River floods in the story, a shack is forced into the river. Jim and Huck find it floating along, and decide to explore. There they encounter a dead man, and Jim tells Huck to hold on. Jim realizes that Huck is still a child, and he wants to shelter him from a emotionally disturbing situation. This naked, dead man was actually Huck's father. Even though Huck's father was abusive (both physically and emotionally), Huck would have been scarred, by viewing the corpse, and Jim knew this. Huck refers to his father many times over the course of the story, meaning he respected him to some extent, and seeing him naked and shot would not be healthy. When all the adventures are over, Jim tells Huck that he no longer needs to worry about his father, without mentioning the dead man in the house. Only after Huck's constant badgering does Jim reveal the truth. This is much easier to handle than actually experiencing the matter first hand. Even though Jim did not play the role of a "parent" in the story, he does nurture and love Huck tremendously, thus becoming the only mother-type figure that Huck has experienced. The maternal role that Huck receives from Jim is expressed in many different manners. The role Jim takes on is more of a subtle one that is not apparent in many scenes, although it does stand out when it occurs. For example, after the battle between the Grangerfords and Shepardsons, Jim and Huck are separated. When Huck finally found Jim, he receives showers of hugs. Huck is not used to this type of care, for all of his life he has been punished with beatings, and never encouraged or shown that he was appreciated. The widow was always hassling Huck, and never nurtured his qualities. His father taught him lessons that would aid in living. So in essence, Jim was the only maternal figure in all of Huck's life. Huck matures so quickly from these adventures because of the sudden impact of a maternal figure, and a whole new world becomes open to...
