The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper
Title: The Prince and the Pauper
Author: Mark Twain
This story is a work of fiction about two young boys who look almost identical, but who were born on the same day to two very different families and lives. One was born and raised in a poor family, while the other one was born and raised in a royal family of privilege. One day, the two meet and switch places, and Mark Twain uses their adventure to compare the different lifestyles of the rich and the poor. He also shows how people are basically the same and have the same fears and emotions, no matter whether they are rich or poor, educated or uneducated.
The main characters in Twain’s story are Tom Canty and Edward Tudor. Tom lived in Offal Court, one of the poorest neighborhood in London. Tom’s family was poor, and Tom was forced by his father to beg, or else be beaten. He was not formally educated, but a friend, a minister named Father Andrew, taught Tom to read and write and gave him some basic general education about the world. Tom was barely educated and could expect few opportunities in life.
Edward Tudor was the son of King Henry VIII and was born a prince. He lived in the royal palace and did not lack anything. He had all the food he wanted; if he wanted something, he merely had to ask and it would be given to him. Edward of course was formally educated by the finest of teachers because one day he would become the king of England.
While the two boys had very different lifestyles and surroundings, they experienced the same challenges and emotions that most people have. They each experienced fear and isolation, and each came to feel and show compassion for the poor of society.
The story takes place in sixteenth century London, England. One part of London, the poorest of slums called Offal Court, is where one of the characters. Tom Canty, lived. The people in Offal Court did not have even the most basic of necessities. They had poor, shabby houses that were badly built and unsafe, and they had little food to eat and no mattresses or beds to sleep on. In fact, Tom had to beg to help his family survive in Offal Court. Life in Offal Court was very hard and full of desperation.
Much of the action in The Prince and the Pauper takes place in the royal palace, which in another part of London called Westminster. Life in Westminster is very different from life in Offal Court. The royal palace had many luxuries and servants to tend to the king and his family. Great feasts were eaten there, and the surroundings were very plush and of the finest quality. There was little desperation in Westminster.
One of the messages in Mark Twain’s story is to compare the great differences between the rich and the poor in society. Twain demonstrates theses differences by showing how Tom and Edward’s lives are so different from one another and by having them change places. The poor begged for food . Their housing was in a slum, without beds or mattresses. Tom had to beg for food and shelter or he would be beaten. Tom had only the most basic of educations. The rich, on the other hand, had plenty. Edward had all he could want and lived in a great palace. He was educated to be the next king. By showing Tom and Edward’s lives, Mark Twin showed