The story of The Little Prince continues to be a mainstay favorite of people of all ages; indeed, I don't know anyone who is well-read who has not heard of this classic story.
The story can basically be split into two parts: The first part is the brief introduction dealing with the narrator and his view of the world when he was a child (plus his drawings of the inside and outside of a boa constrictor) and how adults could never understand the real meaning of things or perceive truth in the world–only the superficial and the usual.
The Little Prince describes his journey from planet to planet, each tiny world populated by a single adult. It's a wonderfully inventive sequence, which evokes not only the great fairy tales but also monuments of postmodern whimsy whenever the author pokes fun at the following: a king, a conceited man, a tippler, a businessman, a geographer, and a lamplighter, all of whom signify some futile aspect of adult existence.
On another level, you can see the Little Prince's travels to other planets as an allegory throughout life. What are we seeking for? How do you know when we have found it? How do we lose what is important? The examples of self-absorbed adults, beginning with the aviator, provide many cautionary tales. "Don't you see– I'm very busy with matters of consequence!"
The rest of the book is the story of the Little Prince, whom the narrator discovers in the Sahara is trying to fix his downed airplane and is in fear of his life. The narrator and the reader slowly come to know the prince's story and learn about friendship, love and truth in a touching way. "To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand little foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world..."
The best parts are those dealing with the prince's relationship with his beloved proud rose (her four thorns are supposed to protect her from tigers) left on his planet and the prince's relationship with the wise little fox, who offers the prince his philosophical secret on life. "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
The Little Prince describes his journey from planet to planet, each tiny world populated by a single adult. It's a wonderfully inventive sequence, which evokes not only the great fairy tales but also monuments of postmodern whimsy whenever the author pokes fun at the following: a king, a conceited man, a tippler, a businessman, a geographer, and a lamplighter, all of whom signify some futile aspect of adult existence.
On another level, you can see the Little Prince's travels to other planets as an allegory throughout life. What are we seeking for? How do you know when we have found it? How do we lose what is important? The examples of self-absorbed adults, beginning with the aviator, provide many cautionary tales. "Don't you see– I'm very busy with matters of consequence!"
The rest of the book is the story of the Little Prince, whom the narrator discovers in the Sahara is trying to fix his downed airplane and is in fear of his life. The narrator and the reader slowly come to know the prince's story and learn about friendship, love and truth in a touching way. "To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand little foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world..."
The best parts are those dealing with the prince's relationship with his beloved proud rose (her four thorns are supposed to protect her from tigers) left on his planet and the prince's relationship with the wise little fox, who offers the prince his philosophical secret on life. "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
The boy's innocent, yet loyal relationship with the flower, leaves me with the question: Should we love only those whom are deserving of love, whom are capable of loving us back? Or do we love whole-heartedly whether we get love in return or not? And, how do we replenish the well of love if we keep giving out and do not receive it back?
The book holds many different levels of meaning. In fact, the wider your mind and heart, the more you will appreciate the story. But the narrower your mind and heart, the more you need this story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiUxtUV1o-s&feature=related
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