Huck is unable to teach Jim the true meaning of the Solomon story because he does not understand it himself, though later he lives out the true lesson of the story when he is forced to decide whether to write to Miss Watson about Jim or to try to rescue him. Like the true mother, who gives up her right to her child, Huck gives up his soul, or thinks he does, but in fact he saves it. If that is so, then the Solomon story serves as a paradigm for the novel as a whole.
Likewise, the argument about why the French don't speak English goes to the very heart of the book. When Huck says "you can't learn a nigger to argue", we can employ the same logical ploy that Jim uses: Is a cat a man? No. Is a cow a man? No. Is a Frenchman a man? Yes. Is a "nigger" a man? Yes, of course. So, of course, you can't learn a "nigger" to argue, because he already knows how and has clearly demonstrated his skill at argumentation on this and many other occasions . . . . 'cause he's a man. Just as with the King Solomon story, Huck lives out the answer while rafting down the Mississippi with Jim.
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