The character of Old Jim certainly makes sure that, this time around, his thoughts are heard, his actions seen. While some see Twain's work as being racist itself, Twain was in many ways a progressive thinker, ahead of his time. In Twain's tale, racism and bigotry are filtered through the eyes, ears and heart of Huck. In Sounding the River , the African American perspective is seen and felt directly through the unfiltered, raw experiences of Old Jim. And then there is the whole notion of freedom and its multiple meanings in Sounding the River .
Freedom happens when certain papers are signed.
We're all on the same raft. Even today, the novel finds its way onto banned books lists and remains at the center of discussion in many classrooms and outside as well. 108 E. Wells St.