By: Ralph Sengson

I. INTRODUCTION

• Before taking the course HUMALIT, I was an individual who had no interest in reading books, what I thought about them are non-sense stories written by bored people in different time settings.

• But after taking this course, I came to realize that literature is something to be valued, and that it will always be part of history. People of different era’s and generations, with the existence of free thinkers and authors.

INTRODUCTION• In my case, I prefer reading fiction books that is packed with adventure and fighting. As a fan of medieval wars and fictional wars, one of my favorite books are “The Helen of Troy” and “Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief”.• In this Final Project, I wanted to share one of the classics of French Literature, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and his work: “The Little Prince” (Le Petit Prince). I chose this novel, because of it’s simplicity and it’s length easily understood by readers of different age. What sparked my interest into it is how we can encounter different personalities of characters in the story to the real world.

The Little Prince

•The Little Prince is a poetic tale, with watercolour illustrations by the author, in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a childish young prince fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. The story is philosophical and includes societal criticism, remarking on the peculiarity of the adult world.Though supposedly a children's book, The Little Prince makes several profound and idealistic observations about life and human nature. •With this novel, an emphasis from a childish perspective contrasted to an adult world would be fully understood by style of the short novel. With simplicity and childish theme, the reality of the world would be shown.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in Lyons on June 29, 1900. He flew for the first time at the age of twelve, at the Ambérieu airfield, and it was then that he became determined to be a pilot. He kept that ambition even after moving to a school in Switzerland and while spending summer vacations at the family's château at Saint-Maurice-de-Rémens, in eastern France. (The house at Saint-Maurice appears again and again in Saint-Exupéry's writing.)

• Later, in Paris, he failed the entrance exams for the French naval academy and, instead, enrolled at the prestigious art school l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In 1921 Saint-Exupéry began serving in the military, and was stationed in Strasbourg. There he learned to be a pilot, and his career path was forever settled.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry started writing the little prince, being an aviator he had a lot of experiences, and one of it was when he crash landed at Sahara Desert in 1935 and started having hallucinations seeing a desert fox, which resulted of it being a character in the novel.

SettingPlot

CharactersConflictsPOV

Symbolism, Narrative Devices & Style

Theme

II. NARRATIVE ELEMENTS

SETTINGS

The book is not set in a particular period or in one specific place. In the first chapter the narrator writes about his childhood experiences with drawings and about his low opinion of adults. In the second chapter the narrator starts narrating a particular series of incidents. He writes of the time when his plane crashed in the desert of Sahara six years ago. Most of the narrative after the second chapter is set in the desert. The other places that function as settings include the asteroid where the Little Prince has his home and the planets that the Little Prince visits, including asteroids 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, and 330. The last planet that he visits is the Earth, where he meets the narrator in the Sahara Desert. The story is really about the narrator’s friendship with the Little Prince and about the Prince’s own quest, which takes him to seven planets apart from his own.

CHARACTERS

Major CharactersThe narrator The narrator is really the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The reader hears his voice throughout the book as he relates the story of the Little Prince and of his own friendship with him. The narrator says plainly that he is a romantic who does not like adults, whom he finds too practical; instead, he prefers children, whom he finds natural and delightful. The narrator writes this story of his encounter with the Little Prince in order to deal with the sorrow of losing his precious friend.

The fox The Little Prince meets the fox in the desert. The fox is a wise creature, which teaches the Prince about the essence of life. After they become friends, the fox asks the Little Prince to ‘tame him, which is what the latter does.

And of course…. The Little PrinceThe Little Prince The novel is named after the Little Prince, who is a mystical and loveable person. He is the sole inhabitant of a small planet, which the narrator refers to as B-612. The Prince leaves his planet to visit other places and finally lands on Earth. In the Sahara Desert, he meets the narrator and befriends him. The narrator tells of his encounter with the Prince and also relates the adventures of the Prince on the other asteroids that the latter has visited.

The Turkish Astronomer The narrator mentions the Turkish astronomer in the fourth chapter. The narrator believes that the planet from which the Little Prince has come is the asteroid known as B-612. A Turkish astronomer first sees this asteroid through the telescope in 1909.

Minor Characters

The Little Prince’s flower

On the Little Prince’s planet, the flowers are usually very simple; but

one day, from a seed blown from afar, a new flower comes up that is

very beautiful, but also very vain. The Prince begins to doubt the

flower’s credibility and finally leaves his planet to escape the company

of the flower.

