Mark twain`s criticism on the english nobles` life in the 16th century in the prince and the puper - USD Repository

  

MARK TWAIN’S CRITICISM ON

TH

  

THE ENGLISH NOBLES’ LIFE IN THE 16 CENTURY IN

THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER

A Thesis

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education

  

By

Ria Prasetya

Student Number: 03 1214 104

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

  

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

2007

  

Statement of Work’s Originality

  I honestly declare that this thesis which I wrote does not contain the works or part of the works of other people, except those cited in the quotations and bibliography, as a scientific paper should.

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  Yogyakarta, August 13 , 2007 The writer

  Ria Prasetya

  

“Is life worth living? This is a question for an

embryo, not a man.” Samuel Butler (1835-1902) British writer, painter, and musician

  

“Lif e is n ot a burden that makes us feel that

we have to struggle because of it. But, Life is a bless i ng that we have to struggle for it.”

  Pras I dedicated this thesis to everybody who struggles in search of truth for their life and others.

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First, I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my Lord Jesus Christ for His great blessing, His guidance, His protection and His will, all the things that I need in my life so that I can pass every moment of my life nicely. He has given me love, strength and spirit through the people surrounds me. He also has given me strength and spirit so I can finish my thesis. Without His blessing I could never have finished my thesis.

  I would like to express my great gratitude to my lovely parents, my father Yohanes Gatot Prasetya Kuntjara and my mother Maria Mimin Mujiwiyani, for their love, attention, trust and understanding, and support to me. I also would like to thank them for giving me a chance to know the beauty of the world; it means a lot for me. My special thanks go to my two little brothers, Andre and Fran, who have made my life more colorful with their presence and love. I also would like to thank my wonderful friend, Niken, for her love, understanding, patience and spirit, including the spirit that helps me finish my thesis.

  I would like to express my special gratitude to my major-sponsor Henny Herawati, S. Pd., M. Hum., and my co-sponsor Drs. L. Bambang Hendarto Y., M.

  Hum., for their patience, attention and time, guidance, suggestion, corrections and encouragement that helps me much in finishing my thesis. I also would like to thank all my lectures in English Education Study Program for the knowledge and skills of English, and also the lesson of life that they gave to me.

  I would like to thank the people that support me much, my closest friends Sonny, and Robert for their amazing friendship during my life in Yogyakarta, my best friends in campus Haryo, Vendi, Febri, Galih, An, and Dudi for their support, and their help they have given to me during my study, my play-mates Mas Danis, Mas Dewan, and Anton for the good time in Yogyakarta. I also would like to thank the late pak Muryono who allowed me to live in this comfortable boarding house.

  Finally, I would like to thank everybody who I cannot mention one by one for their help in my life in Yogyakarta and for their help in my study and especially in finishing my thesis. Everything that they gave to me means so much to me. May all His blessing, His guidance, and His protection be with them.

  Pras

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE i PAGES OF APPROVAL ii STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY iv PAGE OF DEDICATION v

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi TABLE OF CONTENTS viii

  ABSTRACT xii

  ABSTRAK

  xiv

  CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A.

  1 Background of the Study B.

  4 Problem Formulation C.

  4 Objectives of the Study D.

  4 Benefits of the Study E.

  5 Definition of the Terms

  CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A.

  7 Review of Related Theories 1.

  7 Critical Approaches 2.

  8 Setting 3.

  9 Character and Characterization

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B. Century

  11 Review of England in the 16 1.

  11 The Society Systems

  1)

  12 King Henry VIII (1491 - 1547)

  2)

  14 King Edward Tudor VI(1537 - 53)

  3)

  15 Queen Mary I (1516 - 1558) b.

  16 The Law c.

  16 The Society 2.

  18 The Nobles a.

  18 The Clothing b.

  20 The Housing c.

  20 The Food d.

  21 The Life 3.

  22 The Common People a.

  22 The Clothing b.

  23 The Housing c.

  23 The Food d.

  25 The Life 4.

  26 Social Values a.

  26 Monarchy b.

  28 The English Poor Laws C.

  29 Theoretical Framework

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY A.

  31 Subject Matter B.

  31 Approach of the Study C.

  32 Method of the Study

CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS A. Tom Canty’s Life and Prince Edward Tudor’s Life

  70 c.

   The Food

  68 2.

   Nobles’ Manner

  69 a.

