Chapter Summaries
Chapter 41:
In this chapter, Huck leaves the raft to go find a doctor for Tom. He finds one and sends him to Tom. When he's in the town, Silas finds him and brings him home. When he gets back home to Sally, she won't let him go out again. She's upset because she's lost Tom, who she still thinks is Sid from Ohio. The Phelps' then decide that robbers tricked them all and stole Tom and Jim.
Chapter 42:
In chapter 42, Sally finds Tom and brings him back into her home. With him comes the doctor and Jim. The crowd around Tom wants to hang Jim, but decide against it because it woud involve having to retrieve a lot of information. They chain him up instead, and Silas explains that he's just there protecting Tom, risking his own freedom. When Tom wakes up, he realizes that Jim was recaptured, but set free again by Miss Watson. She died, and in her death will set him free. Sally's sister, Polly, comes, because she is mixed up in all the boys undercover confusion. They then find out who is really who.
Chapter 43:
In this chapter, Tom explains that he wanted to give Jim a big celebration when he was set free. Sally finds out that Jim helped heal Tom, and they treat him with increased respect and feed and house him. He gets 40 dollars from Tom, and the good omen of his hairy chest, which is that he'll have a fortune, comes true. When Tom heals, he wears his bullet on a chain around his neck. Huck is worried that his dad has stolen all of his money, but Jim explains that a body they found on the river was Huck's Pap. Huck and Tom then want to go on more adventures, and Huck wants to get away from Sally, because he doesn't want to be civilized.
Discussion Questions
How does the title of the chapter (Why didn't they hang Jim?) immediately appeal to the reader?
This chapter title makes the reader want to read it because it hints at Jim getting captured. Not only that, it hints at him escaping again and escaping death. It makes you want to read it to figure out how he got out of the hanging.
How do the past conversations between Jim and Huck about hairy bodies being good luck foreshadow the result of chapter 43?
These past conversations hint at Jim getting a sweep of good luck. It makes you wonder what will happen and what his good luck will be. Having a hairy body is a sign of good fortune to come, and Jim has a hairy chest.
Why did Jim keep the dead man's identity from Huck?
Jim never told Huck that the dead man he found was his father so he wouldn't dwell on it. He was the reason that they took off on their journey, and knowing that his Pap was dead would end the drive to continue. Jim, though, wants to keep going to be set free and decides to keep Huck with him.
Reflections
I am happy that Jim got set free. We see in the whole book that he was really a kind and caring man. He gives up his freedom to get care for Tom, but with the help of Silas and his care, he gets set free for real. Not only is he no longer a slave, he gets a small fortune. He also gets treated by the Phelps' like a white man, not a slave.