Book Report: Prince and the Pauper

Twain, Mark. The Prince and the Pauper. Place of Publication. Company: Date.

Reason, Type and Setting: I selected this book because I not only like Twain’s style, but I also have heard about this book before and it was recommended to me. This is a historical fiction novel about two young boys from the extremes of two social statures. This book takes place in England during the second quarter of the sixteenth century.

Plot: Prince Edward Tudor and Thomas Canty are the main characters of the story. One day the prince sees Tom looking in at the castle and invites him in and they both talk about their different lifestyles. The prince has the idea to trade clothing with the pauper. They both see that they look practically the same in the mirror and the prince decides to change places with Tom. The rest of the book is about how the two boys try to adjust to their new life and find a way to get switched back to their normal homes. It is hard for Tom to adjust to the life of a Prince, and Edward can hardly survive living the life of Tom Canty found it interesting to see how exclusive we can be to our own social status and many people don’t take the opportunities to expand their cultural knowledge in a sophisticated and appropriate way.

Character: Prince Edward was a small and very young boy and the prince of Whales. It was the princes idea to change lives with Tom. Unable to recognize the repercussions of his decision when he made it, he soon suffered the consequences in seeing how cruel the world was outside of his own home. Though the prince was very young and still naive and ignorant, he believed he was being very kind and open hearted by letting the pauper into his home. In reality the prince was just as selfish as he thought he was generous. I selected this character because I thought the lesson that he learned was a very valuable one. He was able to really see and understand how his citizens lived and when he would become king he knew that he would have to rule accordingly. Instead of holding his own lifestyle as his top priority, the young king sees that he will now need to be more respectful of the lower class not just the wealthy community. I was interested in the character because I found his personality and stubborn attitude was unique and likeable. The by the end of the story Edward had become a more sensitive and cultured boy, helping him rule the country he loved the best way he could.

Evaluation: I enjoyed the novel and I found the story line intriguing. While I was reading the story it was hard for me to not want to learn more about the two boys’ personality and coping methods. It was definitely amusing to see how ignorant the small prince was and how he knew nothing about the real world before the switch. One of my favorite lines was when Edward and Tom were talking about the people who took care of the prince. When Edward found out that Tom didn’t have a servant to care for him he asked simply, “And prithee, why not? Who helpeth them undress at night? Who attireth them when they rise?” The way Twain portrayed the different boys really brought forward the point of understanding and brought a whole new meaning to the saying “to walk a day in someone else’s shoes.” This book was fun to read and as a reader I go t very emotionally connected to the two boys. I’m sure any one else who would read this novel, will love the plot line and the author’s style, and if not for those reasons at least they would enjoy the message the book gives.

It is hard to relate the story to my own life because I am and will always be so different than the two boys. I have never had an uncomfortable living condition or an over exorbitant one. If I were in Tom’s position of having to take the role of the prince, I understand how it were hard for him to deal with but I think I would have been more proactive and less naive. Same with Edward as a pauper, I’m sure it was hard for him to deal with such a different lifestyle in a negative way, but I he had been less obnoxious and more willing to comply to other’s needs rather than just his own, I’m sure more people would have been interested in helping him. It was important for the end of the book to come to the two boys switching back to their normal lives and be able to apply what they had learned during their experiences to their normal life.

Author, Context and Trivia: Mark Twain is a very famous and well renowned author. His written the books; The adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. I have read Huck Finn as well as The Prince and The Pauper, both of which were interesting and well thought out plot lines. I personally enjoyed The Prince and The Pauper more than the Huckleberry Finn, because of the style and simply the story line. I have not read another book like this one but I would be interested in looking into other books like this. I find Twain’s style in its self to be refreshing and unique. I hope to be given more opportunities to read more from this author.