The Prince and the Pauper
Mark Twain
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
The swap
What leads Tom Canty and Prince Edward to change places, and what does each hope to find?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Tom imagine about palace life?
- What does Edward imagine about the life of the poor?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
What leads Tom Canty and Prince Edward to change places, and what does each hope to find?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Tom imagine about palace life?
- What does Edward imagine about the life of the poor?
How does Tom cope with being treated as a king?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of his judgements in court cases?
- Does power begin to change him?
What does Edward learn about his own kingdom from living as a beggar?
Keep the conversation going
- Which injustice he witnessed struck you most?
- How do these lessons change the kind of king he becomes?
Why does Miles Hendon protect a ragged boy who claims to be king?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of his own story of being disinherited?
- What does their friendship show about loyalty?
What does Tom's father represent in the book?
Keep the conversation going
- How does Tom's family life compare with Edward's?
- Who are the cruellest characters in the book, the rich or the poor?
What does the novel suggest about how much clothes and appearances make a person?
Keep the conversation going
- Why can't anyone tell the boys apart?
- Who sees through the disguise?
What did you make of Tom using the Great Seal to crack nuts?
Keep the conversation going
- How does the seal settle the question of who is king?
- What does that say about the trappings of power?
How has Edward been changed by the end, and does Twain think a good king can fix an unjust system?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Edward's reign of mercy suggest?
- How did you feel about Tom's fate?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.