   Rude

  69 b.

   Arbitrary and Tyrannous

   Greedy and Cunning

   The Housing

  73 d.

   Arrogant

  75 3.

   Nobles’ Cruelty

  76 a.

   Torturing Innocent People

  76

  67 c.

  35 1.

   Tom Canty’s Life

   In the Palace

  37 a.

   In the Offal Court

  37 b.

   In the Palace

  43 2.

   Prince Edward Tudor’s Life

  51 a.

  52 b.

   The Clothing

   Outside the Palace

  55 B.

   Mark Twain’s Criticism on the Nobles’ life in the

  16 th Century through Prince Edward Tudor and Tom Canty

  64 1.

   Nobles’ Life Style

  65 a.

  66 b.

  4.

  80 Nobles’ Ways of Governing a.

   Ignoring the Common People’s Needs and Rights

  81 b.

  85 Interfering the Church

  CHAPTER V. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A.

  87 Conclusions B.

  89 Suggestions 1.

  89 Suggestion for Future Researcher (s) 2.

   Suggestion for the Teaching Reading II Using Literary Work

  89 BIBLIOGRAPHY

  94 APPENDICES

  97

  

ABSTRACT

  Prasetya, Ria. (2007) Mark Twain’s Criticism on the English Nobles’ Life in the

  th

16 Century in The Prince and The Pauper. Yogyakarta: Faculty of

  Teachers Training and Education, Department of Language and Arts Education, English Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

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  This thesis deals with Mark Twain’s criticism on the nobles’ life in the 16 century in Mark Twain’s The Prince and The Pauper. Mark Twain’s The Prince and The Pauper tells the adventure of the two young boys, Prince Edward Tudor and Tom Canty, who exchange their position. This novel describes the social life

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  of the common people in England in the 16 century, and reveals the nobles’ life

  th in the 16 century.

  In this thesis, there are two problems formulated that are going to be discussed related to the topic of this thesis. First is how Tom Canty’s life and Prince Edward Tudor's life are described in the novel. Second is how Mark Twain criticizes the English Nobles’ life through the characters of Tom Canty and Prince Edward Tudor.

  Based on the two problems above, this study uses a library research to find out data. There are two kinds of sources in order to get the data used in this study; the primary data is the novel, The Prince and The Pauper, and the secondary data are from some books related to the theories and the internet. The books used as the secondary sources are books on theories of literature and books on history of England. While from the internet, the data are related to the biography of the

  

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writer and the history of England in the 16 century.

  The socio-historical approach is used in this study, in order to gain the

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  information about the society life of England in the 16 century. The theories of character and characterization are also used in this thesis to reveal the character traits of Prince Edward Tudor and Tom Canty. The theory of setting is used to reveal the setting of the story where the two main characters experience in.

  Tom Canty and Prince Edward Tudor are two people born on the same day who are looked alike in physical appearance and they have similar character traits also. The two main characters who have a contrasting life backgrounds are experiencing a different life in their adventure, which reveals the English social

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  life. Mark Twain criticizes the English nobles’ life in the 16 Century in The Prince and The Pauper through the characters of Tom Canty and Prince Edward Tudor.

  Mark Twain criticizes nobles’ life style, nobles’ manner, nobles’ cruelty and nobles’ ways of governing. He uses some ways to convey his criticism. First, Mark Twain conveys his criticism on the nobles’ life through Prince Edward Tudor. Mark Twain uses four ways in delivering his criticism through Prince Edward Tudor. He conveys his criticism through Prince Edward’s manner, Prince Edward’s opinion and speech, Prince Edward’s adventure outside palace and by describing the Reign of Edward VI. Second, Mark Twain conveys his criticism on the nobles’ life through Tom Canty. Mark Twain uses three ways in delivering his criticism through Tom Canty. He conveys his criticism through Tom Canty’s poor

  In the last part of this thesis, there are two suggestions. The first is the suggestion for the next researcher(s) who will work on The Prince and The Pauper. The second is the suggestion for the teaching of Reading II using literary works.

