100
Twains health failed him after Jeans death. On 21 April 1910, he sank into a coma, his heart failed and he died in his bed. Samuel Clemens died at age
74 and was buried next to his wife and children at Woodlawn Cemetery, in Elmira, N.Y. At the same time of Twains death, Halleys Comet reappeared in the April
skies. Twain often said the he would go out with the comet.” Remarkably, his prediction came true. He was known and respected throughout the world as a
humorist during his life, and since his death, his reputation has only grown. Today, Mark Twain is known as a great writer as well as a humorist and American icon
http:www.hannibal.nettwainbiography
B. Plot Summary
Mark Twain’s The Prince and The Pauper tells a story of two young boys who were born on the same day and very similar in physical appearance, but lived
in different social background. The Prince, Edward Tudor, lived in an extremely rich family. On the other hand, Tom Canty lived in a very poor family.
Tom Canty lived in a poor neighbourhood in Offal Court, out off Pudding Lane. He is the only son of a beggar and thief, John Canty. Different from Tom
Canty, Prince Edward Tudor lived in a rich family, might be the richest family in England, because he is the son of King Henry VIII, the King of England. Tom
always dreamt to meet the real prince. He met Father Andrew who taught him Latin and told him about the life of royal families. His imagination and his ability
led him to be able to copy the lesson from father Andrew, and he began to talk and behave as the way the royals talk and behave.
101
His desire to meet real Prince led him traveled so far out of his place and met Prince Edward. After, passing their interesting conversation, Tom and Prince
Edward decided to exchange their position and experience the life of each other. Finally, Tom could feel the life in the palace. Even later he met some
inappropriate thing such as some punishment that violate the humanity; for example, the final execution of boiling to death, beheaded or hanged.
On the other hand, Edward’s life outside the palace was really tough, especially because he was not used to poverty and inconveniences. His
stubbornness of keep introducing himself as the Prince of Wales, the King’s son, only led him to get mocking from the public. His ‘adventure’ outside the palace,
apart from getting himself some troubles also helped him to learn that there were loads of injustices on the English laws authorized by his late father, King Henry
VIII. Fortunately, in his hard journey, King Edward met a kind person, Miles
Hendon, who protected him in his journey. Edward met the vagabonds; consist of beggars, thieves, robbers, slaves, deceiver, and etc. Therefore he realized the life
of his own subjects, since he was in the Christ’s church. In this gang he realizes what the law had done to them. They got injustices from the law, and it also
happened to the lawyer that he met in prison. The Prince realized that his father has done too far in using his authority including in religion aspect, as he met the
hermit who attempted to kill him. King Henry VIII separated the English church from the Rome.
“The Prince and the Pauper” was satirizing the English laws in the sixteenth century, not only under the reign of Henry VIII, but also the reign of
102
Mary. Many of the criticism are regarded to the final execution such as boiling to death, beheaded or hanged, that violate the humanity, and also the in appropriate
usage of authority that interfere in religion aspect also.
C. Pictures
