How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Within was a comely boy, tanned and brown with sturdy outdoor sports and exercises, whose clothing was all of lovely silks and satins, shining with jewels; at his hip a little jeweled sword and dagger […] (3.4)
What does this description of Prince Edward tell you? It tells you that he's rich enough to have leisure time and exercise, he can wear fancy fabrics because he doesn't have to work, and he can afford to have someone teach him to use a sword. Clothes may not reveal who a person is deep down, but they can sometimes reveal things about a person's social status.
Quote #2
"Oho, wouldst like it? Then so shall it be. Doff thy rags, and don these splendors, lad! It is a brief happiness, but will be not less keen for that. We will have it while we may, and change again before any come to molest." (3.59)
This is where Edward and Tom swap clothes. But that's not all they're doing: by changing their appearances, they're also swapping positions in life. Why is that so easy to do? What does this tell us about the validity of judging people based on their appearances?
Quote #3
A few minutes later the little Prince of Wales was garlanded with Tom's fluttering odds and ends, and the little prince of Pauperdom was tricked out in the gaudy plumage of royalty. (3.60)
Why do you think the narrator calls Tom the prince of Pauperdom? Does it mean that he is sort of stand-in for all paupers everywhere? Or does it mean that because he's somewhat educated and has a lot of dreams, he's already different from the other paupers? Or does it mean something else entirely?