I have yet to read other people's responses, but perhaps you would
be interested in exploring ethos.  Ethos is one of the pillars of rhetoric
(the others being logos and pathos) in which the author (or implied author)
tries to bridge the communication gap with the reader (or implied reader).
This is the equivalent of someone wearing nice clothes to a job interview
and trying to make a good impression.  The problem with a writer is that
they have only words (and in Twain's case written words) to bridge that
gap.  Consequently, the writer must use patterns of speech, dialogue, and
interaction with other characters to bring out the ethos of the character.
        In my opinion, we can count Huck's thoughts as being those of
Twain.  (I know several critics are now groaning)  This makes Twain's ethos
Huck's ethos.  Twain is bridging the gap with Huck's dialect.
Consequently, when Huck makes a profound observation or statement it is on
a lower level of speech causing the audience to subconsciously think "From
the mouths of babes comes the Truth."  In other words, Twain is placing his
revelations in the mind and mouth of Huck who uses his dialect (ethos) to
bridge the gap with the audience and draw attention to the revelations that
would be lost on the reader if coming from a character of higher standing.
        To use a baseball analogy:  When Babe Ruth hit a home run, no one
was ever surprised; therefore, none of them stand out.  When Ozzie Smith
hit a home run, no one expected it; everyone in St. Louis can tell you when
Ozzie hit it, where it landed , how he acted when running the
bases---everything....It stands out.  When an older character makes an
observation, it is expected and not too memorable (unless he is extremely
old like Gilgamesh); when a young, low charcter makes the same observation,
it stands out.  Dialect helps make this happen.

Steve Ward
Waynesville High School