  

ABSTRAK

  Prasetya, Ria. (2007) Mark Twain’s Criticism on the English Nobles’ Life in the

  th

16 Century in The Prince and The Pauper. Yogyakarta: Fakultas

  Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Program Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Universitas Sanata Dharma. Skripsi ini berhubungan dengan kritikan-kritikan Mark Twain pada kehidupan para bangsawan Inggris di abad 16 seperti yang tertuang dalam salah satu novel karya Mark Twain yaitu The Prince and The Pauper. Novel karyanya ini, The Prince and The Pauper, menceritakan kisah tentang petualangan dua anak laki-laki, Pangeran Edward Tudor dan Tom Canty, yang bertukar posisi satu sama lain. Novel ini menggambarkan keadaan kehidupan sosial rakyat jelata di Inggris pada abad XVI, dan mengungkapkan kehidupan para bangsawan pada abad tersebut.

  Dalam skripsi ini ada dua pertanyaan yang akan menjadi bahan diskusi berhubungan dengan topic skripsi ini. Pertama mengenai bagaimana kehidupan Tom Canty dan Pangeran Edward Tudor digambarkan dalam novel. Yang kedua mengenai bagaimana Mark Twain mengkritik kehidupan para bangsawan Inggris melalui Tom Canty dan Pangeran Edward Tudor.

  Berdasarkan dua pertanyaan tersebut, pembahasan dalam skripsi ini menggunakan metode studi pustaka dalam pencarian data-data. Terdapat dua macam sumber yang dipakai untuk mendapatkan data yang dipakai dalam skripsi ini; sumber utama yaitu novel The Prince and The Pauper, dan sumber penunjang yaitu dari beberapa buku mengenai teori-teori dan dari internet. Buku-buku yang digunakan sebagai penunjang merupakan buku-buku mengenai teori-teori literature dan buku-buku mengenai sejarah Inggris. Sedangkan data-data yang berasal dari internet berhubungan dengan biografi pengarang dan sejarah Inggris pada abad 16.

  Metode pendekatan sosial dan sejarah digunakan dalam studi ini dengan tujuan untuk mendapatkan informasi mengenai kehidupan sosial Inggris pada abad

  16. Teori karakter dan karakterisasi juga digunakan dalam skripsi ini untuk membantu mengungkap sifat-sifat dari tokoh Pangeran Edward Tudor dan Tom Canty. Teori seting digunakan untuk mengungkap seting cerita dimana kedua tokoh utama mengalaminya.

  Tom Canty dan Pangeran Edward Tudor adalah dua orang yang lahir di hari yang sama yang mempunyai keadaan fisik dan juga sifat-sifat yang sangat mirip. Kedua tokoh utama yang sesungguhnya mempunyai latar belakang kehidupan yang sangat berbeda mengalami kehidupan satu dengan yang lain dalam petualangan mereka, yang mengungkapkan kehidupan sosial di Inggris pada abad XVI. Kedua, Mark Twain mengkritik kehidupan para bangsawan Inggris di abad 16 seperti yang tertuang dalam The Prince and The Pauper melalui tokoh Tom Canty dan Pangeran Edward Tudor.

  Mark Twain mengkritik para bangsawan antara lain gaya hidup mereka, sikap maupun tingkah laku mereka, kekejaman mereka, dan pemerintahan dari para bangsawan. Pertama, dia menggunakan tokoh Pangeran Edward Tudor. Pangeran Edward Tudor. Dia menyampaikannya melalui tingkah laku, pendapat dan perkataan, dan petualangan pangeran Edward Tudor diluar istana, serta dengan mengungkapkan keadaan pemerintahan dimasa Edward VI. Kedua, Mark Twain menggunakan tokoh Tom Canty. Dia menggunakan tiga cara dalam menyampaikan kritikannya melalui Tom Canty. Dia menyampaikannya melalui kehidupan miskin Tom Canty, pendapat dan perkataan Tom Canty, dan melalui petualangan Tom Canty didalam istana.

  Pada bagian akhir dari skripsi ini, terdapat dua saran. Saran yang pertama diperuntukan bagi (para) peniliti selanjutnya yang akan menganalisa novel yang sama. Saran yang selanjutnya diperuntukan bagi pengajaran Reading II dengan menggunakan karya sastra.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION In this chapter I would like to provide the background information of the

  study. This chapter includes background of the study, problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition of the terms.

A. Background of the Study

  Literature with its development already has produced a large number of literary works. There are so many kinds of literary works, such as poems, short stories, and longer stories which are usually called novels. The development of literature cannot be separated from the development of social life. Social life gives great contribution to the development of literature. That is why most of the literary works are affected by the social life.

