According to H. Nichols Clark, The Two Culprits is the third picture Edmonds devoted to the subject of schoolboys. It bears both a moral overtone as well as a mirthful quality. The schoolmaster is depicted much in the same manner as Washington Irving's Ichabod Crane, and the overall image presents a realistic view of the educational system prior to the Civil War. The map on the wall of the schoolhouse was a favorite accessory of Edmonds' and its usage is derived from his appreciation of seventeenth-century Dutch painting. It is interesting to note that this tool for study is placed above the only studious boy, while chaos exists among the other students, aside from the two being punished.