Reflections on The Little Prince/ 金陽

Reflections on The Little Prince

基礎英文作文 1Bb 金陽

Although I’ve heard of the book a long time ago, I never really pick it up and read it or even try to understand what the book is about until recently. I’m glad I have the chance to read this amazing piece of work which seems like a children’s bed time story at the first glance of its cover. Maybe I’m started to becoming like the grown-ups, always judging things from its cover with the moral standards.

Before I started to get into this book, I thought it might just be another cheap literature until some of the words really hit me hard. It’s a strange feeling, but all the sudden I felt somewhat ashamed by my ignorance. It’s funny to say but The Little Prince had officially become one of my favorites out of all the books I’ve read.

There is no fancy choice of words or sophisticated plot in this book but simple dialogues. I was impressed by how simple and understandable this book is yet it has the power to get people thinking. I think the reason why I like this book is because I can relate myself to the author and the little prince.

    Sometimes I found myself caught in the middle their conversation and I would stop for a while and examine myself from the inside. I often find the satirical comments given by the little prince in a rather childish tone are sentimental, because it speaks the truth through a naïve mouth.

    In the first chapter the author mentioned his childhood experience when he showed one of the adult his drawing of a boa constrictor, but then it wasn’t appreciated and he was told to devote himself into other things. I crack up laughing when I saw this because I’ve been into the similar situation myself. Sometimes the grown-ups just don’t understand how important a thing can matter so much to a child.

    I think every child is gifted in some way and has the potential of achieving something. The author could have been a great painter if only he follow his passion. Sadly the adulthood is a merciless equalizer. It work so hard transform every child into the ideal sensible people.

    When the author first met the little prince at his crash site, the little prince said “If you please, draw me a sheep!” The author’s misfortune and the little prince’s odd request depicted in such way gave me a sense as if it was the author’s own reflection of himself. It felt like he was asking himself deep inside of what he truly wants when he hits the rock bottom of his life.

    The author was astounded by the little prince’s appearance in the vast inhabited desert and was completely puzzled by the existence of such a character. He was asked to draw the mystery little man a sheep which he struggled so hard to complete. I found this part interesting as if the author was trying to take up something that he once loved, yet he did not know where to begin for he had been drifting in the grown- ups desert for too long. When one is asked to do something that has long been put aside, it’s normal to feel a little shocked or even awkward like the author does.

  

    “When mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey.” Although the author refers this statement to the little prince’s appearance, I think he was also trying to explain the reason of why he gave up drawing. Future is a great unknown for children. It is a mystery of what lies ahead and it’s almost impossible to comprehend. Children don’t take risks, they do as their parents tell. When he was told to take up something else instead of drawing as a boy, he obeyed the man’s proposition because future to him was an overpowering mystery.

    The author made several drawing of sheep for the little prince but was all rejected by him for not matching the standards he require. As the author’s patient grew out and was on the edge of giving up, he tosses him a much simpler drawing of a box instead and said the sheep he asked is inside. The little prince however was pleased with the drawing he made and the author was surprised by the little prince’s delighted reaction.

    I see their interaction as if the little prince was guiding the author to pick up his long forgotten passion step by step. When the author get frustrated by his setback and was about to quit, the little prince encouraged him by complementing his drawing of the box.

    In one of the section the author mentioned how adults only care for numbers, and how a Turkish astronomer have to dress in an elegant suit in order to convince people about his discovery. Stepping into adulthood is like you have to see things differently because the society is basically a giant place of stereotypes.

    The grown-ups world cannot bear with a slight deviation of thoughts because it is not considered logical and scientific. Adult often neglect the essential matters because they are used to judge from the outside, which is statistics. A lot of parents value their child’s talent by academic performance, in another word, grades.

    This is completely wrong because intelligence comes in many different forms, be it artistic, linguistic, musical, or even athletic. Children always show great forbearance toward grown-up people. Like the Turkish astronomer, children often have to put on the suit to be accepted. It’s a pathetic fact for children usually lost some of the beautiful nature during the process of this transformation.

    The little prince talked about his daily routine which involves removing the baobabs sprout. Fear it would grow so big which its roots can have a destructive power of tearing his tiny planet apart, the little prince struggle with the bad plants every day. “It is true, isn’t it, that sheep eat little bushes?” hoping the sheep that the author draw him could do the tedious job he did every day.

     I view this as the author’s depiction of adult’s thinking as the bad plants. It is like the little prince was telling the author to guard his believes by showing him his perseverance on guarding the planet. I think every child has their own little planet. The world these children lived in is filled with toxic ideas, and these ideas are like the roots that devour their nature from the inside and eventually destroy it entirely.

    The little prince talked about his fondness on sunset that he could watch it forty-four times just in one day on his tiny planet. “You know, one loves the sunset, when one is so sad…” I kept asking myself why the little prince loves the sunset so much but he said it with a sad tone? We all have a dream once, but sometimes life can knock us out and keeping us from pursuing our dreams. Eventually the dream will be diluted and all we do is watch it from a distance. That sunset is our dreams, it is our dying passion.

    I have so much more in mind that I want to write about but some of it seems difficult to put it in words. I can often relate myself to the author and the little prince. I’m now in the age of stepping into the unknown world of the grown-ups and a lot of times caught in a dilemma where I’m unable to choose. The world little prince lived in is a secret place, a land of tears. It is also the place I live as I fight for the baobab that tear my planet apart.

    I now see everything differently after I read this story. I learned to appreciate the subtle things around me, as well as to understand the essential of matters. When I looked at those poor artists, I don’t think they failed to achieve a good life, instead, I thought they are the true warriors who fight for their passion. I believe there is a reason why we are all created differently or have different interests. We are all unique and should appreciate our nature character that we’re born with. Every child is an artist, so let your inner child loose.