Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Prince and the Pauper, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Appearances vs. Reality
Wealth, Poverty, and Morality
Justice
Nature vs. Nurture
Summary
Analysis
The crowd chases Edward into the heart of London but eventually they lose interest and leave. Edward, exhausted from running and threatening his pursuers, is lost and confused—but he hopes that he’ll find help when he realizes that he’s near Christ’s Hospital (a church turned charitable orphanage). A group of boys are playing outside the building and Edward orders one of them to go to their master and announce that Edward, Prince of Wales needs a word with him. Noting Edward’s clothes, the boys tease him, laughing and asking if he’s a messenger. At this, Edward gets mad and kicks one of the boys. In response, the group lifts Edward up and tosses him into a horse pond. Still, as the bloodied and muddy Edward wanders through the streets looking for Offal Court, he vows that when he’s king, the children at Christ’s Hospital will be educated as well as fed and clothed.
The boys at Christ’s Hospital are punishing Edward for claiming to belong to a social class that is over and above the class they think he’s from because of his clothes. As with the guards, the boys are unable to reconcile what Edward is saying with how Edward looks. Despite being humiliated and hurt by the boys, Edward determines to make their lives better when he’s king, which is another indication of Edward’s compassion and desire to help others.
Themes
A hand reaches out and grabs Edward by the collar as he wanders through the street. The man who grabs Edward says he’ll beat the boy for not bringing home any money, or else his name isn’t John Canty. Edward is surprised at first but he recognizes the name: John is Tom’s father and he can help restore Edward. John is baffled by this and he starts making another threat, but Edward interrupts and begs him to take him back to the palace because he’s the Prince of Wales. John is again stunned but he says that he and Grammer Canty will be able to straighten the boy. John drags Edward to the Canty home.
John is Tom’s father—presumably that means he would presumably be able to tell the difference between his son and someone who just looks like him. However, John seemingly lacks any real parental instinct because he doesn’t love Tom, which prevents him from noticing any small difference in mannerisms between Edward and Tom.
Themes
