The Prince and the Pauper is one of Twain’s first works of historical fiction, a subgenre of realism. Realism in all of its forms seeks to depict the lives of everyday people with clarity and accuracy. Historical fiction began in the early nineteenth century with Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley and has persisted as a genre until the present day. Historical fiction seeks to depict the customs, attitudes, and events of a given time period. Twain’s interest in realism is reflected in the use of dialect (including cant, or secret jargon) and specific historical locations in London, among other devices.
The Prince and the Pauper is also a children's novel, and a work of satire. Because it is meant to be a lighthearted, funny book, Twain is not too preoccupied with perfect accuracy in depicting historical characters or customs. His portrait of Henry VIII as a bratty but caring father, and his depiction of the fussiness of court manners, can be considered amusing inventions inferred from or based loosely on reality.
Considering The Prince and the Pauper as a work of children’s literature opens up interesting discussions about what Twain has chosen to include and exclude from the narrative. The Tudor period was one of extreme political violence, and the book doesn’t shy away from acknowledging that reality (e.g. continual references to the Tower of London, political executions, and the heads of religious and political dissenters staked on the London Bridge). Nor does Twain sugarcoat the family dynamics of the time, though he spares readers any graphic violence (consider the abuse that Tom endures at his father’s hands). Twain also focuses on class as a major theme throughout the novel, a fairly difficult topic to navigate with nuance even in literature aimed at adults. Perhaps this can be read as reflective of Twain’s commitment to realism—that while he refrains from graphic depictions of the above, he refuses to elide the complexities and violence of the era to mollify his audience. This decision-making reflects Twain’s respect for children and their capacity to understand the world around them.
