終身學習
2022-5-11 22:56:54
My summary. See your views on my questions and thoughts in square brackets.
When the author (the pilot) was young, he showed his first drawing of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant to the grown-ups. They saw that the drawing was a hat, and asked the author to apply himself to geography, history, arithmetic and grammar and to put away his drawing of boa constrictors. The grown-ups are serious people but they failed to remember that they were once children. Grown-ups like numbers. When they meet a new friend, they never ask questions what really matters, instead they ask how much does his father make and what the value of your house is.
Six years ago, the pilot made a crash landing in the Sahara Desert. He had only enough water for eight days. It was a matter of life or death for me. During that time, he met the Little Prince, who seemed to have come from Asteroid B-612. [I guess the Little Prince came from the author’s imagination when he was suffering from dehydration in the dessert. In a way, he was recalling his childhood and the value of children when he was facing death.]
The Little Prince came from a small planet. Similar to other planets, the Little Prince’s planet has good plants and bad plants. The good plants come from good seeds, and the bad plants come from bad seeds. When they sprout, you have to pull the plant from bad seed right away. There were terrible seeds on the Little Prince’s planet – baobab seeds. It roots pierce right through the planet and may make a planet burst into pieces. Hence, it is a question of discipline that you have to pull up the baobabs regularly. [Do baobab seeds signify the growth of values which may eat up the purity and the simple value of a child?]
Flowers are weak and naïve. They have thorns and believe that their thorns make them frightening. [It would be good to know what was in the author’s mind when he referred to weak flowers that have thorns.]
The Little Prince has two active volcanoes, one extinct volcano and a flower in his planet. The Little Prince was too young to know how to love the flower. He also said that flowers are so contradictory. He then escaped from this planet. [Did the author try to use the flower in his planet as a metaphor of relationship with women/wife?]
終身學習
2022-5-11 22:58:01
The Little Prince visited six Asteroids in the vicinity of his planet. He met a king who considered that all mean are subjects and the king just wants power and authority, and gives commands. He met a vain man in the second planet who only wants admiration from the others. He met a drunkard who is ashamed of drinking. In the fourth planet, he met a businessman who wants to own stars. He met a lamplighter, who was just so faithful to orders and kept lit on the street lamp and turn it out repeatedly. This keeps him busy. In the sixth planet, he met a geographer, who does not go out and explore himself. He writes eternal things only. Flowers are ephemeral and he does not record them. This means that the flower at the Little Prince’s planet is threatened by imminent disappearance. This was the first impulse of regret. The Little Prince asked the geographer to advise him where he should visit – the Earth as advised by the geographer. [These people the Little Prince met showed some of the traits and values of grown-ups. But it is not easy to understand what the value or trait is illustrated by the geographer.]
The Earth, being the seventh planet the Little Prince visited, has many kings, geographers, businessmen, drunkards, and vain men. They are grown-ups.
On the Earth, the Little Prince met a snake. The snake told the Little Prince that I can help you, someday, if you grow too homesick for your planet. I can -. The Little Prince said that oh, I understand just what you mean but why do you always speak in riddles.
Crossing the dessert, the Little Prince met a flower with three, climbed a high mountain when he was lonely and talked and listened to his own echoes. He then came across a rose garden. He met many roses there. He then met a fox. The Little Prince asked the fox to play with him but the fox refused because the fox was not tamed. ‘Tamed’ means to create ties. The fox said that if you tame me, we’ll need each other. You’ll be the only boy in the world for me. I’ll be the only fox in the world for you. The Little Prince said that there is a flower. He thinks that she has tamed him. How to tame the fox? The fox told the Little Prince that you have to be very patient. First you’ll sit down a little ways away from me. I’ll watch you out of the corner of my eye, and you won’t say anything. Language is the source of misunderstanding. But day by day, you’ll be able to sit a little closer.
The Little Prince considered that his rose in his planet is more important than all the roses in the garden since she’s the one he has watered. Since she’s the one he put under glass. Since she’s the one he sheltered behind a screen. Since she’s the one for whom he killed the caterpillars. Since she’s the one he listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she’s his rose.
[I think the author used the rose at this planet to illustrate what true love/marriage is and the other roses are perhaps seductions from other women. But I am struggling to know why the fox wanted the Little Prince to tame him and the Little Prince did tame the fox. What does it mean?]
終身學習
2022-5-11 22:58:30
The fox told the Little Prince that his secret is quite simple. One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes. You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose.
The Little Prince met a railway switchman, who said that no one is ever satisfied where he is. [What does it mean?] The Little Prince met a salesclerk who sold pills invented to quench thirst. The Little Prince would walk very slowly towards a water fountain for the time saved by no longer having the need to drink water. [Did the author try to say that grown-ups tend to do many things without knowing what they actually need?]
The pilot and the Little Prince found a well in the desert.
Besides the well, there was an old stone wall. The Little Prince asked your poison is good? You’re sure it won’t make me suffer long? The pilot saw the Little Prince was talking to a yellow poisonous snake.
The pilot loves hearing the Little Prince’s laugh. People have stars, but they aren’t the same. When the pilot look up at the sky at night, since the Little Prince will be living on one of them and be laughing on one of them.
The Little Prince told the pilot you know my flower I’m responsible for her. And she’s so weak! And so naïve. She has four ridiculous thorns to defend her against the world. There was a yellow flash close to his ankle. The Little Prince fell gently.