  One of the literary works which is affected by social life is Novel. In the nineteenth century, in some countries where the famous authors could be found, like in America, England, France, and others, the popular themes of most novels at that time were about royal families. The themes were influenced by the social background at that time, which mostly still dominated or had some inheritance of the life of royal families.

  The history of England became one of the most popular themes in the literary works because the writers were aware of the wealth of the history of England. England and its history had inspired some writers to write their literary life at that time. The stories were about the kings, the princes and the knights who lived in the palace, and also the life of the common people itself.

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  In the 16 Century, the English Nobles lived in luxurious surroundings, had great authority, different from the life of the common people who did not have the luxury and authority. Therefore, the stories were about the life of the royal families and the life of the common people. Mostly the writers criticized the life of the royal families or the nobles’ life, because at that time the nobles often did the wrong things and lived inappropriately (Carter 61).

  The nobles used their authority to fulfil their ambition to have a bigger territory and authority. They used all possible ways to achieve their goals, for example by oppressing the poor, slandering the rivals, and others. Therefore, it is reasonable that there were so many writers who were encouraged to criticize the nobles’ life. Earl of Warwick (John Dudley) is one of the nobles who lived in the reign of Edward VI. This nobleman represented the actual behavior of the nobles in the real life. Warwick attempted to increase his position by persuading Edward

  VI to create him as Duke of Northumberland. He also slandered Duke of Somerset to get higher position as Lord Protector of the Realm and Governor of the King's Person. Duke of Somerset, Edward’s uncle, was in that position (Black 119).

  One of the writers who was interested in the life in England and inspired by the life in England in the age of kings is Mark Twain. Mark Twain used the theme to criticize the social life, especially on the nobles’ life in the sixteenth century. One of his novels, entitled The Prince and the Pauper (1882), tells the life of English people both the royal families’ life and the common people’s life.

  The Prince and the Pauper is one of Twain’s most strong thematic novels.

  Thematically, Mark Twain was particularly interested in contrasting the life of the rich with the life of the poor, the life of the nobility with the life of the lower classes. The title of the novel “The Prince and the Pauper” itself shows a strong contrasting background of the two major characters, Edward Tudor and Tom Canty. The first chapter of the novel describes the births of the Prince and the Pauper:

  …, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, who lay lapped in silks and satins, unconscious of this fuss, not knowing that great lords and ladies were tending him and watching over him-and not caring either. But there was no talk about the other baby, Tom Canty, lapped in his poor rags, except among the family of the paupers whom he had just come to trouble with his presence (2).

  Tom Canty and Prince Edward Tudor are the main characters who are used by Mark Twain to criticize the English nobles. Edward Tudor is a prince, whose life has been extremely guarded and luxurious, while Tom Canty is a pauper, who comes from the lowest ranks of society and whose life has been very hard.

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  The setting of this novel is in England in the 16 century, in the reign of King Henry VIII. At that time, there was a big gap of the life of the nobles and the common people. In this novel, Mark Twain really wants to show the gap between the two major characters. Mark Twain presents the story of the prince and the pauper alternately. For example after he tells the story of the prince in a chapter or more then in the next chapter he switches to the story of the pauper and then back to the story of the prince again and so on. He describes how hard the condition of England in the novel where the nobles are also taking a part in that hard condition his criticism on the nobles’ life that causes a hard condition in England through the characters of Tom Canty and Edward Tudor.

  B. Problem Formulation

  The problem discussed in this study can be formulated in the two questions stated as follows:

  1. How are Tom Canty’s life and Prince Edward Tudor's life described in the novel?

  2. How does Mark Twain criticize the English Nobles’ life through the characters of Tom Canty and Prince Edward Tudor?

  C. Objectives of the Study

  The objectives of this study are to answer the two questions which are stated in the problem formulation. The first objective is to describe how Tom Canty’s life and Prince Edward Tudor's life in The Prince and the Pauper are. To find the answer of this question, the analysis will focus on the two major characters, Tom Canty and Prince Edward.

  The second objective is to reveal how Mark Twain criticizes the English nobles’ life through the characters of Tom Canty and Prince Edward Tudor. To find the answer this study will focus on the Tom Canty’s and Prince Edward’s life.

  D. Benefits of the Study

  This study attempts to find out the meaningful value of life presented in them to have a better understanding of the story while reading this novel by considering the socio-historical background of the story. Therefore it can lead the readers to a better appreciation on the literary works.

