The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The Little Prince helps an adult artist rediscover how to see with his heart and not with his eyes alone

The notion that "Children are better seen than heard" is discounted in this lovely journey into the imagination called The Little Prince. As an adult, I found myself ashamed at the analysis of the mature mind by the author. We are found to be selfish, closed-minded individuals who possess circular reasoning. We apparently did not think the same way as children. As you journey through this book, you will begin to uncover the author's theory that there exists a battle between the mind of a child, and that of an adult. This is the battle between "matters of consequence" and "matters of importance."

The story begins with the recounting of a single event that changed the life and thought processes of a little boy. An illustration, a drawing he creates, that is not only misinterpreted by the "grown-ups" but discourages his drawing altogether. The event causes this little boy to focus on only what is considered matters of consequence. He grows up to be a pilot, and the next part of the story finds the author in a plane crash stranded in the Sahara Desert. There he meets the Little Prince, who represents everything that is child-like. He asks copious questions. He views everything through his heart.

The author begins to learn about the life of the Little Prince through the stories of his recent journeys. As he travels, looking for matters of importance, he encounters people who bewilder him. He meets people who bear the characteristics of "grown-ups," for example, hunger for power, conceit, shame, and greed. His questions to all those that he meets are answered only with circular reasoning, and the Little Prince begins to find grown-ups odd.

He finally lands in a place where he meets an animal that teaches him what is truly important. He learns that to see through one’s eyes is to see what is essential, but to see through one’s heart is to see what is important. The conclusion of this story finds the Little Prince trying to instill his "wisdom" in the mind of the author. The remainder of the journey helps the reader discover this wisdom for him or herself.

This story is written as a nostalgic look by the author to an experience he had as an adult that helps him see the world again through a child's eyes. The illustrations, also by the author, are an essential part of the reader’s journey. If we could all, as adults, read the story The Little Prince, we could all see the world through our hearts, and the world would truly be a better place.

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