This essay uses concepts from African American literary theory to perform a comparative analysis of the novels James by Percival Everett and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Firstly, both books were analysed using the concept of “double-consciousness” by W.E.B. Du Bois to see how double-consciousness was represented in the novels and how that double-consciousness is able to change our perception of Jim. Using the concept of double-consciousness in James gives Jim a voice and interiority that is lacking in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and leading to a deeper understanding of the effects of living in a racialized world. Secondly, the essay analyses how language is used in James as a tool of subversion and to give the characters agency. And, thirdly, the essay explores how Everett uses the tool of irony found in the concept of Signifyin(g) by Henry Gates Jr. to engage with, have a conversation with, and subvert The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.