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Chapter 15
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Prince and the Pauper, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Appearances vs. Reality
Wealth, Poverty, and Morality
Justice
Nature vs. Nurture
Summary
Analysis
As the hour for dinner approaches, Tom realizes he’s not as scared as he was before. The morning’s successes have built up his confidence, and he is getting used to his new life. The dining hall is beautifully decorated and full of uniformed guards. A chronicler records how servants come in to set the table and then the nobility file in according to rank. Finally, Tom walks in with his guards. He is very graceful and he doesn’t think about his actions, which makes them seem natural. Tom confidently greets the people and then sits down. Yeomen bring in one dish after another and tasters take one bite of each dish. Hundreds of people watch as Tom eats, and he is very careful to follow protocol. After Tom finishes and he walks out of the room, Tom realizes that the ordeal wasn’t as hard as he thought it’d be.
Tom seems to fit in with the nobility as soon as he stops thinking about every little action he does or word he says, which reveals that Tom has natural grace and competence that most people think a beggar can’t possibly have. For the first time, Tom is free to do as he wishes without being mocked or abused, which helps grow his confidence and develop a stronger sense of self.
Themes
Literary Devices
