‘Classical story’ is invariably shorthand for ‘I ripped off this plot from somebody else who already did it better’. I have never read The Prince and The Pauper, nor seen the film, but clearly I had read a blurb for it in the back of one of my beloved Puffin Classics and this is my unique take on it. Sigh.
I feel that Jane and Gina may have had some unique form of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome whereby Gina monopolised all the hair. Clearly being homeless and miserable has a terrible effect upon your hair, not to mention your ability to apply mascara; though judging by the state of their mother, this may be inherited. Why is the homeless girl bothering with eye makeup and red nail polish anyway? Also, wouldn’t she have sold the bit of bling around her neck for food or drugs by now?
I do not understand why Gina’s fantastically rich adoptive parents only adopted the one twin. This makes no sense. Was deadbeat mother with the identically tiny wonky mouth insisting on hanging on to Jane? Or was there another set of prospective parents lobbying to bring one up in poverty, and social services thought ‘yeah, this will make an interesting social experiment’?
I love that Jane’s home (a.k.a. cardboard box) is attached with a wriststrap, presumably so that nobody will steal it. Obviously it is much more valuable than the Love Locket. I don’t exactly get how the Love Locket is constructed, when you close it won’t the heart be hanging side on to the chain rather than facing front? Where is the hinge? Had I never seen an actual locket?
Aw, poor Gina. Luxury is always empty, isn’t it? OK, so obviously her adoptive parents are totally evil and her legs are abnormally short and she has no knees (well, I am assuming this based on Jane’s appearance, but maybe Jane sold her knees for drugs) but still, girlfriend, look at your fabulous bouncy voluminous hair!
And wow, their parents. If that was my true identity, I wouldn’t want it. No wonder Gina has substituted them with a string of on-trend blue plastic beads, to match the earrings hanging from the side of her skull. WHY DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO EARS.
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