Vera,
        You might be interested in looking at a book called *Mark Twain
and Huck Finn* by Walter Blair.  also, Jeffery Steinbrink and Bruce
Michelson bot talk about Twain's biography and writing.  those are
*Getting to be Mark Twain* and *Mark Twain on the Loose* respectively.
good luck on the paper
        Jan McIntire
        UNLV