Khushboo Desai
Period 2
Ms. Zymajtis
Satire
September 18, 2014
Examining Satire In The Prince and the Pauper Society today has evolved and changed into a much different environment than society during the time of King Henry VIII. However, many similarities in manner and behavior still remain the same. Mark Twain describes the epitome of society, in his novel The Prince and the Pauper. The novel is set in 15th century England during the last days of King Henry VIII and the beginning of a rule by the new King Edward. The novel is about two boys, a prince, Edward, and a pauper, Tom, who look strikingly similar. The two boys meet by chance and decide to switch roles, as both are curious how the other lives. The novel depicts the journeys and …show more content…
Twain uses satire in the form of humor to expose the gap between the rich and the poor in 15th century England. Tom replies to Prince Edward’s question, “’They? Oh, dost think, sir, that they have servants?’ The little prince contemplated the little pauper gravely a moment, then said, ‘And prithee, why not? Who helpeth them undress at night? Who attrieth them when they rise?’” (Twain 24). Twain does an excellent job of showing the difference between the rich and the poor by comparing the many luxuries of the wealthy to the bare necessities of the poor. Edward naively asks Tom the whereabouts of his servants because he is unaware of the fact that not everybody gets the luxury that he has experienced throughout his entire life. Edward has special servants to help him undress at night and get dressed in the morning, whereas Tom barely has one pair of decent clothes to …show more content…
Edward, dressed as a pauper, orders one of the guards to open the gates, “The soldier that had maltreated Tom obeyed promptly; and as the prince burst through the portal, half smothered with royal wrath, the soldier fetched him a sounding box on the ear that sent him whirling to the roadway and said, ‘Take that, thou beggar’s spawn, for what thou got’st me from his Highness!’” (Twain 26). The prince’s own soldier is mistreating him due to the fact that he id dressed like a pauper. Despite the fact that Edward tells the soldier that he is in fact the real prince, the soldier does not even give Edward’s statement a thought due the way he appears. Edward is dressed as a pauper so he is being treated as one. Twain’s point of how people judge based looks rather than character is represented very well in this encounter between Edward and one of his soldiers. Edward rushes into palace as Tom is about to become King, “’I forbid you to set the crown of England upon that forfeited head. I am the king!’ In an instant several indignant hands were laid upon him…” (Twain 188) As soon as Edward, dressed as a pauper declares he is the king, many guards grab him and began to drag him out of the palace. The people do not even give what Edward has just said a thought, rather they declare, “the boy has gone mad.” Again many people are judging Edward based on his outer
Period 2
Ms. Zymajtis
Satire
September 18, 2014
Examining Satire In The Prince and the Pauper Society today has evolved and changed into a much different environment than society during the time of King Henry VIII. However, many similarities in manner and behavior still remain the same. Mark Twain describes the epitome of society, in his novel The Prince and the Pauper. The novel is set in 15th century England during the last days of King Henry VIII and the beginning of a rule by the new King Edward. The novel is about two boys, a prince, Edward, and a pauper, Tom, who look strikingly similar. The two boys meet by chance and decide to switch roles, as both are curious how the other lives. The novel depicts the journeys and …show more content…
Twain uses satire in the form of humor to expose the gap between the rich and the poor in 15th century England. Tom replies to Prince Edward’s question, “’They? Oh, dost think, sir, that they have servants?’ The little prince contemplated the little pauper gravely a moment, then said, ‘And prithee, why not? Who helpeth them undress at night? Who attrieth them when they rise?’” (Twain 24). Twain does an excellent job of showing the difference between the rich and the poor by comparing the many luxuries of the wealthy to the bare necessities of the poor. Edward naively asks Tom the whereabouts of his servants because he is unaware of the fact that not everybody gets the luxury that he has experienced throughout his entire life. Edward has special servants to help him undress at night and get dressed in the morning, whereas Tom barely has one pair of decent clothes to …show more content…
Edward, dressed as a pauper, orders one of the guards to open the gates, “The soldier that had maltreated Tom obeyed promptly; and as the prince burst through the portal, half smothered with royal wrath, the soldier fetched him a sounding box on the ear that sent him whirling to the roadway and said, ‘Take that, thou beggar’s spawn, for what thou got’st me from his Highness!’” (Twain 26). The prince’s own soldier is mistreating him due to the fact that he id dressed like a pauper. Despite the fact that Edward tells the soldier that he is in fact the real prince, the soldier does not even give Edward’s statement a thought due the way he appears. Edward is dressed as a pauper so he is being treated as one. Twain’s point of how people judge based looks rather than character is represented very well in this encounter between Edward and one of his soldiers. Edward rushes into palace as Tom is about to become King, “’I forbid you to set the crown of England upon that forfeited head. I am the king!’ In an instant several indignant hands were laid upon him…” (Twain 188) As soon as Edward, dressed as a pauper declares he is the king, many guards grab him and began to drag him out of the palace. The people do not even give what Edward has just said a thought, rather they declare, “the boy has gone mad.” Again many people are judging Edward based on his outer