A Literary Analysis of The Little Prince

The book of The Little Prince is a novel written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Saint-Exupéry wrote and illustrated the manuscript during the summer and fall in 1942.

According to Shattuck in 2005, he produced almost half of the writings he would be

remembered for, including a tender tale of loneliness, friendship, love and loss, in the

form of a young prince fallen to Earth in the midst of personal upheavals and failing

health. An earlier memoir by the author recounted his aviation experiences in the

Sahara and he is thought to have drawn on those same experiences for use as plot

elements in The Little Prince. It is full of philosophical ideas and realities of life that one

can read about the novel. The story shows that people do find the truth by seeking it

with their hearts and minds, rather than just paying attention to what they can see on

the surface.

The Little Prince leaves his planet because his relationship with the rose is

difficult. He cares for his flower but the rose very often gives him a bad conscience. He

has this passionate love for the rose but it didn’t end in a happy ever after. However,

they still showed the greatness of love with each other which is very interesting.

The relationship of the fox and the little prince is a unique and sincere form of

friendship. When the fox asked the little prince to tame him, the little prince asked what

he means by that, the fox answered him that they will come to something and will need

each other. Though for the little prince, he is just a fox like the other fox, after the fox is

tamed, the prince and the fox became unique for each other.

The relationship of the pilot and the little prince deals with maturity of people.

They had a conversation about grown-ups where the pilot expressed his complains

about the elders. They were somewhat a stranger to each other but in the end, they

became friends and discussed about realities of life such as those drawing of a sheep in

the box. In real life, it is about controlling people in such a manner that you tie them for

you to control over.

Even though the snake the little prince encounters in the desert speaks in riddles,

he demands less interpretation than the other symbolic figures in the novel. The snake

also has less to learn than many of the other characters. The grown-ups on the various

planets are too narrow-minded for their own good, and the prince and the narrator edge

closer to enlightenment, but the serpent does not require answers or even ask

questions. In fact, the snake is so confident he has mastered life’s mysteries that he

tells the prince he speaks only in riddles because he can solve all riddles. In a story

about mysteries, the snake is the only absolute. His poisonous bite and biblical allusion

indicate that he represents the unavoidable phenomenon of death.

We learn that the little prince lives on an asteroid named B-612, which is as big

as a house. On it, there are three tiny volcanoes that come up to his knees: two are

active, and he uses them to warm his breakfast; one is extinct, and he uses it as a

footstool. And most importantly, on his planet is a flower that he loves.

On the first planet that the little prince visited, he encountered a king who claims

to rile 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.

The sole resident of the second planet the little prince visits. The vain 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.

The third person the little prince encounters after leaving home is a drunkard,

who spends his days and nights lost in a stupor. The drunkard is a sad figure, but he is

also foolish because he drinks to forget that he is ashamed of drinking.

A caricature of grown-ups who is the fourth person the little prince visits. 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. Although the little

prince comments on the oddity of the grown-ups he meets, the businessman is the only

character the prince actively chastises.

The fifth and most complex figure the prince encounters before landing on Earth

is the lamplighter. 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

admiration. Of all the adults the little prince encounters before reaching Earth, the

lamplighter is the only one which he thinks could be his friend.

The sixth and final character the little prince encounters before he lands on Earth

is the geographer. Although the geographer is apparently well-read, he refuses to learn

about his own planet, saying it is a job for explorers. He recommends that the little

prince visits Earth and his comments on the ephemeral nature of flowers reveal to the

prince that his own flower will not last forever.

The story of The Little Prince shows that people do find the truth by seeking it

with their hearts and minds, rather than just paying attention to what they can see on

the surface. The Little Prince is full of sad things and about innocence. Sure, there’s joy

too, and friendship, and love, and understanding but all of that is touched by sadness,

especially once we get to the end of the book. Every time the characters come closer to

understanding, they come closer to loss. Usually, it’s not until the characters say

goodbye or part, that they realize their love for one another. The flower doesn’t tell the

prince she loves him until they say goodbye. Similarly, even though the fox wanted to

be tamed, he didn’t know the full pleasure/pain of it until the prince left him. And the

narrator is no exception. By the time the narrator writes down his story, it’s been six

years since the prince left him behind. Although he can hear his friend’s laughter in the

stars, that’s not the same as hearing it in person.

References: www.newyorker.com/books/page.../the-strange-triumph-of- the-little - prin ce

http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-strange-triumph-of-the-

little-prince

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince#Background

Northwestern Visayan CollegesCollege of Education

Kalibo, Aklan

A Partial Fulfillment inPhilosophy 1

A Literary Analysis of The Little Prince

Presented By:Shiela Ann Neron

Student

Presented To:Ms. Rebecca T. Barrios

Instructress