  For other readers or researchers who conduct a study on the same novel, this study can be used as a reference. So, other researchers who will conduct a literary study can use the result of this study as a consideration in the future works in literature.

  This study is also expected to be useful for the English students. Through this study, the students may have a better understanding about the story and the values of life that can be portrayed. This study also can help them in learning the English culture, so that the students can increase their comprehension about the English culture.

  This study also gives benefits to me as the thesis writer; this study gives me meaningful values of life and new knowledge of the English culture and its history. Therefore that new knowledge helps me to have better understanding on this novel and better appreciation of the literary works.

E. Definition of the Terms

  In this part I would like to clarify some important terms, to avoid misunderstanding. I would like to clarify two terms. The first is criticism and the second is nobles.

  1. Criticism The first term is criticism. Wikipedia’s critic defines “Criticism in general intended purposes, as opposed to the authoritarian command, which is meant as an absolute realization of the authority's will, thus not open for debate”. In other words, criticism is the activity of informed interpretation and almost exclusively refers to disagreement. However, in a literary context the term criticism usually refers to a judgement which attempts to understand the aesthetic object in depth.

  2. Nobles The second term is Nobles. Noble means a class of hereditary who acquired their rank through holding a high state office (Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc.). In other words, noble means a class of high rank people who hold a high state they acquired their rank by inheritance since their birth or by their services to the King or their country. According to Tregidgo (73), “The government of Britain has for many centuries been shared by three supreme authorities: the Monarch (i.e. the King or Queen), the Lords (i.e. the hereditary nobility), and the Common (i.e. ordinary people)”. In this context, the nobles are the people who are described by Tregidgo in the first and the second social classes; they are the Monarch and the Lords.

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE In this chapter I would like to discuss all theories that will be the basis of

  analyzing the novel. This chapter covers review of related theories, review on

  th England in the 16 Century, and theoretical framework.

A. Review of Related Theories 1. Critical Approaches

  In exploring certain literary works and having a better appreciation to the works, Rohrberger and Woods Jr. (6-15) offer five approaches. They are the formalist approach, the biographical approach, the sociocultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach.

  The formalist approach concentrates on the importance to comprehend the total integrity of the literary object. Esthetic value is the main concern. The critics try to demonstrate the harmonious involvement of all the parts to the whole by pointing out how meaning is derived from structure and how matters of technique determine structure. The biographical approach is used when an appreciation of the idea and personality of the author is intended to an understanding the literary work. Therefore, when we are using biographical approach we are expected to learn as much as possible the life of the author and to apply this knowledge to understand the writing. The sociocultural-historical approach insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization as the attitudes and attitudes and actions as its subject matter. The mythopoeic approach is used to discover certain universally recurrent patterns of human thought, which they believe that they find some expression insignificant works of art. The psychological approach involves effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns. This approach leads to the exploration of the unconscious area of the human mind, which led to the conclusion that it was this area that was the wellspring of man rich imagination, his capacity for creation and the complexity of his thought, behavior, and that the contents of his region of the mind found expression in symbolic words, thoughts, and actions.

2. Setting

  According to Robert and Jacob (191) setting refers to “the natural and artificial scenery or environment in which characters in literature live and move”.

  In studying the setting of story, according to Robert and Jacobs (191), our first concern should be to discover all the details that conceivably form a part of setting, and then to determine how the author has used these details. Robert and Jacobs propose the six uses of setting: The first concerns setting and credibility, which lead to realism or verisimilitude to make the action credible. The second concerns setting and statement, in which the author makes statements much as a painter uses certain images as ideas in a painting. The third concerns setting and character, which are designed to help to shape readers’ ideas of characters. The fourth concerns setting and organization of which the goal is to move a character from one setting to another. The fifth concerns setting and atmosphere, which are present as an element of concurrence, agreement, reinforcement, and strengthening of character and theme. In other words, the setting may create an environment that is the opposite of what actually occurs in the story.

  Kenney (41) divides setting into two types. The first is neutral setting, which refers to nothing but the setting itself and it does not influence the characters and the plot of the story. The second is spiritual setting which has special characteristics that differ from other settings. According to Kenney, spiritual setting includes “the value embodied in or implied by physical setting”. This kind of setting is not only a physical setting but also its custom, tradition, faith and value. Therefore in this study the second type of setting is applied because it includes the custom, tradition that can affect the character.

