The Little Prince Le Petit Prince n n

The Little Prince Le Petit Prince n n n Author: Antoine de Saint Exupéry 1943, Novella Illustrated by the author Best-Seller: Translation over 180 Languages; 80 million copies Adapted into musicals, operas, animations, movies

Theme n n n Profound and idealistic points about life and human nature. Saint Exupéry tells of meeting a young extraterrestrial prince in the middle of the Sahara. Their conversations reveal his own views about the follies of mankind and the simple truths that people seem to forget as they grow older.

Title Character The Little Prince n n Leaving his home planet and his beloved rose, the prince journeys around the universe, ending up on Earth. Frequently perplexed by the behavior of grownups, the prince symbolizes the hope, love, innocence, and insight of childhood that lie dormant in all of us.

Narrator n n A lonely pilot befriends the little prince. They spend eight days together in the desert before the little prince returns to his home planet. After the little prince departs, the narrator feels both refreshed and saddened.

Character 1 The King n n On the first planet the little prince visits, he encounters a king who claims to rule the entire universe. While not unkindly, the king's power is empty. He is able to command people to do only what they already would do

Character 2 The Conceited Man n n The sole resident of the second planet the little prince visits. The conceited man is lonely and craves admiration from all who pass by. However, only by being alone is he assured of being the richest and best -looking man on his planet.

Character 3 Tippler n n n n "I am drinking. " "Why are you drinking? " demanded the little prince. "So that I may forget, " replied the tippler. "Forget what? " inquired the little prince. "Forget that I am ashamed, " the tippler confessed, hanging his head. "Ashamed of what? " insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him. "Ashamed of drinking!" "The grown-ups are certainly very, very odd. "

Character 4 The Businessman n n Too busy even to greet his visitor, the businessman owns all the stars. Yet he cannot remember what they are called and contributes nothing to them. The Prince owns the flower and volcanoes on his planet because he cares for them and they care for him. Because one cannot maintain the stars, he argues, the Businessman cannot own them.

Character 5 The Lamplighter n n At first, the lamplighter appears to be yet another ridiculous character with no real purpose, but his selfless devotion to his orders earns him the little prince's admiration. The following is the Little Prince’s comment on this character:

“It may well be that this man is absurd. But he is not so absurd as the king, the conceited man, the businessman, and the tippler. For at least his work has some meaning. When he lights his street lamp, it is as if he brought one more star to life, or one flower. When he puts out his lamp, he sends the flower, or the star, to sleep. That is a beautiful occupation. And since it is beautiful, it is truly useful. ”

Character 6 The Geographer n n Spending all of his time making maps, but never leaves his desk to explore (even his own planet). He doesn't trust things he has not seen with his own eyes, and even doesn't believe the explorer’s report.

The Baobabs n n n Pose a great threat to smaller planets if left unchecked. They can squeeze whole planets to pieces with their roots. Although baobabs have no malicious intentions, they represent the grave danger that can befall people who are too lazy or indifferent to keep a wary eye on the world around them.

The Rose n n n Fails to show her love to the little prince and consequently drives him away. Simultaneously vain and naïve, she occupies the prince's thoughts and heart. The prince still loves her deeply because of the time he has spent watering and caring for her. Because of the rose, the prince learns that what is most essential is invisible.

The Fox “Please--- tame me!” n n Although the fox asks the little prince to tame him, the fox is more knowledgeable than him, advising him about what is important in life. Even though the prince's departure causes the fox great pain, the fox behaves unselfishly, encouraging the prince to act in his own best interest.

n n Genuine Friendship Tame---to establish ties. The fox sums up three important lessons: Only the heart can see correctly The prince's time away from his planet has made him appreciate his rose more. Love entails responsibility.

Questions for Discussion n 1. Why do some people see the first picture as a simple hat, while others think it represents an elephant inside a boa constrictor? What is the meaning of these different perspectives? 2. Discuss the rose's behavior. Why doesn't the rose tell the little prince that she loves him? Why does he continue to love her? 3. Why is the fox so eager to be tamed by the little prince? If he already knows how to tame himself, why does he need someone else to do it for him

Questions for Discussion n What differentiates adults from children in The Little Prince? Is the distinction simply one of age, or is it based on something else? n Children as innocent and truthful Adults as corrupt and dull, lacking creativity and imagination. For the little prince, the most important things in life are invisible and mysterious. He constantly asks questions & searches for spiritual truth.

The Fox and the Child