners. Huck, realizing the danger of this plan (the two men could then sell Jim), does not agree to it.

Jim, Huck, the Duke, and the King come across a small hamlet. They stow the raft and, although Huck and Jim would like to stay behind, they all head into the settlement together. The Duke and the King realize that if they were to leave Jim and Huck behind, they’d never see them again. The town is unusually quiet and the party finds out that everyone is attending a traveling tent revival. They head to the tent and the Duke manages to co-opt the meeting, exclaiming to all those gathered that he is a reformed sinner, a former pirate of the high seas looking to collect money for missionary work. The people are entranced by his story and begin to give him money. However, he then mixes up names and details and both the preacher and the revival’s attendees begin to grow suspicious. They shout out that he is a charlatan and threaten to hang him.

Jim and Huck make their escape from the tent, with the Duke and the King not far behind them. In town, they notice a wanted poster for a fugitive from slavery who looks like Jim, and the pair realize that the Duke and the King will certainly turn Jim in. They decide to leave the men behind and take off on the raft without the two conmen.

Jim and Huck have been traveling south to throw off their pursuers, who would assume that a self-emancipated person would head north. Because this plan has not worked, Jim realizes that is time to reverse their course and try to make it to a free state. Just as he comes to this conclusion, the Duke and the King find them. They know that Jim is the man from the poster, and they have a new plan: They will sell Jim, and then he will run away, repeatedly. This will allow them to continue exploiting him for their financial gain. Huck objects to this plan, but the conmen point out that he, as a minor, cannot legally own an enslaved person. They decide to whip Jim to discourage him from escaping. The King asserts that Black people don’t feel pain in the same way that white people do, but the beating is severely painful to Jim.

The Duke and the King want to drink some corn whiskey and stop at a bar. They tell Jim and Huck not to run, and with Jim’s leg having been injured so badly in the beating, he is unable to. Disappointed, they decide not to try to escape. Jim ponders over how to free himself and his family. He chose not to run north immediately because he did not want to leave his family behind, and he is not sure how to go back for them.

The Duke and the King emerge from the bar. They find a nearby livery and ask the blacksmith, an enslaved man named Easter, to chain Jim. Easter, although he apologizes to Jim with his eyes, places him in shackles. The Duke and the King leave to find lodging, and Easter unlocks the shackles. Although he told the two white men that he’d given them the only key, he had a spare. He tells Jim that he can re-shackle him in the morning before the men return. Huck notices that the two men speak to each other in standard English and comments on it. He wonders why Jim doesn’t trust him enough to reveal himself fully. He says he understands why Jim code-switches around white people.

The Duke and the King return earlier than expected and find Jim without his chains. Angry, they begin to beat Easter. Easter’s enslaver, Mr. Wiley, returns and interrupts the beating. He tells the two men that he intends to keep Jim to work while Easter is healing, and when they object he threatens to call the law. The Duke and the King leave with a reluctant Huck, promising to return soon.

Jim gets to work, with the help of Easter. Blacksmithing is labor-intensive and he finds it difficult. He also learns that George has been hanged for stealing the pencil. The two men talk as they work, discussing how foolish white men think that enslaved people are, how ridiculous Christianity is because of its promises of happiness in heaven, and how brutal enslavers are. Eventually Wiley returns. He seems pleased with Jim’s work, but he’d like for the men to sing. Although Jim dislikes singing for Wiley, it does make his work easier. Suddenly, a man walks into the stable, introducing himself as Daniel Decatur Emmett. He has a traveling minstrel show.

Emmett asks to “hire” Jim for $200, citing his need for a good tenor to travel and perform with his group. He explains that they perform in blackface and that Jim would be a fine addition to their company. Wiley, although he knows that he does not legally own Jim, is tempted by the large sum and agrees. They are all surprised when Emmett moves to shake Jim’s hand, but Jim remains wary. He knows that no matter how much kindness a white man seems to show a Black person, to white people, enslaved people are not seen as fully human. He wonders what the future holds for him.

Jim makes the acquaintance of Cassidy, another performer. Emmett tells Jim that he is opposed to slavery, although he is not necessarily an abolitionist. He does not intend to free Jim, but rather to employ him in his show. He gets Jim outfitted with a costume and begins teaching him the songs that they sing.

Although Jim is Black, he cannot appear so to the audience, so he must be painted with white makeup and then black makeup. Norman, the man tasked with applying Jim’s makeup, explains to him that minstrel shows are a new trend: White people enjoy dressing up like Black people to make fun of them. He says that Emmett, although not as terrible as some white men, still does not think that white and Black people are equal. Norman also outs himself as an enslaved man, although he has been passing for white. He tells Jim that the two can speak in standard English when together. Jim wonders whether he will be paid money and if so, whether he might be able to free his family.

Jim finds the performances ridiculous, but white audiences seem to enjoy them. After one show, Jim is terrified when he is approached by a white woman, and although her father walks up and seems to know that Jim is a Black man, Emmett arrives and hastily leads Jim away. Jim thinks that this situation is not tenable and that he has to run away.

The white woman’s father returns in the middle of the night to check on Jim. Everyone wakes up, and the man asserts that he knows Jim is Black. Emmett convinces him to leave, but they decide that they have to move on. Jim asks if he can run off on his own, and Emmett explains that although he did not buy Jim, he paid $200 for him and Jim needs to remain with him until he’s worked off the money. He figures that 200 days is a fair deal. Jim forgets to code-switch and asks Emmett if he is distinguishing between chattel and bonded slavery. Emmett, surprised, asks Jim to repeat himself. Jim declines.

In the next town, Jim makes his escape. He runs as far and as fast as he can, not sure where he will go or what he will do.