After countless years of hearing about the controversial nature of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and proposals for its prohibition in schools, I've finally found a book that articulately praises its content, presenting a clear and convincing argument for keeping the book in our schools and our lives. Interestingly, the author, Jocelyn Chadwick-Joshua, an African American and a woman, proves a fervent sponsor of the novel with a revival of Twain's ultimate social message. The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Huckleberry Finn argues that Huck Finn has been misinterpreted as an anachronistic take on racial dynamics that wrongly preserves the mentality of the 19th century South. In a refreshing and liberal critique, Joshua digests the relationship between Huck and Jim, emphasizing Twain's advocacy of social mobility and the capacity of the book to expel contemporary racist standards. According to Joshua, memory of and attention to past problems are critical ingredients in reconciling the past and if disregarded, could result in a grievous repetition of these social shortcomings.

In direct retaliation to common negative sentiments of the African American audience, Joshua interprets Twain's work as a means of understanding the true condition of the enslaved individual in the 19th century--an irreplaceable ancestral connection. While Joshua acknowledges that Jim's character doesn't represent complete liberation in the minds of present-day African Americans, it does succeed in addressing the traits that so defined the enslaved population--resilience and an indisputable longing for freedom. Instead of ignoring or romanticizing the 20th century South, Joshua argues that Huck explores the same socio-political issues that African Americans grapple with even today.

The Jim Dilemma examines Jim's function in the novel and his role as a passionate and intelligent survivor. Though Jim is a slave physically, Joshua maintains that he never loses his voice to meet the expectations of society, but shrewdly adheres to the restrictions of his predicament and emerges as a complex and capable character. Jim is neither intellectually nor morally inferior and even proves heroic as he guides Huck through a journey of enlightenment, indicating that he surpasses the expectations of a typical servant. In this respect, Jim transcends the recognized parameters of a slave in the South and breaks stereotypical classifications. Though Joshua admits that not everyone may share her interpretation, she argues that "the reader discovers and experiences a different truth as the characters themselves discover and experience different truths" (54).

The condition of Jim and all slaves is an inescapable part of American history, for every race. Many believe that in order to progress as a society, the ties with the haunting past of the slavery must be abandoned, especially in literature. Joshua vehemently disputes this notion. She believes that in order for a positive change to occur, the past must be re-examined and only then can we learn from our mistakes. In response to critics who condemn the use of racially derogatory language in Huck Finn, Joshua says: "Without the memory of what a word meant and what it can continue to mean, we as a society are doomed only to repeat earlier mistakes about ourselves, each other, and serious issues involving us all" (134).

Joshua views The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn not only as a satirical masterpiece, but also as a modern resource for anyone who can identify with the ideal of ultimate freedom. At the very least, Huck is a story in which "true friendship has been successfully redefined by Twain as lying across racial boundaries" (120). But at its pinnacle, this story traces the deep roots of racial schisms and can be an invaluable resource for contemporary social dilemmas.