"The Prince and The Pauper" is a satirical short story set in 16th century England, written by the master of short stories, Mark Twain. This is the same basic modern day children's story we know today, elaborated and lengthened by this classic storyteller. As we all know the story tells of the royal prince (Edward Tudor) and the lowly pauper (Tom Canty), their eventual role reversal and the problems it creates. In this version Twain shows how ones environment can change one's personality, and how personal experiences can change things learned during one's upbringing. .
During Edward's time spent as Tom Canty, his poor surroundings produces an everlasting change in him. As opposed to always getting the grandest of everything, Edward comes to know the joys of the simpler things in life. During his homeward venture he spends one of his nights sharing a stall with a young calf, underneath the cover of what Edward would have once thought of as filthy stench infested rags in the form of horse blankets. Twain shows the change wrought in the boy when he writes, "; he was warm, he was sheltered; and in a word, he was happy."(162) .
Edward is also able to overcome the influences of his father's tyrannical and bloodthirsty rule through his experiences as part of the downtrodden population. Throughout his journey Edward comes in contact with many victims of his fathers vicious rule, a few examples are a farmer who lost an ear as a result of begging for food for his starving daughters, an old spinster sentenced to hang for stealing a piece of yarn, and in specific two kind, gentle women who the prince was forced to witness burn at the stake for committing no other crime than being a Baptist. Through suffering and learning from these people Edward was taught much compassion and sensitivity for the common folk, and he carried these experiences with him throughout his eventual reign as king, a reign of mercy and kindness.
