The Little Prince
10:23 PM
Some things to ponder upon throughout your reading of the text.
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?
2. What differentiates adults from children in The Little Prince? Is the distinction simply one of age, or is it based on something else?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
2. What differentiates adults from children in The Little Prince? Is the distinction simply one of age, or is it based on something else?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
