Stars As The Little Prince example essay topic

THE LITTLE PRINCE The Little Prince was one of the first books that got me interested in reading. I got it as a present from my mother when I was nine together with Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Since then, I have gotten it as gift four times and read it at least ten times. After each reading, I seem to come away with different insights from the book depending on what stage of my life I was in or what my situation was.

It strikes me that this book, first published in 1943, holds timeless truths on many different levels. It tells the truth of love, the truth of perspective, and the truth of childhood innocence, to name just a few. Of all the people who teach us about life's meaning it is not the Socrates or the Plates of the world that we find truly touching or moving. Instead, we find that simple na " ive people can offer us the most profound insights into life because of this very simplicity.

They offer us a new perspective on things that we take for granted or things that we fail to even stop to look at. The beauty of a flower or a friendship can be easily overlooked unless it is brought to light through the eyes of a child or character possessing the same qualities of untainted observation that children so often have. It is this innocence and simplicity that sticks to my mind and that impacts me the most. It reminds me to go back to basics and to re-learn to relax and to appreciate the simple pleasures that life brings. Sometimes I get too caught up in everyday realities that I forget what is really important to me - my family and friends. How many times do we miss the message of love that people send to us because we are too busy?

How many times have we missed the signs that people around us are seeking desperately for a simple gesture of love - a smile, a wave, a kind touch on the hands or shoulders or simply a gentle look? I sometimes forget how these simple gestures can change or affect lives of people around me. I do not have to knock myself out to help others; I simply have to show I care. 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. These many-sided characters draw the reader in to the world of the little prince. The book has a way of pulling the reader into the story along with the other characters. I become quite charmed by The Little Prince every time I read it. St. Exupery writes in a very simplistic style which allows children as well as adults to fall in love with The Little Prince.

In fact, The Little Prince is deceptively simple. The sentences may be written very simply, but some very deep meanings shine through. One such example of a simple phrase with deep meanings is said in the thoughts of the author, 'It is such a secret place, the land of tears. ' (p. 25). This quote eloquently tells how no one can ever fully know why someone else is crying.

Someone may think they know the reason, but they can never be sure. When someone reads The Little Prince only on the surface, the story seems very lighthearted. When I read the book for the first time, I was curious about where the story was going. From the very first page, Exupery shows how adults do not look beneath the surface to find what is underneath.

On that first page, Exupery shows his illustration of a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant. He asks the adults if they are frightened of his drawing. To this, the adults respond by asking why one should be frightened by a hat. Because of this situation, the reader knows the novel is more than meets the eye. One of the most evocative situations in this delightful story appears simple yet has very intricate ideas. The following quote by the fox explains how people do not always look under the surface.

They miss out by taking things at face value. 'It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. ' (p. 73). The fox says this to reassure the prince so he knows how special his rose is even though it looks the same as every other rose. The Turkish astronomer on the other hand teaches us that we should not judge people by the way they look. The adults don't care about what he has to say because of what he is wearing. Really, what he has to say is more important than his physical appearance.

I have begun to look at life with my heart instead of my eyes. By looking with my heart, I am able to live life more fully. I am better able to appreciate people for who they are rather than by making assumptions based on their appearances. There are other powerful messages to be found in this book. This novel, like all great literature, is universal because, hidden in the words of the text are truths that cross barriers of time and culture. The Little Prince can apply to all ages of all cultures.

If someone reads this novel with an open mind, they can also learn about seeing with the heart. In one chapter, the little prince and the author have a very important conversation about baobab trees. The little prince talks of how they are a big problem on his planet. The planet the little prince lives on is very small, so he is very fearful of baobab trees.

If the baobabs grow up, their roots will split his planet into little pieces. The baobabs are a constant threat, and the little prince has to pull up the little baobabs every morning. The little prince points out that these trees start out very small then grow into large problems. Everybody has 'baobabs' in their lives; everybody just needs to learn how to take care of them. This message speaks to me and helps me realize that I can overcome many large obstacles if I take care of them while they are still manageable.

Perhaps the most important issue discussed in this novel is that of the ephemeral versus the eternal. The little prince is very bothered by this controversy. The little prince loves a flower on his home planet, but he has to leave her behind when he explores the universe. The prince learns from a geographer that his flower is ephemeral, in other words, 'in danger of speedy disappearance. ' (p. 54) However, the prince learns from his friend, the fox, once you have 'tamed's ome thing and made it yours, it is eternal. The little prince befriends the rose, so now it will live forever in his heart. Likewise, once someone has become your friend, they will always be your friend.

