The Whipping Boy

“It’s no fun if you don’t bawl!”

Prince Horace is visibly bothered by Jemmy’s lack of reaction whenever the “whipping boy” takes a beating on his behalf. Jemmy is suffering but doesn’t cry out, which makes the prince angry. This quote shows that Prince Horace takes pleasure in the suffering of others, and sets the stage for later character development. It also establishes the boys’ dynamic, one in which Jemmy finds subtle ways to regain power and control.

“The prince learned nothing. The whipping boy learned to read, write, and do sums.”

This quote reveals Jemmy and Prince Horace’s contrasting opinions on the value of education. Because Prince Horace is spoiled, he doesn’t see the value of learning new skills. Jemmy’s life on the streets has taught him the value of being resilient, adaptable, and making the most of any situation. Even in his unhappy life as a whipping boy, he seizes the opportunity to benefit from the prince’s tutors. The contrast in the boys’ education sets the stage for a reversal of class dynamics, as upper-class characters tend to be more educated (due to their resources).

“Why me? Jemmy thought. Can’t you find a friend to run off with?”

When Prince Horace announces that he is running away and demands that Jemmy join him, Jemmy is confused. He does not yet understand how lonely the prince is, or his own status as a surrogate friend. Jemmy’s confusion about the prince’s lack of friends reveals that he doesn’t truly know the prince, and lacks the understanding he will later develop.

“Me friend’s muddle-headed, he declared. His paw’s nothing but a rat-catcher.”

Jemmy attempts to trick criminals Billy and Cutwater into believing both him and Prince Horace are lower-class, as he knows this will make them less valuable (and less of a target). To achieve this effect, he speaks with an exaggerated dialect. However, Prince Horace continually asserts his true identity—thus complicating Jemmy’s plan.

“He had even brought a China plate, a silver spoon, and a silver knife for himself.”

When Billy and Cutwater pilfer Prince Horace’s bag, Jemmy is startled to see that rather than bringing any functional items, the prince packed luxuries. The quote reveals that in spite of his stubbornness, the prince is sheltered. This realization prompts Jemmy to become protective of the prince.

“His pesky hide hardly seemed worth saving, but a scheme had leaped into his head.”

When Prince Horace starts complaining that he doesn’t know how to write, Jemmy realizes that he has an unusual opportunity to trick Billy and Cutwater. Jemmy’s plan benefits not just himself, but also the prince: If the criminals think Prince Horace is a commoner, they will be more likely to let him go. The quote shows that while Jemmy doesn’t think fondly of the prince, he is still willing to help him.

“My mere weight? A paltry treasure you could carry on a shoulder? How dare you insult me!”

Jemmy yells at Billy and Cutwater in order to solidify his deception as Prince Horace. He pretends to be outraged and offended at the small ransom the criminals are asking for, mimicking the arrogant and entitled behavior that lower-class characters would expect from royalty. He uses elevated diction (with “paltry” meaning “insufficient”) and traditional grammar to frame himself as well-educated.

“Did Prince Brat have sand for brains? Gaw! Didn’t he realize he could snatch up his crown and go free?”

Jemmy grows more exasperated with Prince Horace’s refusal to cooperate. In this quote, he’s succeeded in tricking Billy and Cutwater, and they give the prince a chance to escape, but the prince won’t play along. The quote shows Jemmy’s irritation with the prince, and their vastly different opinions of their current situation. Jemmy knows that they are in danger, and is focused on getting to safety, whereas Prince Horace is adamant on not returning to the castle.

“Could he, for once, be concerned for someone other than himself?”

Jemmy tries to understand Prince Horace’s motive for refusing to go home. He begins to wonder if the prince is reluctant to leave him alone with criminals. Jemmy is uncertain if this hypothesis is correct, but the fact that it occurs to him shows that he has become capable of seeing the potential for goodness within the prince.

“A thoroughbred of the streets, Jemmy acted on instinct. He didn’t wait to be nabbed.”

Jemmy springs into action after Prince Horace betrays his hiding place to Cutwater. The quote contains an ironic metaphor referring to Jemmy as a “thoroughbred”; this term refers to someone from an illustrious, well-protected bloodline (often a horse, but also potentially someone like royalty). This term doesn’t reflect Jemmy’s origins, but it does speak to his instincts and quick reactions. Jemmy’s background ultimately gives him better survival skills than someone like Prince Horace.

“‘I dismiss myself,’ Jemmy fired back.”

Jemmy and Prince Horace argue over whether or not they should part ways. The prince claims that Jemmy can’t leave because he hasn’t been dismissed from his role, and Jemmy retorts that he’s dismissing himself. This quote shows that outside of the castle, the boys’ dynamic has shifted; nothing is forcing Jemmy to obey the prince.

