The version of "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that I will be referencing and quoting was translated by Richard Howard in 2000 for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, located in NY, NY.
"Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to provide explanations over and over again."
This classic story is told by pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who details the time when his plane crashed in the Sahara, and the friendship that blossomed while working to repair the engine. Over a period of many days, the little prince slowly opens up and tells his story. He explains where he came from, how he ended up on Earth and describes the characters he met along the way.
Here are just a few of the important characters in the story, besides the little prince, of course: the roses, the king, the very vain man, the drunkard, the businessman, the lamplighter, the geographer and the fox.
All of the characters that were encountered have seemingly good reasons why they do the things they do. When visited and questioned by the prince, their answers can be seen from a different light as a reader, and often seem silly or nonsensical. Yet those are answers that adults in the world give to similar questions, and often with such conviction that children do not question further.
How confusing it must be, to hear such certainty behind words that don't make sense. But since adults "know better", why would a child's puzzled-ness matter at all? Even when justified?
Those types of thoughts are what the book loves to poke at; the image of a cute little prince who has more knowledge about the world than most people. It is memorable, and it's not hard to see why it's a classic.
The book seeks to remind adults of what they are missing while educating children about what they should hold dear. Every single sentence in the story has layers of meaning, and the book is steeped in symbolism. The lessons eluded to truly transcend time. At first glance, some of the meaning might escape, but truly it is worth immersing into. From discussing the difference between eternal and ephemeral to questioning purposes behind actions of adults, "The Little Prince" really covers a wide range of emotional and thought-provoking topics.
"But if you tame me, we will need each other."
The USA movie release date is officially August 5th, 2016. Inferred from the trailer alone, the film has an added story element. Introducing the modern-day young girl character allows the audience to easily connect to morals and ideas that might have been overlooked. As the saying goes, "the book is better than the movie," so it is always recommended to read the book prior. Also, have tissues at the ready because tears may happen.
