The Narrator: The Grown-Up Who Forgot The narrator is a pilot. He is also a grown-up. He has forgotten how to see. He draws a boa constrictor swallowing an elephant. Grown-ups see a hat. He draws the inside of the boa. Grown-ups tell him to study geography. He gives up drawing. He becomes a pilot. He is lonely. He meets the little prince. The prince teaches him to see again. The narrator represents every adult who has lost their imagination. The reader is the narrator. The reader must learn.
The Little Prince: The Child Who Sees The little prince is from Asteroid B-612. He has a rose. He loves her. She is vain. He leaves. He travels. He sees strange adults. The king orders the sun to set. He has no power. The conceited man wants applause. He hears only applause. The drunkard drinks to forget that he is ashamed. He is ashamed of drinking. The lamplighter lights a lamp every minute. His planet spins too fast. He is faithful. He is also ridiculous. The geographer never leaves his desk. He does not know if his planet has mountains. He is useless. The little prince does not understand adults. They are absurd. They are also sad.
The Fox: The Teacher of Love The fox is the novel’s philosopher. He teaches the little prince about “taming.” To tame is to create a bond. The fox says, “To me, you are only a little boy like a hundred thousand other little boys. I have no need of you. And you have no need of me. To you, I am only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. You will be unique in all the world to me. I will be unique in all the world to you.” The fox teaches that love is time. The time spent with someone makes them unique. The little prince understands. He tames the fox. He leaves. The fox cries. He says that he has gained the color of the wheat. The wheat reminds him of the little prince’s hair. The fox is not sad. He is grateful.
The Rose: The Beloved The little prince’s rose is vain, demanding, and fragile. She boasts about her thorns. She says she can defend herself against tigers. There are no tigers on her planet. She is lying. She is also vulnerable. The little prince loves her. He does not know why. The fox teaches him: “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” The little prince returns to his asteroid. He will care for his rose. He will protect her. He will love her.
The Snake: The Death Bringer The snake is the novel’s most mysterious character. He speaks in riddles. He says, “I can take you farther than any ship.” He offers to kill the little prince. The little prince accepts. He wants to return to his asteroid. He cannot take his body. The snake bites him. He falls. He disappears. The narrator does not find his body. He hopes that the little prince has returned home. The reader must decide.
The Drawing: The Sheep in the Box The narrator draws a sheep. The little prince rejects it. He draws another. He rejects it. He draws a third. He rejects it. He draws a box. He says, “The sheep is inside.” The little prince is delighted. He can imagine the sheep. The box represents the power of imagination. The adult sees a box. The child sees a sheep. The reader must choose.
Conclusion: “The Little Prince” is a book about love. It is also a book about death. The little prince dies. He returns to his rose. The narrator mourns. He draws the little prince’s portrait. He asks the reader to look at the sky. If the stars laugh, the little prince is there. If they do not, he is not. The reader must choose. The reader must believe.