The King The king is the sole inhabitant of asteroid 325, which the Little Prince visits after leaving his own planet. The king insists upon his authority being respected and does not tolerate disobedience; however, since he is a very good man, he makes his orders reasonable. Just before the Prince leaves the king’s planet, the latter makes the former an ambassador.

The Conceited Man He is the inhabitant of asteroid 326. Totally conceited, he insists that everyone else admire him. He does not listen to anything but praise and expects the Little Prince to praise and admire him.

The Tippler The tippler lives on asteroid 327. When the Prince asks him what he is doing, the tippler replies that he is drinking to forget that he is ashamed of drinking.

The Businessman The businessman sits and counts stars on asteroid 328. He thinks that he owns the stars, making him rich. The Little Prince explains to the businessman that he is of no use at all to the stars that he owns.

The Lamplighter The lamplighter lives on asteroid 329 and does the job of lighting and then putting out the lamplight. The lamplighter thinks that his is a terrible profession, because once every minute he has to light the lamp, for his planet makes a complete turn every sixty seconds. The Prince feels that the lamplighter is the only one who could have been his friend.

The Geographer The geographer lives on a planet that is ten times larger than the lamplighter’s planet. He explains that he is a scholar who knows the location of all the seas, rivers, towns, mountains, and deserts. He is the one who advises the Prince to visit the planet Earth, as it has a good reputation.

The Snake The first living thing that the Prince encounters on the planet Earth is a snake. The snake tells him that it gets a little lonely among men. The Prince thinks that the snake is very weak, but the snake tells him that he can kill a person. The snake also says that he can solve all kinds of riddles.

The Desert Flower The Prince meets a flower in the desert. It tells him that there are only six or seven men in existence and that one never knows where to find them. According to the flower, the wind blows the men away.

Garden of Roses The Prince meets a garden of roses on the planet Earth. He is overcome with sadness on seeing them because there are five thousand of them in a single garden. His flower has told him that it was the only one of its kind in the universe. He cries when he realizes that his flower has lied to him.

Railway Switchman The Prince meets the railway switchman on Earth. The switchman tells the Prince that he sorts out travelers and sends off the trains that carry them. The switchman also says that no one is ever satisfied with his position. During his conversation with the switchman, the Prince tells him that only the children know what they are looking for.

Merchant The Prince asks the merchant why he sells pills that quench thirst. The merchant answers that he sells them because they save a lot of time. The Prince feels that he would rather use that time to walk at leisure toward a spring of fresh water.

PlotOther than the first and last chapters, which serve as an introduction and epilogue, the plot of The Little Prince is unified mainly by character and theme. The novel begins with an introduction to the main idea of the book. The narrator explains the drawings of boa constrictors that he made as a young boy. None of the adults who viewed the pictures were able to see the meaning of the drawings. As a result, at an early age, the narrator discovered that most people do not look beneath the surface to see the real message, beauty, or importance of a thing. This becomes the central theme of the entire book.

The plot of the book really begins in the second chapter when the narrator meets the Little Prince. The airplane of the narrator crashes in the desert. As he works on repairing it, the Prince approaches him, seemingly out of nowhere, and asks him to draw a picture of sheep. He also asks the narrator to draw a picture of a muzzle for the sheep. The Little Prince goes on to explain that he is worried that the sheep on his planet will eat his special flower, which he judges to be unique and beautiful.

From the second chapter onward, the book focuses on the Little Prince and his search for answers about life. Although the story is told chronologically, it is repeatedly interrupted by flashbacks as the Prince tells of his adventures after leaving his star. He visits five planets, and on each he learns something new about life. He shares these visits and lessons with the narrator. Even though much of the rising action of the novel jumps back and forth between past and present, the plot of the story is easy to follow, for the focus is always upon the Little Prince.

Once he lands on Earth, the Prince meets two important creatures: the snake and fox. The snake assures him that whenever the Little Prince is ready to return to his star, he can be of assistance. At the end of the novel, the Prince seeks out the help of the snake, drawing the end of the novel to the beginning into a tight unity. After meeting the snake, the Prince encounters the fox, who teaches him a most important lesson. Just when the Prince has realized that his special flower is really a common one, and therefore not of great value, the fox explains that a person must look beyond the surface to see the real value of a thing. If one looks with one’s heart, not just with one’s eyes, a person can see the hidden beauty of an object. He convinces the Prince that his flower is, indeed, very valuable, because it has been loved and tamed by the Little Prince.