3. Character and Characterization

  Character, according to Abrams (20), means “an imagined person who inhabits a story and it shows a distinctive type of person”. The second meaning is “all the mental or behavior traits of a person; the sum of psychological traits” English (83). While according to Stanton (17), the term of character may refer to two meanings. The first meaning of character is the individual who appears in the story. The second meaning of character is the description of attitude, interest, desires, emotion, and moral principle of individuals.

  Henkle (88-100) divides the character into two kinds of characters, the major and the secondary or minor character, in order to distinguish between those of prominence in the novel. The major character not only deserves the fullest meaning that build the expectation and desires, which in modification shift the values upon the major character. On the other hand, the minor character performs more limited functions less complex than the major character, and presents what is only one side of the experience. The minor character function is as foils to support the major character.

  Van Spruiell and Abend’s Theory of Character states that character represents “the regularities in one person's behavior as observed by another, a pattern of related activities”. It thus represents “the singularity or uniqueness of a person, and hence his predictability”. In another sense character represents “a type of person, hence the placement of an individual in a group of supposedly like individuals”. In both senses, character arises in the mind of the observer.

  While characterization, according to Baldick (34), is the presentation of persons in narrative and dramatic works. This may include direct methods like the attribution of qualities in description or commentary, and indirect (or dramatic) methods that invite readers to infer qualities from characters’ action, speech or appearance.

  Robert and Jacob (56) have four different ways to convey the information about the characters in fiction. First is what the characters themselves say and think. In this method the author expresses the character traits through what she/he says, whenever she/he speaks, whenever she/he is in conversation with another character, and whenever she/he gives opinions and ideas. Second is what the character does. Here, the author gives readers an insight into the character through the action of the character in the story. The third is what other character says about the eyes and opinion of another. The last is what the author says about them. In using this way the author speaks as a storyteller or an observer. The author describes the characters directly.

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B. Century Review of England in the 16

  It is important to review the historical background of The Prince and the

Pauper in analyzing this novel in order to have a better understanding of the novel.

  It is related to the socio-historical context of England in the reign of King Henry

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  VIII in the 16 century. This part contains of the society systems, the nobles, the common people and the social values.

1. The Society Systems a. The Government

  Chrimes (11) states that the Government of England officially and legally is His Majesty’s Government (the king and the crown). Therefore, Tregidgo (73) describes that the government of Britain had for many centuries been shared by three supreme authorities: the Monarch (i.e. the King or Queen), the Lords (i.e. the hereditary nobility), and the Common (i.e. ordinary people). The monarch, according to the hierarchy, consisted of the king, the queen and the prince. The title of prince belonged to the king's eldest son, who was called Prince of Wales. The king's younger sons were called after their names, like Lord Henry or Lord Edward.

  While the Lords, according to the hierarchy, consisted of the dukes, the the monarch or come to that honour by being the eldest sons or highest in succession to their parents. For the eldest son of a duke during his father's life was an earl, the eldest son of an earl was a baron, or sometimes a viscount. The monarch got their original donation and condition of the honour for good service done by the first ancestor.

  The nobles have great influence to the government. According to Wikipedia’s Nobility, in many countries the nobility dominated great social and political importance. Therefore it also happened in England, that the English Government was dominated by the nobles until the twentieth century, with no

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  exception it also happened in the 16 century. In the 16 century, the nobles not only have influence in political and social aspects, but also in the religion aspect.

  There were a lot of noblemen who tried to influence the government’s policy. Carrie’s England and Scotland in the Sixteenth Century states about the Duke of Northumberland’s policy which arranged to move English policy in a more Protestant direction. In the reign of Edward Tudor VI, John Dudley (Earl of Warwick) represents the actual behavior of the nobles in the real life. Jeremy Black in A New History of England states:

  The Crucial new figure was John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, who became Lord President of the Council 1550-1553, and Duke of Northumberland in 1551. A member of Henry VIII’s service nobility, he was representative of general aristocratic views on economic regulation and social policy, in being uninterested in either (119).

  Duke of Northumberland tried to influence the government policy not only in political and social aspects, but also in religion aspect.

1) King Henry VIII (1491 - 1547)

  Henry VIII, the second monarch of the House of Tudor, ruled England from 1509 until his death. Henry VIII was the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Many significant pieces of legislation were made during Henry

  VIII's reign, including the several Acts which separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church (Morgan 240-7).

