배재미디어센터

[Boa constrictor]

This scene explores the idea that the imagination of children is something that adults do not understand. When children are impressed by an object they try to express their feelings about it in their own way; however, in the eyes of adults, it remains unimportant and insignificant. The sense of curiosity, wonder, and imagination children feel are often at odds with the adult view that they are not important factors in the long term for the future. Whether the painting drawn by the protagonist is a boa constrictor or it is a boa constrictor digesting an elephant, doesn't really matter. The older the child grows, the more meaningless the behavior becomes, unless it can somehow positively impact the child's future.

[Sheep inside the box]

The protagonist (I'll call him the man) meets the little prince. The little prince asks the man to draw a sheep. The man does cannot paint since he was frustrated when he was young, so he becomes slightly sullen. So, he draws a picture of the 'Boa constrictor that swallowed an elephant' that the man is most confident in. The little prince then sees through the painting at once. The child represents the reader, and his point of view, his actions, and his opinions represent the past. In the end, the man reluctantly draws a box without drawing the sheep demanded by the little prince.

"This just create. The sheep you want is inside."

Then the little prince saw through it again. As if he recognized a boa constrictor eating an elephant...

[Flower]

There is a rose on the star where the little prince lives. And the little prince fell in love with the flower. Because the little prince was so lonely watching only the sunset from the small star. But even before you realize what's going on in his mind, he has a conflict with the flower. The rose is vain and haughty, and she doesn't know how to say sweet things... In the little prince's evaluation of his relationship with a flower, I'm left to feel that he should have judged the flower not by its words, but by its actions.

[Drunkard]

On a star there lived a drunkard. The drunkard lived in a heavy silence, and he kept drinking. I found this chapter to be the most shocking. The drunkard, who drinks to forget his shame, says he is ashamed of the fact that he is drinking.

I didn't understand it before, but maybe perhaps the reason why I found it to be so confusing and mystifying is that the drunkard living on this planet is not so different from other people in modern society. In his world only alcohol and silence existed.

[Fox]

It's the most famous part. If you come at four in the afternoon, I will begin to be happy by three. Everyone must have had the experience of waiting for someone they loved. The reason why this line is famous may be the fact that it's so relatable. In addition, I love the following lines the most.

"For me what is of no use whatever. Wheat fields say nothing to me. Which is sad. But you have hair the color of gold... so it will be wonderful, once you've tamed me! The wheat, which is golden, will remind me of you. And I'll love the sound of the wind in the wheat...*

Through the fox, the little prince realizes that the flowers have tamed him; however, what good is it to realize that only too late? The little prince eventually dies at the end, which may be my interpretation of becoming an adult. The little prince lay in the sand for a while and took a rest, and returned to his planet after that the man did not see. Maybe it is meant to represent what children think. It's something that's hard to describe, and impossible to explain.

[Conclusion]

The time we have to dedicate to reading books grows shorter as we get older, so if you can find the time I recommend revisiting this beloved classic. You will be glad you did.