The Whipping Boy

The rising action of the plot, largely incited by Prince Horace’s decision to run away, escalates when he and Jemmy encounter their antagonists: two cutthroats named Billy and Cutwater. Throughout the plot, Billy and Cutwater will generate conflict by impeding the desires of both boys. Jemmy wants to quietly slip away to safety and freedom, while Prince Horace wants an adventure. Billy and Cutwater physically restrain the boys, literalizing the way the boys felt trapped in their unhappy lives in the castle. After only a small taste of freedom, Jemmy and the prince quickly find themselves stripped of control. This conflict might reflect the nature of life in a time period in which social hierarchies were rigid and difficult to escape; as much as they try, neither Jemmy nor the prince can simply be free to live their lives. This conflict might also reflect one’s relative lack of power during childhood and adolescence; the prince tries to rebel against his controlled, structured life, but he quickly ends up a different kind of prisoner.

By having Billy and Cutwater work as a team (even a largely incompetent one), Fleischman mirrors and pushes the dynamic between Prince Horace and Jemmy. The boys must work together because they are faced with not one, but two, opponents. The pairing of the two criminals also highlights the theme of Friendship Overcoming Differences and reflects the prince’s loneliness. Throughout the novel, characters of lower rank, such as Jemmy and the criminals, easily form bonds and work with others, in contrast with the isolation and loneliness experienced by the prince. Prince Horace can afford almost any luxury, but the one thing he can’t purchase for himself is community, whereas even humble criminals seem to obtain it.

While they are antagonists, Billy and Cutwater are not particularly frightening villains. They are portrayed as somewhat bumbling and comical; for example, when Cutwater points out that neither he nor Billy knows how to write, Billy retorts that “I’ve seen it done” (19). Nevertheless, their presence creates dramatic tension. Their hideout also evokes a foreboding, gloomy mood: As the night turns to morning, “wisps of fog clung like tattered rags to the trees,” and the boys find themselves in “a rickety timbered hut with a moldy thatched roof” (15). The simile comparing the fog to tattered rags reinforces the rough nature of the criminals and creates a strong contrast with the luxurious setting of the castle.

Notably, this section introduces the motif of switched or confused identities, which will reoccur throughout the plot. As soon as the boys encounter the criminals, Jemmy realizes the urgency of hiding Prince Horace’s true identity, as “a prince would make a fine catch for these rogues” (14). Up until this point, the prince’s status as royalty has been a privilege that provides him with safety and comfort, but it now becomes a dangerous liability. Jemmy’s quick thinking temporarily protects him and the prince, and reveals his resilience and adaptability; these traits are likely linked to his childhood on the streets, where he would have likely encountered dangerous situations and been required to think on his feet.

Prince Horace, on the other hand, shows stubbornness and inflexibility in repeatedly asserting his true identity. Since the novel is narrated from Jemmy’s perspective, readers are likewise left wondering “couldn’t [the prince] see a plan afoot?” (21). The prince might be too arrogant to cooperate with Jemmy’s plan, or simply unable to work as a team because he never learned this skill.

After Jemmy’s initial attempt to hide Prince Horace’s identity fails, he must resort to switching their identities, confusing the two criminals into believing Jemmy is the prince, and that the prince is a whipping boy. This plot twist drives the rest of the plot, and also relates to the theme of Wealth Versus Poverty—exploring the arbitrary distinctions of social class. The fact that, without markers like fine clothes and social rituals, strangers can’t tell the two boys apart reveals that they’re not that different, and that there’s no real reason why the prince should live a life of luxury and privilege while boys like Jemmy live in poverty.

Moreover, Jemmy makes a more convincing prince than Prince Horace; in a different political system, people might prefer to be governed by Jemmy, who is better at problem-solving and more compassionate than the prince. Jemmy’s schemes are significant because they show his altruistic nature; even though he justifiably dislikes the prince, Jemmy doesn’t want to see him suffer and is willing to “trick these mangy outlaws into letting the prince go” (20).

Literacy plays a significant role in the confusion between Jemmy and Prince Horace, revealing the role it can play in social mobility. While Billy and Cutwater aren’t particularly bright, they note the discrepancy that “this ignorant whipping boy knows his letters—and the royal prince can’t sign his own name” (21). Education has historically been withheld from certain groups to limit their power and agency; for example, when slavery was legal in America, some states passed laws prohibiting the education of enslaved people.

Jemmy is able to trick the criminals because he possesses a skill (literacy) that is often used to differentiate social class; however, this skill can be learned by anyone who is willing to put in the work, further eroding the idea that there are inherent differences between royalty and members of other social classes. Jemmy also uses socially encoded “code-switching” to trick the criminals. He varies his diction, grammar, and tone in order to play the part of a prince pretending to be a whipping boy, as well as the part of an arrogant prince who says things such as “a paltry treasure […] how dare you insult me?” (25). Because Jemmy has experienced different social situations, and is intelligent and observant, he can rapidly adapt to different circumstances.