The Little Prince, pondered upon.

1. Saint-Exupéry wrote The Little Prince in New York as World War II raged in Europe, and after his homeland had been captured by the Nazis. Are there any symbols that are particularly evocative of war and exile?

Not exactly war but most markedly are the baobab trees which are described as dangers that could possible strikes if no full attention is given on. Other than that, is the Turkish astronomer whose discovery has been ignored depicts the racial discrimination and prejudice in today’s world.

2. What differentiates adults from children in The Little Prince? Is the distinction simply one of age, or is it based on something else?

In the Little Prince, not only ages that distinguishes adults from children but the mindset. Grown-ups see things in a more realistic way and have narrow-minds. They lack imagination and that is why they can’t appreciate the beauty of the world. In addition, adults like to judge people through their physical appearances. On the other hand, children find every single thing is worth to be discovered and be pondering upon on. Their innocence and purity of heart are what enable them to love the beauty of nature and life itself.

3. When the narrator and the prince search for a well, the narrator appears finally to understand the lessons that the prince has related to him. What does this say about the morals of the novel?

The true beauty of a certain thing lies deep underneath it that one could not see with naked eyes but only could experience that beauty with the heart. When one thought that one had full understanding on a certain issue, there is always more to learn.

4. Why does the little prince want to return home? Why isn’t his friendship with the pilot enough to make him stay? Can the way he returns to the heavens be interpreted as a suicide?

He has a commitment towards the flower he loved in his planet. He is worry about her safety that she only has 4 thorns to protect herself against the entire world. The way he returns to the heavens are not considered as a suicide, because it is only his body that is damaged by the snake bite, his soul however remained pure and unharmed.

5. Discuss the themes of time and death in The Little Prince. How does the prince learn to appreciate the time he has with his loved ones better, and how does it affect his relationships with them?

It is the time we spend together with our loved ones that contributes in maintaining a close bond of relationship. The little prince doesn’t fear death all because he wants to go back to his planet and take care of his flower. This portrays human does not fear death if death itself is for a good deed. After been told the secrets from the fox, the little prince learns to appreciate the time he devoted on his flower. This greatly strengthens the bond between him and his flower.

6. Why do some people see Drawing Number One as a simple hat, while others think it represents an elephant inside a boa constrictor? What is the meaning of these different perspectives?

Some people lack imagination and take things for granted. They are less likely to see the inner beauty or aspect of things because they often judge them physically. On the contrary, some people like to examine things carefully and let their imagination run wild and thus they get to discover ideas that the previous group of people won’t found out in their entire life.

7. 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?

The rose likes to speak first before the little prince. She is very demanding that he have to carry out many things to please her, such as surrounding her with a screen and covering her in a glass dome. The little prince continues to love her because it was his responsible that once he tamed her, there develops a relationship and commitment between him and the rose.

8. 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?

The fox feels his life is monotonous and wants somebody to be his companion. The little prince would cherish his life. He knows how to tame himself, however he needs another party in order to tame him. This is because the process of taming is about two people become more special to one another and surely it requires 2 parties. Thus,one alone is impossible to tame oneself.

9. Symbols and metaphors are present throughout The Little Prince. Why do you think Saint-Exupéry choose to tell this story in such figurative language?

In my opinion, Saint-Exupéry choose to narrate the story in this way so that for children, they could easily understand the wisdom that author is trying to impart by using concrete objects such as stars, flowers, people which they encounter during their everyday life in such a way that, they can relate easily the knowledge they gained in the story with these existing objects.