Under the pen name of Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens mocks the British monarchy under the facade of a child's fairytale. He dedicates his short novel to the young minds of adolescence, and yet it falls nothing short of a mature purpose. This converted American steamboat pilot constructs a novel disguised as a whimsical tale of adventure, but reminds his American audience of the privileges and superiorities that the justified democracy supplies. He creates a social and political satire in his historical masterpiece, The Prince and the Pauper, which has hidden depth, meaning and purpose that show how democracy is superior to England's pompous and corrupt monarchy through each character and event.
             The historically accurate accounts of England's history play an important role in the novel by building a believable basis for Twain to begin an adventure. At birth, the main characters, Tom Canty and Edward Tudor, are represented in completely opposing situations that introduce the main conflict in Britain's society. "All of England wanted," the birth of a royal baby boy to be the heir of England for numerous reasons. Historically, King Henry VIII went through multiple wives until one succeeded in conceiving a male heir. King Henry wanted a son, so his name would continue to rule, but his people wanted another king to reverse the cruelties of the laws and punishments and reform the church. Although the rich were incredibly pompous, they did not know or care about the ongoing atrocities of the people who were not divine. On the other end of the economy and society, Tom's poor family "did not want him." While Tom Canty is regarded as a burden to his family, Edward Tudor is considered a boon to his. Twain includes historical allusions and many interesting details of sixteenth-century British history to give the novel credibility and authenticity, as well as, intrigue. He alludes to Benvenuto, a prominent...