James: A Novel
Part One:Chapter 20
by Everett, PercivalThe chapter opens with the Duke and King leading Huck and Jim toward a small town at dawn, insisting they stay together rather than allowing the boys to remain with the raft. Jim considers escaping but realizes the shallow water would make it futile. The King and Duke assert control over Jim, forcing him to acknowledge his enslavement to them. Their condescending and threatening tone underscores the power imbalance, particularly in their racist treatment of Jim, who complies outwardly while inwardly resisting.
As the group ventures into town, they find it deserted due to a nearby revival meeting. Jim notices a sycamore tree with rope scars, triggering painful memories. The Duke and King, ever opportunistic, see the revival as a chance to exploit the crowd. A local man they encounter expresses disdain for the revival and briefly eyes Jim with suspicion, prompting the King to casually offer to sell him, much to Huck’s silent outrage. The encounter highlights the casual cruelty of slavery and the King’s willingness to betray Jim for profit.
The Duke seizes the opportunity to manipulate the revival crowd, taking center stage despite the King’s usual role as the con artist. Huck confronts the King about his lack of a French accent, exposing his fraudulent identity, but the King deflects with absurd excuses. The scene shifts to the revival, where a charismatic preacher performs dubious healings on vulnerable attendees. The spectacle underscores the theme of exploitation, mirroring the Duke and King’s own scams.
Throughout the chapter, Jim’s internal struggle and Huck’s growing defiance against the conmen’s cruelty are evident. The revival serves as a backdrop for the duo’s schemes, while Jim’s quiet resilience and Huck’s moral discomfort foreshadow their eventual break from the pair. The chapter critiques hypocrisy, exploitation, and the dehumanizing effects of slavery, all while advancing the tension between the protagonists and their manipulative companions.
FAQs
1. How do the Duke and King demonstrate their control over Jim and Huck in this chapter, and what does this reveal about their characters?
Answer:
The Duke and King assert control through both physical and psychological means. They force Jim and Huck to accompany them into town rather than staying with the raft, explicitly stating they don’t trust them to remain (Duke: “No, boy, I reckon you two will stay with us”). They reinforce Jim’s enslaved status through demeaning language (King calling him “my slave” and “sorry slave”) and threats of selling him. This reveals their predatory nature—they see Jim as property to exploit and Huck as a liability to control. Their mock royal titles (“Yer Highness/Yer Majesty”) ironically contrast with their immoral behavior, highlighting their con artist personas.2. What internal conflict does Jim experience when seeing the sycamore tree with rope scars, and how does this connect to broader themes in the story?
Answer:
Jim’s heart sinks upon noticing the sycamore’s rope scars because they remind him of Young George, likely a reference to past lynchings or violent acts against enslaved people. This moment reveals Jim’s constant psychological burden—even while navigating immediate dangers with the con men, he carries trauma from systemic racial violence. His subdued response (“Nuffin”) when Huck asks shows how enslaved people had to conceal their emotions for survival. This connects to themes of racial trauma and the hidden emotional costs of slavery, where everyday objects could trigger painful memories while freedom remained precarious.3. Analyze the significance of the revival scene and how the Duke plans to exploit it. What does this reveal about religious hypocrisy in the context?
Answer:
The revival features a showman-like preacher “healing” a woman with uneven legs while crowds donate money, which the local man criticizes as gullible (“Gullible fools just bleedin’ money”). The Duke immediately sees this as a money-making opportunity, asking to “have a play with the crowd.” This reveals how religious gatherings could be exploited by both fraudulent preachers and con artists—the Duke recognizes the same manipulative tactics he uses. The scene critiques how faith becomes transactional (healings for donations) and how easily spiritual yearning can be weaponized by immoral actors, mirroring the King/Duke’s broader exploitation of human trust.4. How does Huck challenge the King’s authority in this chapter, and what risks does this pose for both him and Jim?
Answer:
Huck confronts the King twice: first by protesting Jim’s potential sale (“You ain’t got no right to be talking about selling Jim”) and later by questioning the King’s fake French identity (“How come you ain’t got an accent?”). These challenges show Huck’s growing moral courage but also risk escalating tensions. The King dismisses him (“shut up, child”), but Huck’s defiance could lead to violent retaliation or separation from Jim. Notably, Jim intervenes silently when Huck reacts to the sale talk (“I gave him a look”), showing their mutual protection. This tension highlights the power imbalance—Huck has more freedom to speak than Jim, but both are vulnerable to the con men’s whims.5. Compare the two descriptions of the town—first as “dead” and later as crowded at the revival. What irony does this contrast highlight about society in the story?
Answer:
Initially, the town seems deserted (“not a soul to be seen”), with the Duke calling it “dead” and considering robbery. Later, they discover everyone is at the revival—a vibrant, crowded scene with hundreds engaged in fervent worship. This irony underscores societal priorities: daily life appears stagnant, but people mobilize for sensational religious spectacle. The contrast critiques how communities might neglect practical matters (like watching for criminals) while investing energy in performative spirituality. It also mirrors the Duke/King’s fraud—both the revival and their cons thrive on manipulating people’s desire for meaning, whether through religion or fake royalty.
Quotes
1. “I considered tossing a rat snake I saw in the grass onto them, pushing Huck onto the raft and trying to get away, but the water was so shallow for so far out that they would have been able to run us down. That would have created a dynamic in our relationship that would not have boded well for Huck and certainly not for me.”
This internal monologue reveals Jim’s constant calculation of survival strategies and his protective instinct toward Huck. It showcases the precarious power dynamics between the fugitive slave, the white boy, and their con artist captors.
2. “‘Anybody ask, who you belong to?’ ‘You, suh.’ ‘Very good.’”
This exchange starkly illustrates the dehumanizing performance of slavery, where Jim must verbally affirm his subjugation to maintain safety. The dialogue captures the psychological violence of forced submission.
3. “‘This place is dead,’ the Duke said. ‘If I was a different sort of crook I’d just rob me a house or two.’”
This remark reveals the moral flexibility of the con men while ironically foreshadowing their later schemes. It establishes their predatory nature and the constant threat they pose to both Jim and the townspeople.
4. “‘A waste of food and air.’ […] ‘Sorry, but not completely worthless.’”
The King’s shifting valuation of Jim’s humanity - from utter degradation to calculated asset - demonstrates how slaveholders weaponized language to maintain control. This verbal dance shows the economic calculus behind dehumanization.
5. “‘French is a very complicated language. Hearing it might cause yer ear a consternation from which you might never recover.’”
The King’s absurd justification for his fake accent reveals both the con artists’ pretenses and Huck’s growing skepticism. This humorous line underscores the chapter’s theme of performed identities and social deception.