Prince and the Pauper What

Prince and the Pauper What are some ways that Twain highlights the difference between the two boys? The difference between the two boys is highlighted first of all through the way their birth is received by those that surround them: while the birth of Edward Tudor is hailed and applauded by everyone around him, that of Tom Canty is deplored by his poor relatives who worry about their financial situation.

Edward is wrapped in rich clothes and awaited on by the greatest lords and ladies in the kingdom, Tom lies deserted and ignored in his poor clothes. What purpose does Twain have in comparing the two babies? This sharp difference in the circumstances of the birth of the two boys reflects the injustice of the social hierarchy that places two similar individuals in such different positions.

Why is this chapter so short? What effect does its shortness have on the reader? The shortness of the first chapter is meant to emphasize the arbitrariness of a human being's fate: in the brief moment of an individual's birth, his destiny is already decided by extraneous forces and by the pre-established social order. Chapter 2 What does offal mean? How does Twain's use of this word in naming where Tom Canty lives fit Canty's situation? The word "offal" describes the viscera of an animal which are usually inedible by humans.

The use of this term to name the 'court' where Canty is born hints at the almost inhumane and debasing conditions in which the poor live. 2. How can reading affect someone's personality? How can reading take a person beyond their station in life? How does reading affect Tom's personality? First of all, as Tom begins to read books, a new and brighter world opens up before his eyes and he understands that there are people who live in very different conditions from him and his family.

Moreover, reading nourishes the mind and the imagination of a human being, separating it more and more from the animal-like state in which Tom is forced to live. 3. What kinds of "escapes" do people resort to today? How do these escapes affect their outlook on their world? What is Tom's escape? How does it affect his outlook? Nowadays, people often resort to television entertainment or other type of escapes to evade reality. Tom resorts to his wild imagination which takes him to wondrous and rich adventures.

However, his dreams of a princely life enhance the grimness and the gloom of his present wretched condition. Chapter 3 1.

What are some of the similarities between Tom's and Edward's lives? What is Twain's purpose in highlighting these? Twain highlights the similarities between the two boys' lives to emphasize the fact that they resemble one another to the greatest extent and that the only thing that separates them is their birth: Tom has two twin sisters while Edward has a sister and a cousin, their fathers are somewhat alike in their treatment of the two children and their mothers are both kind. 2.

Why is Edward so excited about Tom's life? What makes it appealing to him? What Edward lacks in his rich and full life is precisely Tom's freedom to do everything he wants at the time that he wants it. 3. What is the divine right of kings? Why is it ironic that the guard mistakes Edward for the pauper, Tom? The person of a king is considered sacred precisely because he is believed to rule by divine will.

A simple change of clothes however demolishes this myth, and the king is no longer recognizable. This serves to show that the social system which places two similar individuals in such different conditions is rather a random game of appearances. Chapter 4 & 5 How does Edward's perspective of his father bring irony to the situation at Grey Friar's Church in Chapter 4? Edward perceives his father with an awe and admiration which were obviously ingrained in him.

Although dressed in rags and looking like a beggar he preserves his vanity as a king and thus attempts to make the other obey him. Thinking about the fact that his father built the church as a shelter for the poor, Edward tries to impress the others with the king's magnanimity, forgetting that he is no longer recognizable because of his rags.

How does Edward's reaction to John Canty lend humor to his situation? Edward attempts to persuade John Canty to lead him to the palace as the rightful prince of Wales and promises to make him rich 'beyond his dreams'. The situation is humorous because in his disguise the prince has no power.

How does appearance affect the way both Edward and Tom are treated? How do they react to the way they are treated: How do "clothes make the man" in today's Society? How do people react to outward appearances? The change in appearance the two boys make merely changes their lives and the way in which they are perceived by the others. Thus, Twain hints at the fact that people make their judgment of other people based on appearance only.

Moreover, the importance of appearance indicates that the huge discrepancies in social status and power between two individuals are not justifiable. 4. How does Twain inject humor into the situation of both boys? How does honesty play into that humor? The humor of the situation is obvious in the fact that the boys' sense of identity has not changed although their circumstances are radically different from what they were. Honesty plays an important role in this because it emphasizes the boys' reaction to the new situations they are in.

Why do both boys feel trapped? Find examples of this in both chapters. Once they exchange their roles in a playful game, the two boys find themselves trapped in their new identity because of the others' perception of them. Edward finds with stupor that he cannot convince the others of the fact that he is a prince and that he is constantly derided. Tom in his turn is taken to be mad by the others despite the fact that he actually tells the truth about his identity.

Both are inevitably trapped since their appearance forces a new identity on them. How is nobility shown as pompous in these chapters? What does this say about democracy? The sharp contrast between the two boys' homes and surroundings points to the useless pomp and luxury conferred upon the nobility in contrast with the poor, the story thus being a bitter criticism of the monarchy. Democracy, on the other hand, emphasizes the rights and the equality of all the individuals in a state.

Chapter 6 What comment is Twain making about royal life in this chapter. Who makes the decisions? Royal life is certainly not a privileged state itself, since the rigorous pomp of the court allows no freedom for the.