  Henry and Parliament finally threw off England’s allegiance to Rome in an unsurpassed burst of revolutionary statute-marking: the Act of Annates (1532), the Act of Appeals (1533), the Act of Supremacy (1534), the First Act of Succession (1534), the Treasons Act (1534), and the Act against the Pope’s Authority (1536). The act of Appeals proclaimed Henry VIII’s new imperial status—all English jurisdiction, both secular and religious, now sprang from the king—and abolished the pope’s right to decide English ecclesiastical cases. The Act of Supremacy declared that the king of England was supreme head of the Ecclesia Anglicana, or Church of England—not the pope (Morgan 246-7).

  There were a lot of people who disagreed towards the Act of Supremacy, which established related to the Roman Catholic Church law about his divorce, and those people were cruelly executed. “The victims of the act, who were in reality martyrs to Henry’s vindictive egoism, were cruelly executed in the summer of 1535” (Morgan 247). Henry forced the clergy to admit his position in the English church.

  Henry, however, ordered the clergy to make explicit admission that they had broken the law and that their gift was offered for a royal pardon of their offence. They were also told to style the King ‘Protector and Supreme Head of the English Church and Clergy’. Opinion in convocation was divide, but eventually a compromise formula was accepted, in which the clergy acknowledged the king as ‘their singular protector, only and supreme lord, and, as far as the law of Christ allows, even Supreme Head’ (Lockyer 55).

  Henry were described as a king who was very autocratic in temper and high-handed in methods, and were not shy, on occasions, of straining and even perverting the law in order to get his own objectives (Chrimes 120). Kent McCroskey’s English Occupation states that he was a king who is infamous for his cruelty. Henry, the greatest nobleman in his reign, liked to spend his time for his own pleasure. “During the first years of his reign, Henry VIII seemed willing to devote himself to enjoyment, spending freely the hard-won treasure of his father.

  He seemed content in those early days to let others govern for him…” (England and Scotland in the Sixteenth Century).

  Wikipedia’s Lady Jane Grey describes that Henry VIII’s policies actually were also affected by his own noblemen. No wonder, several Protestant nobles had become wealthy when Henry VIII closed the Catholic monasteries and divided the Church's assets among his supporters. John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, figured prominently among the Protestant nobility.

2) King Edward Tudor VI (1537 - 53)

  Edward ruled England at the age of nine from 1547 to 1553. He was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. He was the third monarch of the House of Tudor and England's first ruler who was Protestant. Edward's council was first led by his uncle, Edward Seymour, the Duke of Somerset who also served as his ‘Lord Protector of the Realm and Governor of the King's Person’ (Lockyer 107-20). Then the Duke of Somerset was sent to prison by John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, who wanted his position. “Somerset was allowed to retain his authority. Northumberland, fearing his influence, caused him to be arrested at the council board. He was tried, condemned, for treason, and executed” (Carter 61).

  Edward VI ruled in a short time, he died on 6 July 1553 at the age of fifteen. While the Duke of Northumberland wanted to prolong his position and his influence in the England government. He persuaded the King in the name of God to take Lady Jane Grey who was also a Protestant as his successor. Therefore, actually Lady Jane Grey was ordered to marry Northumberland’s fourth son (Lockyer 120).

3) Queen Mary I (1516 - 1558)

  Mary brought to her throne in 1553 in the age of thirty- seven after the dead of Edward VI. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The opening of her reign was marked with the execution of the Duke of Northumberland, Lady Jane Grey and her husband (Lockyer 121-2).

  Morgan (260) states that Mary got the throne of England because of she cheated by executing Lady Jane Grey.

  Mary tried to turn England Church back to Roman Catholic Church. This effort was carried out by force, and hundreds of people were executed, that is why she was called ‘The Bloody Mary’.

  Between February 1555 and November 1558 just under three hundred men and women were burnt for heresy. The punishment of death by burning was appallingly cruel one, but it was not this that shocked contemporaries—after all, in an age that knew nothing of anaesthetics, a great deal of pain had to be endured by everybody at one time or another, and the taste for public executions, bear-baiting and cock-fighting suggests a callousness that blunted susceptibilities (Lockyer.127).

