Meet Jim

Just so loyal

Intelligent 

Mighty selfless

Jim

Jim is a Miss Watson's runaway slave and Huck's fellow escapee.  Jim is very superstitious, and in the beginning he seems to be quite ignorant (like the racist stereotype of blacks at that time).  But, Twain develops Jim's character throughout the novel, and Jim is revealed to be intelligent, loyal, and compassionate. 

Jim is very intelligent, and on Jackson's Island, he knows that it will rain (it does, by the way).  "Well, he [Jim] was right; he was most always right; he had an uncommon level head for a n-----." (76).  Jim questions the need for many of the elements of the escape, but he accepts it because Huck and Tom are white.  Even Huck recognizes Jim's intelligence, even if Jim is illiterate.

Jim repeatedly puts Huck (and Tom) ahead of himself, like when he lets Huck sleep while he does his watch.  He tries to protect Huck, and when Jim sees Pap dead, he warns Huck not to look at the face, so Huck would not have to experience the grief and pain.  He puts up with Tom's ridiculous plan to escape and refuses to escape until Tom sees a doctor (for his bullet wound).  "I knowed he was white inside, and I reckoned he'd say what he did say  ..." (275).  Even though Tom uses Jim as a pawn for adventure, Jim stays loyal to him and Huck.  Jim is a loyal friend and never leaves Huck (in his own power).

Jim and the Rope-Ladder Pie

Twain portrays Jim  as a family man with love towards his family, which many whites did not think that that blacks could do.  " ...  and I do believe he [Jim] cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n.  It don't seem natural, but I reckon it's so." (155).  Jim once hit his daughter because she did not listen to him, but he did not know that she was deaf. Jim regrets doing this, and this shows his regrets and his compassion.

Of all the characters in the novel, the only one worthy enough for Huck to model after is Jim.  Pap, the duke, and the king are obvious not to follow, but others are complete hypocrites, such as Miss Watson.  Tom, Huck's best friend, is mainly selfish and places adventure over someone's freedom.  Jim stands above all these characters with loyalty and selflessness, even as a black.

Pictures:

First picture courtesy of: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/76/old/orig76-h/p1.htm

Second picture courtesy of: http://swagmeout.edublogs.org/category/jims-blurbs/