The Twilight Zone

While I was reading the evasion section of Huckleberry Finn, I was reminded of an episode of The Twilight Zone called It's a Good Life.

Here's the part in the book that reminded me. It's the end of chapter 38:

So Tom was stumped. But he studied it over, and then said Jim would have to worry along the best he could with an onion. He promised he would go to the nigger cabins and drop one, private, in Jim's coffee- pot, in the morning. Jim said he would "jis' 's soon have tobacker in his coffee;" and found so much fault with it, and with the work and bother of raising the mullen, and jews-harping the rats, and petting and flattering up the snakes and spiders and things, on top of all the other work he had to do on pens, and in- scriptions, and journals, and things, which made it more trouble and worry and responsibility to be a prisoner than anything he ever undertook, that Tom most lost all patience with him; and said he was just loadened down with more gaudier chances than a prisoner ever had in the world to make a name for himself, and yet he didn't know enough to appreciate them, and they was just about wasted on him. So Jim he was sorry, and said he wouldn't behave so no more, and then me and Tom shoved for bed.

Basically what we have here is a kid, about twelve or thirteen, who puts the life of a man in jeopardy because he wants to have an exciting adventure. And when the man complains about the silly or even dangerous ideas the boy comes up with, the boy becomes angry with the man, and the man must apologize.

Twain doesn't spell it out, and I seriously doubt he meant the scenario to be taken this way, but I find it hard not to see this scene as one in which a man is humoring a child because he thinks that the child will help him get his freedom back. Of course as we find out at the very end of the novel, Jim has already been set free by his owner in her will, and Tom Sawyer knows this, but doesn't tell so that he can have fun. His selfishness almost results in Jim being lynched.

That's why I'm reminded of this episode of The Twilight Zone:

Now I'd like to introduce you to some of the people of Peaksville, Ohio. This is Mr. Fremont. It's in his farmhouse that the monster resides. This is Mrs. Fremont. And this is Aunt Amy, who probably had more control over the monster in the beginning than almost anyone. But one day she forgot. She began to sing aloud. Now, the monster doesn't like singing, so his mind snapped at her, and turned her into the smiling, vacant thing you're looking at now. She sings no more. And you'll note that the people in Peaksville, Ohio, have to smile.They have to think happy thoughts and say happy things because, once displeased, the monster can wish them into a cornfield or change them into a grotesque walking horror. This particular monster can read minds you see. He knows every thought, he can feel every emotion. Oh yes, I did forget something didn't I.

This is the monster. His name is Anthony Fremont. He's six years old, with a cute little-boy face and blue, guiless eyes. But when those eyes look at you, you'd better start thinking happy thoughts, because the mind behind tem is absolutely in charge. This, is the Twilight Zone."

Interestingly, the town in which Tom prosecutes his "evasion" is Pikesville - similar to Peaksville.

Doo doo doo doo - doo doo doo doo!