  Many of them who were executed were common people. “The list of martyrs under Mary includes only nine who were described as gentlemen. Just over a quarter of those burned were in holy orders; the rest came from the lower levels of English society, and included weavers, fullers, shearman, tailors, hosiers, cappers, husbandmen, labourers, brewers and butchers” (Lockyer.127). Some of the gentlemen were the Protestant Leader. Queen Mary died in 1558 after she spent long time in coma in her palace of St. James.

  b. The Law

  Law was tribal custom, or folkright, to which the king was subordinate in every respect, as any other member of the folk. He might, and on occasion did, find it necessary to declare, with the express or tacit assent of the ‘wise man’ of his realm (the witan), what the law was on certain points, and even to commit such declarations to writing. (Chrimes 73).

  th In the 16 century, the English Law strongly depended on the King.

  According to Carrie’s England and Scotland in the Sixteenth Century, the king established the royal council and the Parliament. The king also could call his council and Parliament on special occasions or according to the king's pleasure. Then, the royal council and the parliament were in charge in determining the policy in England, including the laws, while it was also strictly depended on the king or by the king’s permission.

  c. The Society

  The English monarchy, like other contemporary monarchies, had ruled well by a strong and capable king. King Henry VII was not only strong and capable, but he was also a hardworking. Some surviving documents which related to his business of administration. His chief instrument of government was the royal council, which had in the fifteenth century been dominated by the nobles and was consequently ineffective. But the tradition had a little bit broken down after the end of the reign of Henry VII. The successor, King Henry VIII was a king who seemed willing to devote himself to enjoyment, and spending the treasure of his father. “Throughout the first half of his reign he devoted his days to hunting and his nights to feasting and love, content to leave routine administration and the formulation of policy to Wolsey” (Lockyer 33).

  In his reign, it seemed that Henry VIII let others govern for him while he wasted his time on pleasure (England and Scotland in the Sixteenth Century).

  Henry VIII only showed his desire on adventure, including on military adventure and he was also willing to be involved in the complicated diplomatic relationships of the Continental powers which violated the policy

  On the other hand, when talking about the common people, it is clearly understood that they were dominated by the poor. Life of the poor was very hard.

  Chrimes (63) states the common people or His Majesty’s subjects possessed no guarantees of freedom. The ‘rights of man’ were not guaranteed, nor even mentioned anywhere in English constitutional law. Therefore, the government in Tudor England became very concerned about the poor, because there were a lot more than the rich. Chrimes (64) states “the secret of English liberty rests on the fact that any subjects is entirely free to do what he likes and to say what he likes, provided only that he does not thereby break the law as it exists at any time”. His Majesty’s citizen or the common people had duties as well as rights. It was the duty of every citizen to contribute in overcoming the disorder, if they were called to do so by any lawfully constituted authority (Chrimes 66).

  The common inhabitant lived in poverty. They were used too little food and to saving extra bits of food. They had one set of rags that he wears until they fall apart. They expected to take care of themselves and to do things for themselves. They slept quite comfortably on straw, tossed in a pile on the floor.

  Tudor statesmen did not have to be told about the problems caused by agrarian change. Most of them were themselves landowners, and in London itself, the seat of government, the population was swelling rapidly as the beggars came to town. The stability of the Tudor state was threatened by these hunger marchers, and the government tried to stop them moving. An Act of 1495 ordered that vagabonds were to be sent back to their native parishes, and in 1501 the Justices of the Peace were made responsible for seeing that this was carried out (Lockyer 137-138).

  The poor were divided into three groups by the government. The first were called the ‘Impotent’ Poor. These would include the old, the sick, the disabled and children. The second group was called the Able Bodied Poor. This group would include the people who could work and wanted to work. Each member was meant to build a workhouse. The third group was known as Rogues and Vagabonds. This was a group which is targeted by the government, because this group consisted of people who could work but preferred to beg or steal (Lockyer 137-8) 2.

   The Nobles a. The Clothing th

  The noblewomen in the 16 century generally wore kind of clothes that covered them completely. The corset or the top part of the gown was generally was often some type of high collar. There were some ruffles in the women’s clothes. The collar that extends to the chin and usually would ruffle at the top.

  The sleeves were usually full from the shoulder to the elbow and then more tight from the elbow to the wrist. At the wrist the sleeves would open wide into a large ruffle. The gown usually contained a v-shaped point at the waistline and then expanded into a sort of funnel shape reaching the ground.

  The shoes which the women wore at the beginning period were not important because the gown usually reached down to the floor; the shoes often were almost not seen. They were used to wear some accessories. As for jewelry,

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