A Journey into the Joys of Childhood
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is a timeless novel written in 1943, during World War II. While it may seem like a simple children’s story at first glance, it’s full of symbolism and deeper meanings. For example, the rose represents love and vanity, while the fox represents friendship and trust. As the fox tells the little prince, “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” It captures the reader’s attention due to its engaging plot and detailed narrative, which enhance the storyline.
into an aristocratic family with four children. During his childhood, he dreamt of flying and became a pilot. Coincidentally, he also crashed into the Sahara Desert as a pilot. The rose that the little prince loves is based on his wife, Consuelo. The author wrote this novella to feel less lonely and to make adults realize what was most important: their childhood. Even when everything was dark during World War II, he still wrote a novella about the sense of wonder.
The story begins with a pilot who crashed into the Sahara Desert and, as a young child, dreamed of being a painter. However, his dreams never became reality because adults constantly dismissed them, saying he should focus on academics. When he drew an elephant in a boa constrictor from the outside, the grown-ups answered, “Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?” This sets the scene for the reader to believe that adults have no imagination and children will always have to clarify for them. After the pilot crashes into the arid desert, he meets the little prince, a young boy who came from another planet, Asteroid B-612, in search of how to love his rose, a plant he had fallen in love with. The pilot soon learns about the little prince’s travels and listens to his stories about traveling to other planets inhabited by arrogant and eccentric men. For instance, the tippler (drunkard) drinks because he is ashamed of drinking. Also, the businessman believes he owns the stars simply because he was the first to come up with that idea. In the end, the little prince goes back home to his asteroid, while the pilot leaves the desert on his repaired plane.
One of the most emotional parts of this story the little prince’s affection for his rose, who he tended to back on his asteroid. On Earth, the little prince meets a garden full of roses and then feels betrayed because he realizes that his rose lied about being the only one of her kind. With the assistance of a friendly fox, he comes to understand that his rose holds a unique significance for him and that no other roses can have the bond they share. These lessons remain relevant to our lives today. Children can learn to be more grateful when it comes to their loved ones.
The novel is best suited for those who feel they’ve lost touch with their childhood or who wish to reflect on their former selves. Other novels that relate to childhood, wonder, and resilience are The Chronicles of Narni by C.S. Lewis andMatilda by Roald Dahl. Although The Little Prince seems childish, it is full of meaningful lessons about curiosity and friendship.