Connections with the Gilded Age

So far I'm enjoying the book. I especially enjoy the fact that in my eyes, Twain almost creates a microcosmic picture of the "gilded age" of America in the relationship betwixt Huck and Jim. I think this because on the outside you can see two buddies who stick together and seem very content with life. Despite that fact, if you dig deeper into the way they talk to one another or how they behave towards each other, you see something different. For example, in one instance, Huck tries to play a joke on Jim by playing on his "stupidity"-- when he tries to make Jim think he wasn't gone. Although this puts them on bad terms with each other, they still stick together. A lot of the reason that I think this alludes to the state of the gilded age of America is because the state of things in the government at the time were very similar to Jim and Huck's relationship. One example of this is the fact that although corruption ran rampant in all aspects of society America and its people stood together and put up with it. I could be wrong, but what say you?
posted by Justin P.