The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery :: Prince Antoine Exupery Essays

The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery is a wonderful novel. The Little Prince was originally written in French in 1943 as Le Petit Prince. It was then translated to English by Katherine Woods. The Little Prince is the story of a young boy from another planet who ventures from his home to discover new worlds. In the process, he makes friends and teaches valuable lessons. St. Exupery places himself as the narrator and author of this story. St. Exupery tells of how he went down in his airplane in the middle of the desert and meets a little prince from another planet. The little prince tells the author/pilot about all of the people and animals he has met since he set out on his voyage. In the process, the reader’s eyes are opened to many of the mysteries of life. To make a great book, there are certain criterion which a book must meet. A book needs to be entertaining so the reader will enjoy it and continue to read on. A great novel needs to be well written. It should have a message or a lesson for the reader to pick up on. All great literature also needs to be timeless so it can be applied in different times and places. The Little Prince is a good novel, in great part, because it has very entertaining characters. Part of what makes these characters so enjoyable is the fact they are each a paradox. The prince is an interesting character to follow through the book. The way the little prince never answers anyone else’s questions, yet always expects answers to his own, is amusing. He is childlike in appearance yet seems older in his wisdom. The author of the story is captivating, because his character gives a great deal of insight into the thoughts of adults. The author is also childlike, in his hope that he will one day find another person who looks beneath the surface of things. Another character, the wise fox, is the prince’s first friend on the Earth. The fox appears to be a silly animal at first, after one reads on, however, they discover he is not silly at all. Also the rose, the prince’s love, is very arrogant yet charming. The snake, whom the prince meets his first night on Earth, is dangerous yet helpful at the end when he assists the prince in returning to his home planet.