By the time the Little Prince meets the narrator, he has learned the important lessons about life; but it is in telling the narrator about them that the lessons take on a real meaning for the Little Prince. After reviewing all that he has learned, the Prince accepts that he must return to his star in order to take care of his special rose; his acceptance of responsibility is the climax as the plot.

At the end of the book, the Little Prince goes to find the snake, which can bite him and return him to his planet. Before he makes the journey home, the Little Prince lets the narrator know he is departing. He tells him to look up at the stars and think of them as laughing. The Little Prince knows that when he looks at the stars, the narrator will also think about him. In truth, the narrator has grown very fond of the Prince and hates to see him go. When he is bitten by the snake and dies, the narrator is grieved to have lost a friend; but he feels certain that the Little Prince has returned home to his own little heaven. The end of the novel, therefore, helps to unify the plot, which has come full circle. The Little Prince has accepted responsibility and returned to his star to care for the flower, which had originally driven him away.

In the last chapter, serving as the conclusion and epilogue, the narrator explains how he looked for the body of the Little Prince on the next morning; however, it was no where to be found. In this brief falling action, the narrator convinces himself and the reader that the Prince has returned to his star. The narrator also explains that he has written the story of the Little Prince six years after he met him. Even though it has been a long time since the Prince’s departure, the narrator’s friendship with the mystical man from another planet has had a profound affect on him; therefore, he finally decides to write the novel in memory of and as a tribute to the Little Prince.

CONFLICT

The innocent child-like personality of the prince and to a point where he meets diverse personalities of people concerning the real adult world. The connection of an innocent youth minded prince who didn’t know anything about the realities happening in the real adult life.

Point of View

This novel is narrated by the narrator on a FIRST-PERSON POINT OF VIEW, wherein it is evident how the narrator himself is part of the story. Mostly used when there is the presence of “I” and it’s plural form “we”. Although it is a First person POV, the story itself revolves around the story of the prince and his travels.

TONE · When unfolding his surreal, emotional encounter with the little prince, the tone of the narrator is bittersweet. When describing the adult world, the tone of the narrator is straightforward and is contained by regrets.

MOTIFS · Secrecy, the narrator’s drawings, taming, serious matters

SYMBOLS · The stars, the desert, the trains, water

FORESHADOWING · When the snake greets the prince, he alludes to his ability to send the prince back to the heavens, which he does at the end of the novel.

THEMESOn how one should be aware with the peril of narrow-mindedness, the insights one can learn from exploration and adventure, and how one would acquire responsibility from relationships.

III. LiteratureLiterature had been explored and clarified to me after taking up this course, literature for me are works written and that truly connect to the readers. It is not made to only entertain readers, but then it shares a part of a history of a certain time. A form of art deduced in writing where in the creativity of the writer is showcased. Reading literary works can mean a lot to someone, the feelings of the author is truly felt, lessons and moral teaching can be obtained.

The literary classic “The Little Prince” could be clearly considered as literature. It is because of the fact that not only does it tell a story, but it somewhat brings you to an adventure and gives you an opportunity to expand your imagination. 

Through the journey of the little prince and the one narrating it, you can also imagine that you have been part of their journey and it gives a clear picture in your head. These imaginations are so visual that you think that you are part of what is happening. This brings us to what is the definition of literature for me. When I first heard of literature, I always think of poems, books, and stories. But it is not all about telling a story. Literature is all about imagination and through the story, you somewhat become part of it and everything becomes visual. Literature is a way not only to express ourselves, unwind, relax, and to learn, but also to expand your imagination and virtually “travel to places you have never been”, and as well, it is a mirror of life and reality.

WARNING!

NO plagiarism was intended in the making of this project, and if the same exact definition is copy pasted, the site would be properly cited and the credits would be given to the owner.

Some are rephrased or paraphrased, but the sources would be cited and the credits would be given to the owner.

IV. Sources

“Google for the photos”

The little prince, from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince

Antoine de saint-exupéry extended bio. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.harcourtbooks.com/LittlePrince/extendedbio_author.asp

Why did antoine de saint exupéry wrote the book "little prince?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090809003335AAHRCd3

Little prince study guide. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Little_Prince_Exupery/The_Little_Prince_Study_Guide02.htmlhttp://www.sparknotes.com/lit/littleprince/facts.html

Pepe, G. (n.d.). First, second, and third person. Retrieved from http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person