I would be interested in hear more about your thesis. A Twain quote that comes to mind that Ii used for a story once went like this: “History doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes.” The story was titled The Echo, and it seemed appropriate. (I enjoy sharing my work with readers, so if interested you can find it here, though it’s not really about Twain per se.)
P.S. I like your moniker or “handle” — — Poor Snobs