James

by Percival Everett

“Way I sees it is dis. If’n ya gots to hab a rule to tells ya wha’s good, if’n ya gots to hab good ’splained to ya, den ya cain’t be good. If’n ya need sum kinda God to tells ya right from wrong, den you won’t never know.”

“All roads is the same,” the Duke said. “They takes you out and they takes you in and they takes you out agin.”

“Don’t try to grab it,” Huck said. “If’n you get caught by a spine, you’re cooked.”

Has the phrase "cooked" really been used like this since the 1860s?

“To fight in a war,” he said. “Can you imagine?” “Would that mean facing death every day and doing what other people tell you to do?” I asked. “I reckon.” “Yes, Huck, I can imagine.”