Does huck's response to Jim's plight seem reasonable?

Answer 1

He felt ashamed of having lied to Jim, especially for a stupid joke. It is then that Huck realizes, all the way through, that Jim is a real person, just like himself. All his life he has been taught that blacks aren't people, are just a sort of "donkey with hands". Now he knows (without quite understanding what he has just been through) that what he has been told is not the truth. At this point he becomes more moral than the people who taught him all these lies (even though most, if not all of them don't realize they are lying, either). You could say that at this point Huck grows up, but later on in the book he is still too childish to make Tom quit playing around with Jim's escape. He respects Tom's judgment ahead of his own, but Tom has not grown up the way Huck has, and still doesn't think of Jim as a person. Ultimately, Huck is a weak character.

Answer 2

No, Huck's initial response to Jim's plight does not seem reasonable as he considers turning Jim in as a runaway slave. However, throughout the story, Huck's views on slavery and Jim's humanity evolve, showing his growth and moral development.