Introduction

"The Little Prince” by Saint-Exupéry is a timeless masterpiece that continues to be loved by readers around the world even 80 years after its publication. This work may seem to be a story for children, but in fact it is full of profound lessons and charms for children and adults alike. It is not a story for children, but is littered with abstract and philosophical content that is difficult for our 6-year-old daughter to understand. On the other hand, the story's aspect of the prince's adventures in a fantasy world is appealing enough to capture children's imagination. It can be said that the reason this work has been loved for so long is that it is more than just children's literature, but contains a message that questions the values that human beings should have.

Here, we will discuss the profound appeal of “The Little Prince,” loved equally by children and adults, the meaning of the star, what the author wants to convey, etc., etc. The meaning of the stars, what the author wants to convey, etc., etc., are discussed.

Synopsis

The story begins with an aviator whose plane breaks down in the desert and he meets a mysterious little prince. The prince sets out on a journey from his planet and travels to different stars. There, he discovers the foolishness and hypocrisy of adults.

When the prince finally comes to earth, he teaches him something important that adults do not understand. It was that what we cannot see is more important, and that it is vital to see with our hearts.

The aviator loses sight of the prince, but learns the meaning of true love and friendship from the prince's words. The prince remains as an everlasting memory in the aviator's heart and conveys to us, the readers, the essential value of love and life.

The meaning of the six stars that appear

In “The Prince of the Stars,” the various stars that the prince traveled to appear. The following stars are depicted as the main ones

The King's Star

A small star where a conceited king merely maintains his dignity.

The star of the conceited  

The star of the narcissistic egotist who thinks he is the greatest in the world.

The star of workaholism

A star with a man whose role is to turn the lights on and off at night.

The star of the geographer

A star where there is a geographer who draws maps but doesn't actually do any research.

The planet of the drunkard

A planet with a man who drinks a lot of alcohol and is drunk.

Star of the businessman

A star with a businessman who works all the time and counts stars and money incessantly.

These various stars appear, and through the personalities and actions of their inhabitants, human folly and hypocrisy are portrayed. These stars symbolize power, popularity, labor, pleasure, fortune, and learning, to which humans are most prone to drown. The prince crosses these stars and discovers the true nature of man.

What we can learn from this work

There are many things we can learn from The Prince of Wales, but here are seven main ones.

An eye that discerns the essence of things

The prince teaches us the importance of seeing through to the essence of people and things, and not just what we see.

The importance of love

The Prince teaches us the importance of being loved and of loving ourselves.

Responsibility

The prince values his responsibility to his star rose and tells us that it is important to do so.

Importance of imagination

The prince points out that adults have lost their imagination, but children have a rich imagination, and suggests the importance of this.

The preciousness of simplicity

We learn the value of purity and frankness from the prince's simple ideas and actions.

The preciousness of friendship

Through his encounter with the aviator, the meaning and importance of true friendship is taught.

The intrinsic value of life

Throughout the story, the essential values of life, such as love, friendship, and responsibility, are taught rather than material things.

Author's (blogger's) favorite, favorite scene

One of the most memorable scenes in the story of the Prince was the one with the drinking star and the electrician. I felt that these two episodes aptly symbolize the pathologies of modern society.

First, on the drunkard's planet, the man the prince met was drunk with liquor. He speaks as if the alcohol he is drinking is the meaning and sole purpose of his life. However, I don't think that is the true purpose of life. This man is depicted as having lost sight of his true happiness and being addicted to temporary pleasures. I believe that there are many people in today's society who have lost sight of essential happiness and are caught up in temporary gratification in this way.

On the other hand, on the electrician's star, there was a man who was given the role of turning on and off the lights night after night. However, not only did he have no idea what the job entailed, he never questioned his actions. The image of a man who simply continues to work mechanically is reminiscent of the inorganic and meaningless nature of work in today's society. Many people may go through life without questioning the work they are given.

These scenes make us think about the danger of humans losing sight of their true happiness and purpose in life and becoming absorbed in meaningless activities. I thought that Saint-Exupéry was teaching the importance of reevaluating the essential values of life, rather than escaping to drink or work. The message conveyed throughout the story is to maintain a sense of human dignity, including love, friendship, responsibility, and imagination.

What is the message that Saint-Exupéry wants to convey?

I feel that Saint-Exupéry is trying to convey through this work, “The Little Prince,” a profound insight into the essential values of life and humanity.

First of all, what is conveyed throughout the work is the importance of a loving heart. The prince loves his star rose and is willing to take responsibility for it. He also learns the meaning of true friendship through his encounter with the aviator. Saint-Exupéry teaches that the essential value of life is not material wealth or status, but the heart that loves.

Furthermore, the work stresses the importance of imagination. The adults in this work have lost their imagination because they value being realistic too much, but the prince tells them that their childlike imagination is what is important. I feel that the author is teaching us that we should never lose our imagination, as it is the source of new things and the root of our humanity.

It also depicts the danger of humans losing sight of true happiness and getting caught up in meaningless behavior. The emptiness of such a way of life is highlighted in the depiction of how people become addicted to temporary pleasures, like a drunkard, or how they become absorbed in mechanical actions, like an electrician.

Furthermore, the work teaches the importance of seeing things for what they really are. The prince intuitively sees through the essence of flowers, sheep, and relationships. Saint-Exupéry is trying to convey the importance of having an eye for the essence of things rather than being obsessed with their outward appearances.

In this way, “The Little Prince” questions the fundamental values of living humanely, such as love, imagination, the essence of happiness, and the nature of things. Through this fable, Saint-Exupéry is appealing to the importance of humanity, which is often lost in modern civilized society, and he is urging us to regain our spiritual richness and humanity.

Conclusion

The Little Prince” is a wonderful work not only for the superficial charm of the story, but also for the deep philosophical nature that it encompasses.

By projecting abstract concepts into a concrete fantasy world, Saint-Exupéry has created a work that is accessible to children. Children are strongly drawn into the adventures of the prince, and at the same time, adults are asked about the essential values of life.

My daughter still finds it difficult, but she still loves this work. For a child, there are challenges in understanding the meanings of words and metaphors, but I believe that with appropriate explanations by adults, children can also realize the profound appeal of the work (she seems to understand the scene with the fox and the rose. (The scene of the fox and the rose seems to be understood, although it is not mentioned at all this time ←).

This work is a timeless masterpiece that can be enjoyed by all generations, from children to adults. The universal values conveyed through the story, such as “love,” “imagination,” and “responsibility,” are messages that will always remain close to people in all ages.

Thank you for reading to the end. Thank you for reading to the end!