The Little Prince Essay Example
The Little Prince Essay Example

The Little Prince Essay Example

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First published in 1943, this renowned work of French literature has been translated into over 250 languages and dialects, including braille, ensuring that a wide range of readers can enjoy it. Its popularity is evident by its remarkable sales figures, with annual sales surpassing one million copies and total worldwide sales exceeding 140 million copies. This extraordinary achievement places it among the highest-selling books ever published. Additionally, it received acclaim in France as the best book of the 20th century.

The book "The Little Prince" tells the story of a pilot stranded in the desert who encounters a young prince that has arrived on Earth from an asteroid. This poetic and humanistic tale explores different philosophical ideas, specifically critiquing aspects of adulthood and society. The narratives in the book are

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simple yet effectively communicate deep moral lessons that are portrayed within a fantastical world. Despite being classified as a children's book, "The Little Prince" contains many philosophical statements by its author.

When the little Prince converses with the Wolf, it may be discussing an essential aspect of friendship. The story can be understood on different levels: Level 1: Descriptive or literal level. Sublevel 1: Literal Basic Sublevel. On this level, the reader can reproduce the explicit information provided in the text and identify key themes such as the wolf, roses, and uniqueness. For example, the wolf says, "Go and look again at the roses. You will see that yours is unique in this world."

The text discusses different levels of understanding a text. The first level is the literal level, where the text is taken at face value. The second level is

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the advanced level, which involves reconstructing or rephrasing the text to convey its basic meaning. An example is given where the wolf tells the little prince that his rose is unique. The third level is the interpretive and inferential level, where the reader recognizes that a text includes both explicit and implicit information.

The wolf's statement, "Go and look again at the roses. You will see that yours is unique in this world," suggests that the rose symbolizes a person, highlighting their individuality. It highlights the importance of valuing the people we have in our lives because each one is special. Despite encountering many individuals, no one can ever replace someone from our past. This understanding enables readers to analyze the text and develop well-founded opinions.

At this level, reading comprehension requires evaluation and draws upon the reader's background knowledge and past reading experiences. An example illustrating this is the phrase "Then the wolf said: Go and look again at the roses. You will see that yours is unique in this world." It serves as a reminder from a friend to appreciate the value of an individual in one's life. This quote emphasizes not overlooking a person's unique qualities, even if some may be seen as flaws, as these are what truly define someone.

Although we may try to replace someone who has left our lives with others or a new person, it is impossible to fully duplicate them. Nobody can replicate your uniqueness or mine, and our absence will never be completely filled. Our differences make us stand out and should be appreciated and respected. The diversity in the world, including

our own individuality, is what makes it beautiful, showcasing a fascinating range of distinct faces, perspectives, and stories.

The text encompasses both the cognitive dimensions and emotional response of the reader towards its content. This includes expressing various emotions such as interest, excitement, boredom, fun, fear, and hatred. It also involves connecting with the characters and events portrayed in the text, being sensitive to their experiences, and showing sympathy and empathy towards them. Additionally, it requires reacting to the author's use of language. Moreover, it involves evaluating the writer's artistic skill in using similes and metaphors to create vivid imagery that allows the reader to perceive, taste, hear, and feel. Furthermore,

establishing connections between the story and our real-life experiences is a simple task.

The author of this book effectively presents philosophical statements and critiques in a way that is both tangible and sensitive, making them easily recognizable and understandable. The suggestions offered in the book are applicable to various situations in daily life and relationships. Published by a French captain residing in New York at the start of World War II, the author brings a unique perspective having experienced war during the occupation of his country.

Globally, individuals are involved in an ongoing power struggle that encompasses ideologies such as Nazism and Fascism, as well as displays of military might. This results in ethical quandaries and conflicts arising from racial and cultural disparities. A dominant group aims to exert authority over others. The story illustrates this notion through a king who requires obedience from everyone, including those residing on a deserted planet. Comparable to our society, this monarch disapproves

of actions like yawning that entail relinquishing control over one's body.

During that time, numerous philosophical and sociological trends were perplexing individuals. The author portrays the inconsistency and irrationality of many people in his generation, presenting this idea through a book targeted towards children. The author's intention is to demonstrate that life is not always as it is taught by adults and that even though adults may be incomprehensible, there are still many aspects of the world worthy of admiration. In the realm of arts, various movements were emerging, including cubism and expressionism. The author aligns with the artistic movement of expressionism, which was flourishing during that period.

The main focus of this artistic movement revolves around the author's emotions and feelings, rather than an accurate depiction of reality. The emergence of existential novels disrupted traditional literature and had a significant impact. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who served as a pilot for Paraguay Aeropostale (officially known as Compagnie Generale Aeropostale), was involved in this movement. Paraguay Aeropostale was founded in 1918 in Toulouse, France, with the aim of establishing an air route connecting France to its African and South American colonies.

On December 25, 1918, the company initiated its inaugural route from Toulouse to Barcelona in Spain. In February 1919, the route was extended to Casablanca, and by 1925, it reached Dakar with mail transportation via steamer to South America. In November 1927, regular flights commenced between Rio de Janeiro and Natal. Subsequently, the company expanded its operations to include Paraguay. Within this expansion effort, Saint-Exupery participated in exploration flights to establish navigation routes for Aero postal. He also became the first pilot to travel

by plane from Asuncion to Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina.

Quote. “One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. " This quote was chosen because it signifies that clear vision cannot be achieved through sight alone. The physical world obscures the true nature of what is being observed. The eyes perceive external details such as color, texture, and shape. The brain then categorizes the image based on stored information and considers the process complete. A six-year-old artist may view their drawing, Number One, simply as a representation of an outer image. However, what is truly important and essential is that the boa constrictor ate an elephant! This remarkable phenomenon should have evoked an emotional response from adults, but it did not. The reason being that they relied solely on their eyes to see. Grown-ups place importance on outward appearances, to the point of disregarding the Turk man's discovery of Asteroid B-612 until he dressed in European clothes for his speech. Countless wonderful discoveries have remained hidden because people reject appearances and imprison their imagination within a shell.

Having a heart-based perspective allows one to see things clearly as they become transparent, making the outer shell insignificant. The little prince comforts the aviator by saying that an old shell is not sad because its true reality lies in being a star that shines across time and space. To truly understand something's essence, one must have a vision on the same level. The heart is essential for both giving life and perceiving it.

The process of understanding can only be attained through taming, which

necessitates patience, perseverance, and ritual. This dedication and sense of responsibility cleanse the heart from neglect and ignite the flame of love. However, adults opt to evade this connection and instead rely on pills to suppress their yearning for love and thirst for adventure. As for the little prince, he loses faith in his flower after being initially enchanted by her beauty due to certain insignificant remarks she makes.

The little prince is disappointed to discover the tenderness behind his flower's silly pretensions. However, their dedication to each other creates unbreakable bonds and helps their love to be reborn. The prince learns from taming the fox that outer appearances are insignificant, regardless of their appeal. He realizes that his flower is unique, unlike the five thousand other roses on earth which may be lovely but empty.

The rose symbolizes the love that the aviator has for the prince, as well as the prince's love for the rose. The aviator realizes this love as he carries the sleeping prince, seeing that without it, the prince is like an empty shell. This love is like a flame within the prince, essential to his very being. Just like a lamp needs a flame to provide light and warmth, the prince needs this love to shine and thrive.

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