Themes in The Prince and the Pauper

<Tab/>Mark Twain had said that The Prince and the Pauper was a tale for young people of all ages. Primarily, it is a children's book, and the dominant themes running through the books are of childhood fairy tales: death of a parent, cruel substitute parents, abandonment, lost identity, and injustice. However, the two most major themes represented by the book are that of lost identity and confronting injustice with righteousness …

…sixteenth century England was a time of superficial thinking where one's status and clothes determined the way one was treated. Tom was treated well, in spite of him being "insane" because he was thought to be the prince. Edward was treated harshly because he was considered a pauper and was poor. Toward the conclusion, one hopes that through all the experiences Edward had of being a Pauper, he will rule England with justice and mercy.