Friendship is eternal, it is unchangeable. This message spoke to me when I read it three years ago, because I had just lost my father then. I was having a lot of trouble dealing with it, and the book's message gave me a sense of security. It reminded me that the love I feel for my father and the love he feels for me will never change. Real love is eternal; it is one which transcends barriers of races, ages, even death. From reading this story, I have grown to love the stars as the little prince does.

He finds comfort by looking at the stars in the sky. The little prince knows that his rose is up on one of those stars waiting for him to return to her. Since he does not know which star she is on, all of the stars are lovely for him. The little prince says it best when he says, 'If you love a flower that lives on a star, it is sweet to look at the sky at night.

All the stars are abloom with flowers. ' (p. 87) He feels a special closeness to his rose by gazing at the stars. I, too, love to look at all of the stars, because I know that my dad is up there somewhere. This thought makes all of the stars appear brighter and more lustrous than they ever did before. Before the little prince leaves Earth to go back to his rose, he asks the pilot to draw him a pet sheep. The pilot does, but the prince worries the sheep will eat the rose, so the pilot draws the prince a muzzle to help protect the rose from the sheep.

After the prince leaves, the pilot realizes he forgot to draw a strap on the muzzle. Every night, the pilot looks at the stars and wonders if the sheep has eaten the rose, for he knows that will bring the little prince much pain. The pilot looks to the stars for his answer. He knows that if the sheep eats the rose, the stars will all be darkened. 'For you who love the little prince, and for me, nothing in the universe can be the same if somewhere, we do not know where, a sheep we never saw has-yes or no-eaten a rose. ' (p. 94). This aspect of the story touches something inside of me too.

It reflects the worry and pain of acts left undone. The pilot and I are alike in our wondering. We both look to the stars for our answers, because the answers cannot be found elsewhere. The wondering seems to link the author and the little prince; perhaps unfinished deeds and words are the tie between us and our loved ones until we are reunited. Since my father died, I have often wondered about acts left unfinished. I wonder if I remembered to tell him I loved him before he fell asleep that night.

I wonder if he knew how important he was and still is to me. I wonder if he knows of the impact he has on my life, and if he realizes he is the force that keeps me going. According to this book, making sacrifices is what friendship is about. The Little Prince took time to water the rose, and in return, the rose made his planet smell nice and look beautiful. It is the effort you put into a relationship that makes it valuable. The rose is important because of the time he has spent with her.

This reminds me that I should take time to interact with my family and friends if I truly care about them. One runs the risk of weeping if one lets oneself be tamed. If you allow yourself to open your heart to a friend or a loved one, you gain so much from it, but you would also risk the possibility of getting hurt - To tame another, and not let yourself be tamed in return. It's a useless and selfish relationship, one where the other will not feel your love. And I imagine that would hurt far greater than never having been tamed at all. It is selfish, and it is no way to live.

If you do not let yourself be tamed, you will never understand another person. You will never truly understand how to love, be loved. ' What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well. ' This line reminds me to cherish the possibilities and potential, not just the obvious and readily available, to be always hopeful even in the face of uncertainty.

This has taught me to be brave and to have confidence in myself knowing that I would have what it takes to overcome any challenge I have to face. I was also fascinated with some of the characters like the mapmaker who I can sometimes identify with. He only cares about landscapes that don't change when really; some of the most beautiful landscapes never stay the same. I get too attached to how things are that I resent change when in fact I should embrace it.

There is also the businessman who spends all his time counting stars and worrying about how rich he is. It brings to light how we can sometimes obsess over material things that are, in the final analysis, unimportant. Over all, the story relates all the people he's met, a King of no one, a man that counts all the stars and claims to own them, a drunkard, and it tells us of his home planet with his beautiful and vain rose and three volcanoes that go up to his knee. Each person we meet teaches us a lesson about live.

Each person is an example of how sometime when we grow older we lose touch of the inner child; and that child is what helps us see that numbers, money, and power are not what's really important, but friendship, family, and love is what, when all's said and done will make you happy. Those are the matters of consequence. The Little Prince is an awe-inspiring novel which is poetically written. It has the power to make a great impact on those who read it. It makes me smile, laugh, and cry. Everyone may take its lessons differently depending on one's life experiences.

The Little Prince can be related to many issues we deal with daily such as friendship, love, and death. Any age group can enjoy this book, whether it is read literally for the story, or more metaphorically for deeper insights. However it is enjoyed, this book gives the gift of laughter in the sky. For, after you meet the little prince, you will never see the stars, or a rose, in the same light again.