Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Saint-Exupéry
wrote The Little Prince in New York as World War II raged in Europe,
and after his homeland had been captured by the Nazis. Are there
any symbols that are particularly evocative of war and exile?
2. What differentiates
adults from children in The Little Prince? Is the distinction simply
one of age, or is it based on something else?
3. When the narrator
and the prince search for a well, the narrator appears finally to
understand the lessons that the prince has related to him. What
does this say about the morals of the novel?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Why does the little prince
want to return home? Why isn’t his friendship with the pilot enough
to make him stay? Can the way he returns to the heavens be interpreted
as a suicide?
2. Discuss the themes of time
and death in The Little Prince. How does the prince
learn to appreciate the time he has with his loved ones better,
and how does it affect his relationships with them?
3. Why do some people see Drawing
Number One as a simple hat, while others think it represents an
elephant inside a boa constrictor? What is the meaning of these
different perspectives?
4. Discuss the rose’s behavior.
Why doesn’t the rose tell the little prince that she loves him?
Why does he continue to love her?
5. Why is the fox so eager to
be tamed by the little prince? If he already knows how to tame himself,
why does he need someone else to do it for him?
6. Symbols and metaphors are
present throughout The Little Prince. Why do you
think Saint-Exupéry choose to tell this story in such figurative
language?
