The first ever edition of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was published on 6 April 1943. 75 years later it is a work that has been translated into more than 300 languages and dialects, making it the second most translated book in history, widely enjoyed by readers of all ages. It was published when the Second World War was raging, a time when millions of children were being left orphaned across Europe. The protagonist is a lost child eager to learn about the world and interested in the care of all that is fragile, vulnerable and beautiful: the flowers, with their clearly metaphorical significance.
Teresa Iribarren, Literature professor at the UOC Faculty of Arts and Humanities, points out that, "Children and adults alike are able to identify with the character of the lost child". She adds, "The story is set in the desert, where the two main characters, the Little Prince and the pilot – who, mirroring the experience of the author himself, was forced to make an emergency landing – are fortuitously brought together. The dialogue established between them within this space of nothingness takes us on a philosophical journey."
In the view of UOC course instructor and GRAT Centre child, adolescent and family psychologist Amalia Gordóvil, one of the main lessons that can be drawn from this tale is an advocacy for fantasy. It encourages us to pause and look beyond what we see with the naked eye – for example, by gazing at a drawing of what appears to be a hat but which is actually a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. She also points to the emphasis on taking responsibility, an appreciation of the value of the things we have around us and the special relationships we maintain with those who are closest to us, whom we accept with all their inherent qualities and failings – a lesson supplied courtesy of the story of the sole flower on the Little Prince’s planet.
Gordóvil goes on to highlight the importance of hope and endeavour in the journey the Little Prince and the pilot make as they search for a well, noting that the water becomes even more special as a result of the effort they need to put into extracting it. In turn, it is a tale that reinforces the importance of the little things, of being able to enjoy the place and moment in which we find ourselves.
The psychologist considers it to be a story for readers of all ages: "It conveys a message that is relevant to any stage of life, even if we lose sight of it. A child is more likely to enjoy the drawings and the fables in the more literal sense, but they will also take on board the message about the importance of seeing things with the heart. The aim is to look for the Little Prince inside us all".
For these lessons to take root it is vital for the behaviour of the adult role model to be consistent with the message they wish to transmit. "Therefore, if I want my child to value the things they have and enjoy the here and now, it would be contradictory to be glued to my phone while I'm having dinner", adds the expert.
A book about the essence of life
"It is when you read it again as a mature person that you are able to grasp its philosophical and poetic significance and enormous imaginative potential", explains Iribarren, who is also director of the Master's Degree in Digital Publishing and of the Catalan Literature, Publishing World and Society (LiCMES) research group. The Little Prince – as with other Exupéry works – is an open invitation to continuously question ourselves with regard to the fundamental things in life. The greatness of the French writer’s literary work lies “in the humanism that runs through it from start to finish and its ability to unite simplicity, poetry and philosophical depth".
In contrast to another early 20th century classic, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, in which the child does not want to grow up and avoids doing so, Iribarren’s message in The Little Prince is that all children grow up, which means having to assume responsibilities and deal with loss. "They must take control of their own life journey and face the relevant dangers and uncertainties without their parents by their side. Life, like the metaphorical language of The Little Prince, is far from simple", she adds.
The UOC professor explains that the secret to the universal popularity of the book is based on its ability to fly the flag for ethics of care and the importance of forming ties and cultivating empathy. These values acquire additional magnitude in juxtaposition to the violence of power, vanity and arrogance, without resorting to facile didacticism. The book also appeals to four basic elements in order to draw the reader in: intelligence, poetic sensibility, emotions and imagination".
For Gordóvil, this magical book is an ode to hope, to fantasy, to endeavour, to commitment, to love, to simplicity – in short, to the essence of life in its purest form. “It is a reminder of the enormous difference between the worlds of children and adults; the former ruled by fantasy and the latter based on logic. It reminds us that we need to engage with the world of our children, listening to them and having fun with them". “It's special because it connects us, in a straightforward, uncomplicated way, to our most compassionate self. It uses things as simple as a sheep, a bush, a sunset, a flower, a star and a fox to convey a very clear message: what is essential is invisible to the eye”, she concludes.
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