Comparing The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And The Underground Railroad

In the story The Underground Railroad, Cora is the female protagonist of the story. Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry and Finn is alongside the protagonist Huck. Both characters have very distinct backgrounds, but aim to be free from slavery. Both of these slaves journeyed throughout the nation in search for freedom, something that all slaves lacked from 1618-1865 in Early America. The journeys between Cora and Jim were similar and different in many ways, such as Jim having a companion and Cora going solo. However, the mission was the same, to be free. Jim and Cora journeyed for freedom through motivation, assistance, luck, and struggle. Slavery was a very dark period in American history, but it is great to learn from it and understand the struggles slaves went through to be free.

Jim is a slave that is owned by Miss Watson. Huck is a very rebellious child and wants to distance himself from societal norms. Huck does not like school and does not take interest in Widow Douglas’s bible readings. Huck has a horrible relationship with his father, and he faked his death to distance himself from Pap. When Huck escapes to Jackson Island, he encounters Jim. It was not planned for the two to find freedom together, but throughout the novel that was their goal. Having Huck alongside Jim was essential in his journey to freedom. Whenever one questioned Jim, Huck would simply say that he was returning Jim or that Jim was his slave. Jim was very excited to be on a journey for freedom and at times was unable to contain it. Jim journeys for freedom throughout the story when he already had it. Miss Watson passed away and freed Jim in her will. Huck’s support for Jim and his freedom was Huck growing morally in order to do the right things for the right reasons. A main symbol in this story was the Mississippi River, representing Huck’s liberation from societal norms and Jim’s freedom. Huck and Jim feel a sense of joy and freedom while voyaging in the raft through the river. Although Jim is not the main focus of this novel, we explore the racist sentiment in slave states.

Cora was a slave at Randall farm. When Cora was young, her mother escaped from Randall farm and was never found. Cora saw this as an act of betrayal because Mabel abandoned her own daughter. However, Mabel died in a swamp after being bitten by a snake. Mabel was an inspiration for Cora, wanting to reunite with Mabel to tell her how bad of a mother she is. Cora never even received a farewell from the woman who birthed her. Cora travels through the Underground Railroad, traveling from Georgia all the way to Indiana. The first state she arrived at was South Carolina, where colored people were used as lab rats. The narrator states, “Once Mabel ran, Cora thought of her as little as possible. After landing in South Carolina, she realized that she had banished her mother not from sadness but from rage. She hated her.” (South Carolina. Page 209). After many years of Mabel’s betrayal, she is still hurt.