I think the point of this discussion has more to do with the field of
trivial speculation masquerading as literary research. I'm still trying to
find some grains of wheat amongst the chaff of this discussion; as a
card-carrying "academic yobbo" myself, I think Edward raised a valid
point. From my swelling mailbox I see that the same thing he said has been
expressed by several other people (though I don't know whether they are
academic yobbos - I will have to have them examined & will report back).

Let's not have a "love it or leave it" mentality here on the Mark Twain
Forum, shall we?

Robert Dagnall