I wasn't aware of the others, but I have read through James Cox's article before. The part you're looking for, specifically, is on page 175: Cox suggests that Jim "… does not elaborate a lie about it; he simply conceals his knowledge from Huck." Cox continues by suggesting that one of Jim's motives might be "his tender wish to spare Huck the knowledge of being an orphan," but also states that "Jim has good reason to suspect that a Huck free of his Pap might leave him high and dry." My personal opinion is that Jim is unselfishly motivated, and as others have pointed out, really the moral center of the book. Michael MacBride Southern Illinois University, Carbondale