101 pages • 3 hours read
The False Prince
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Symbols & Motifs
Carthyan Lore
Carthyan history and lore play an essential role in The False Prince. To become Prince Jaron, the boys must understand the historical roots and struggles of the country. From diplomatic relations with neighboring countries like Avenia, to the regent system that advises the king’s court, the boys learn the customs and practices that have colored Carthya. Their history lessons show Carthya’s political situation and place in the world: “Fortunately for us, few cities in Carthya can be considered major, so it [is] easy to learn them. Unfortunately for Carthya, their contributions to the country are equally unimpressive” (83).
These lessons also foreshadow the reason Jaron goes into hiding as Sage: “‘Mistress Havala said that Eckbert was a peaceable ruler, at all costs. Carthya has avoided war for generations’” (205). It is later revealed that Eckbert is even willing to send away his own son to avoid war. The development of a rich country lore supports the plot and the theme of patriotism that run through the book.
Violence
The story world of The False Prince is riddled with violence. From the opening chapters, it is clear that Sage and his fellow orphans are subjected to regular physical harm: “His laughter [is] quickly followed up with a kick to my back that chase[s] my breath away. I [curl] into a ball, prepared for a beating I [am not] sure [I’ll] live to regret” (2). Learning is never easy and often involves suffering: “Valuable lessons [are] code words for pain that no one apologize[s] for. [I’ve] gotten enough of them for a lifetime” (89).
It is a testament to the cruelty of the world Sage occupies that his friend Mott helps torture him when Conner sends Sage to the dungeon. Even though Mott is acting on Conner’s behalf, it does not detract from the cruelty of his actions.
Poverty
Sage, Roden, and Tobias are all orphans, and their existence prior to Farthenwood is one of abject poverty, in which food, clothes, and shelter are not always available. This poverty underscores the disparity between the boys and the upper class, particularly when they reach Farthenwood. At nearly every turn, Sage and the boys need to be groomed on how to behave as upper-class people, thus making their challenge to fully embody Prince Jaron all the more difficult. Even the way they dress betrays their poor origins. As Sage struggles with a buckle on the clothes Conner has given to him at Farthenwood, his servant, Errol, says, “‘Not to offend you […] but it’s obvious you’ve never dressed in clothes such as these’” (78).
The motif of poverty also underscores how difficult the boys’ lives have been in the orphanages:“Food is considered a luxury in Carthyan orphanages. They operate on whatever money an orphan inherited upon the deaths of his parents, which is inevitably little more than the shirt on his back after debts [are] settled” (52). The opportunity Conner presents, insofar as it will ensure the boys will have the basic necessities of life, makes participation in the contest seem like no choice at all. The idea that people are driven not by fate but by dire circumstances is supported by the poverty seen throughout the book.
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By Jennifer A. Nielsen
