Huck learns that Pap is not a real father to him. Pap drinks heavily and begs and cons the people of the town. “He drank and drank, and tumbled down on his blankets by and by.” (p.36) Pap kidnaps, beats and holds hostage his own son. He even tries to steal his own son’s money. He had to fake his own death to escape from Pap. Pap taught Huck on how to steal, that school and civilization is bad. Fathers should not fill their children’s heads with lies. Even though Huck does steal from people he eventually learns that this is not the right thing to do. Jim shows Huck the real qualities a good father should have. He had to fake his own death to escape from Pap. Huck learns that whatever his father, Pap does is usually wrong and illegal.
A real father should teach his son many lessons. Jim taught Huck many lessons both unintentionally and intentionally. Jim shows Huck that slaves are human beings. Jim talked of buying his wife and family out of slavery and proved to Huck that he was a good person. Jim talks of how he remembers beating his little girls and shows that he regrets it, he becomes very depressed. Jim also discusses how he missed his family at the end of the novel. As Huck listens to all of this throughout the story he concludes that slaves have feelings and emotions and that they love their families just as regular people do. He begins to see Jim as a father not just a runaway slave.
Not only does a father teach his son right from wrong, he cares and protects his son. “Jim said if we had the canoe hid in a good place, and had all the traps in the cavern, we could rush there if anybody was to come to the island" (p. 55). Jim helped Huck find a safe spot in the cave and secure their canoe. He also shares his meals with Huck and they both help each other out when they have to escape. He cares for Huck and does not to want to see him hurt. When they went exploring on the shipwrecked houseboat, Jim would not let Huck see the man. The dead man was Pap; Jim did not want Huck to see his father and to get upset. Jim taught him many things and took care of Huck.
During Huck’s adventure, Jim became a very loving father to him. Huck was in need of a good father because Pap was not providing that for him. He did not love Pap. Pap was never a father to him and only made his life worse. However, Huck did love and care about Jim. Jim is Huck’s “true father.”