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I was reminded that he was just that, a boy. He could have gone through life without the knowledge I had given him and he would have been no worse off for it. But I understood at that moment that I had shared the truth with him for myself. I needed for him to have a choice.

After revealing to Huck that he is his father in Part Three, Chapter 1, Jim delivers this reflection at the end of Chapter 3. Huck struggles to make sense of this shocking news, but Jim is really the one who learns the most from revealing his secret. Between knowing Norman and experiencing his own personal growth, Jim comes to realize that the ability to choose an identity is perhaps one of the most human experiences a person could have. He does not want Huck to feel that he must embrace the identity of a poor white orphan just because others perceive him as such. If Norman’s experience is any indication, life as a passing Black man may not be any better for Huck, but the principle of choice grants Huck a kind of freedom that many are unable to achieve. Jim is able to bring himself peace by ensuring that his son has the power to determine who he is, something that he has fought so hard to achieve for himself.

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