“I might as well be stuffed and hung on the wall like a stag’s head—for all he notices me.”

Prince Horace speaks this quote when Jemmy suggests he go home since his father must be worried. This quote provides insight into why the prince is unhappy with his life, and why he acts out. The prince doesn’t think his father cares about him, and therefore doesn’t think his behavior matters. By comparing himself to a hunting trophy, Prince Horace feels purely “ceremonial”—as a king is expected to have a son and heir.

“He’d dreamed of seeing the prince whipped, but now that it was happening he found no satisfaction in it.”

As Billy and Cutwater whip Prince Horace, believing him to be a servant, Jemmy watches in distress. The quote shows that Jemmy has a strong sense of empathy, and that he’s developed a bond with the prince. Because of his own suffering, Jemmy doesn’t want to see anyone else experience the same pain.

“But gaw! There was a cast-iron streak of pluck in him.”

Jemmy marvels at Prince Horace’s unexpected toughness while being whipped. The metaphor of “cast-iron” reflects the prince’s strength in not crying out while enduring physical pain. It also contrasts with the gold associated with royalty, such as the prince’s golden crown.

“‘And humble myself?’ muttered the prince. ‘You never did.’”

Prince Horace speaks this quote when Jemmy notes that he didn’t cry out during his whipping. The prince makes it clear that he modelled his behavior after Jemmy, showing that he feels admiration and respect for Jemmy’s courage and tenacity. This comment marks a shift in the boys’ dynamic, as their relationship moves from one of antagonism to mutual respect.

“This was his turf, the city, and he knew more places to hide than a rat.”

Jemmy feels relief when he and Prince Horace return to the outskirts of the city. This quote uses the imagery of a rat to both reference Jemmy’s rat-catching (which he learned from his father) and indicate his street-smart nature. He can readily navigate urban spaces and find what he needs.

“He’d never regarded fetching and carrying as a privilege. Princes and such-like were hard to fathom!”

Jemmy is surprised by Prince Horace’s eagerness to help with meal preparation. For the pampered prince, physical tasks are novel and help him feel useful. Jemmy has always seen this kind of labor as a burden, and the quote shows how different activities can carry different meanings depending on the context of an individual.

“He would miss the shelves of books he’d left behind in the castle. In the sewers, he hadn’t been aware of his own ignorance.”

This quote occurs after Jemmy insists on returning to life on the streets; after making the claim, he realizes it isn’t entirely true. Education has been the most transformative part of Jemmy’s life in the castle. Even if he returns to rat-catching, he will never be the same person he was. The quote indicates that Jemmy may no longer be suited for the life he once led.

“It felt friendly…trusting. I may introduce the practice at court when I become king.”

Prince Horace speaks this quote after shaking hands with someone for the first time. He’s never experienced such a practice before, because it’s illegal for common people to touch royalty. However, the prince likes being treated as an equal. The quote is also significant because the prince references a future in which he becomes king, showing that he is aware of his responsibilities.

“A mighty terror, they say, is Prince Brat. Pity us the day he becomes king, eh?”

An elderly woman selling milk at the fair speaks this quote; she has no idea that Prince Horace is within earshot. The quote shows that the prince is widely known for his bad behavior, and that the people of the kingdom worry that his behavior as a boy foreshadows the kind of ruler he will eventually be. This quote pushes the prince to confront the consequences of his entitled behavior, and reconsider his reputation.

“Was it clothes that made a prince, Jemmy wondered, just as rags made a street boy?”

This quote occurs at the fairgrounds, where Prince Horace walks around with no one recognizing him. Because the prince is dressed in rags, it never occurs to anyone that he might be royalty in disguise. The quote reveals that Jemmy’s experiences with the prince are making him more attuned to the arbitrary nature of systems of privilege—just as Prince Horace is learning from him.

“This wasn’t the same Prince Brat who’d run away the night before, bored with his own meanness and haughtiness and cruelty.”

While navigating the sewers with Prince Horace, Jemmy starts to feel admiration for the prince. The boys’ relationship has developed, with the prince in particular maturing. This quote shows that Jemmy’s perception has shifted, and he has grown to appreciate the prince and his growth.

“The prince seemed suddenly to rebel at being chased down like a sewer rat.”

This quote occurs at the novel’s climax, when Prince Horace distracts Billy and Cutwater into entering the tunnel where the most vicious rats live. Throughout the boys’ experience of being pursued by the two criminals, Jemmy has mostly reacted defensively, prioritizing escape. However, the prince’s arrogance turns out to benefit the boys, because he acts more assertively and vanquishes the criminals once and for all. The simile comparing the act of running away and hiding to the behavior of rats plays with the novel’s class paradigm, as Jemmy has spent his life hunting rats, and now behaves like a rat being hunted.