James Summary
Percival Everett

James Overview

In Percival Everett's novel James, Everett retells Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Jim's first person point of view. When Jim learns that his white owners plan to sell him, he flees his home and family. His young friend, Huck, soon joins him and the two begin to wander towards freedom together. However, the longer they wander, the more Jim realizes that freedom means nothing without his wife and daughter. Over the course of the novel, the companions attempt to protect each other while pursuing their own desires and needs in a world that actively endangers them. The novel explores themes including fear, identity, and power.