James: A Novel

Discuss the motif of religion. What is Jim’s opinion of Christianity? How do enslavers use Christianity to uphold the institution of enslavement?

Discuss Jim’s relationship with Huck. How would you characterize their friendship, and how does Jim nurture Huck’s moral development? Does the fact that Jim is ultimately revealed as Huck’s father “explain” his interest in Huck, or is there more to their friendship?

Discuss the theme of The Brutality of Enslavement. In addition to physical violence, what other kinds of coercive tools do enslavers use to preserve the social order and perpetuate the idea of white supremacy?