The Little prince Classical Humanities

The little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery The Little Prince, first published in 1943, is a novella, the most famous work of French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944). The story of The Little Prince is about a pilot who crashes his plane in the desert. (Saint-Exupery was also stuck in the desert after his plane crashed in 1935). The pilot in the book meets a little prince from another planet. The novella is the fourth most-translated book in the world and was voted the best book of the 20th century in France. Translated into more than 250 languages and dialects (as well as Braille), selling nearly two million copies annually with sales totaling over 140 million copies worldwide, it has become one of the best-selling books ever published.

RAW book entry #3: writing workout What does being a child mean? What does being an adult mean? Why can the path between childhood and adulthood be confusing or challenging? Do we ever stop “growing up”? Is “growing up” always a good thing? What makes it desirable? Who or what pressures us to “grow up”? Who or what pressures us to stay young? Let’s share when we’re done!

Open your book to the dedication page Read the dedication. Discuss important details at your table.

Historical Context After the outbreak of the Second World War Saint-Exupéry was exiled to North America. In the midst of personal upheavals and failing health, he produced almost half of the writings for which he would be remembered, including a tender tale of loneliness, friendship, love, and loss, in the form of a young prince fallen to Earth. An earlier memoir by the author had recounted his aviation experiences in the Sahara Desert, and he is thought to have drawn on those same experiences in The Little Prince.

Let’s read…. We will read to page 12 together (hopefully). Your homework is to read to page 31 (through chapter 7).