Speaking about such a deep and truly difficult work as The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, you need to know about the very personality of its author. It would be the same difficult person with a completely unique outlook on life.

Surprisingly, having no children himself, Antoine de Saint-Exupery managed to keep a child in himself, and not at all as deeply as many adults. Therefore, he saw the world through the eyes of a growing person, he understood and accepted the children's worldview. This is the success of his work "The Little Prince".

So we came close to this amazing, lively and such a magical creation of the French writer, who was a military pilot by his main occupation.

Reading The Little Prince, it is hard to believe that it was written by a person of such a harsh profession: it is such a deep, tender and extraordinary work. But his characters are especially interesting and unusual. They will be discussed.

Human Heroes: One Layer of Narrative

The Little Prince is a fairy tale, and it becomes so partly because the main characters it's not just people. Here the reader will meet a wise tamed fox, and an insidious snake, and even a capricious rose. But still there are more human characters.

The first and, of course, the main one is, of course, the Little Prince himself. And here the first riddle awaits us: since this is the son of the rulers, it means that in the fairy tale there must be both a king and a queen. After all, without them, there can be no prince. However, nowhere in the story is there any mention of the Little Prince's parents.

We see his portrait: indeed, there is a crown and a cloak, but then what does he rule? Or what his dad and mom rule? This question is not, and is not expected to be answered. We perceive the world through the prism of the worldview of a small child, and at this age, the status of parents is not important for anyone. All children take each other for granted. And even the Little Prince for them is just a child, and no one is interested in his origin. That is a statement of fact.

However, this kid is already responsible and wiser even more than any adult. He takes care of his planet, every day, without forgetting about it for a moment, he takes care of a capricious rose, saving her from all possible adversities. He loves his friends and is sincerely attached to them. But, like any child, the Little Prince is curious and imprudent. Having quarreled with a rose and getting bored, he, without thinking twice, leaves his native planet and goes on a long journey - to see how others live? It's so childish! Well, who wouldn't want to run away from home at least once?

adult child
True, this child is an adult at the same time. He has no parents, and he builds his own life. There is nowhere to wait for help, and it is not expected. Therefore, the Little Prince is intelligent beyond his years, although he allows himself simple childish pranks.

So, breaking away from his native tiny planet, this child goes on a journey to other worlds. Until he ends up on our mortal Earth, he will meet other planets on his way, and there will be no less amazing characters on them. Each of them is the personification of any passions. Everyone is busy with one thing, and cannot tear themselves away from their work, although, in fact, no one needs it. This already represents the structure of our adult world: many people do what no one needs, spending their lives on nothing.

So is the king who single-handedly rules on a planet where there are no other people. All his passion is power, completely empty and unnecessary. So is the lamplighter, who every day turns on and off the only lamp on the planet where there are no other people. On the one hand, it's kind of a responsibility, but on the other hand, it's a waste of one's own life. So is the drunkard who drinks all day long, and the accountant who does not see beyond his numbers.

Disappointed in the neighbors, the little Prince flies on and finally ends up on our planet, where he meets with the narrator. And surprisingly, for some reason these two people, big and small, find mutual language and understand each other. Maybe this is happening, because the image of the Little Prince is the author’s longing for a bygone childhood, this is the same Small child, who lives not very deep in the soul of Anutan de Saint-Exupery.

However, the image is not autobiographical. There are echoes of little Tonio in it, but the mere fact that the author tells on his own behalf does not allow identifying the little prince with himself. This different people. And a child is just a projection, a kind of collective image, echoes of childhood memories, but not Antoine de Saint-Exupery himself.

There are other characters in the book, but they are not people. However, they play a very important role in revealing both the whole meaning of the work and its details.

Animal Heroes: Very Significant Characters for the Story

The Little Prince is a child, and first of all he remains one. Therefore, for him, as for any baby, great value animals have. Everyone knows how little children love their kittens and puppies, and main character this amazing fairy tale needs a four-legged friend. And he manages to tame the Fox.

The fox is a very important character, it helps to reveal the very essence of the philosophy of the whole fairy tale, helps to look into the very depths of the story. And directs the story.

So, gradually the Fox is tamed, and, in the end, becomes dependent on the boy. And it is to him that the immortal words belong: 2 we are responsible for those whom we have tamed.” This is the first lesson of love, devotion, trust. And the Little Prince gratefully accepts it and assimilates it with all his being. And it is then that the longing for the rose appears: after all, she is there alone, among the baobabs that tear the planet apart, frightened and so defenseless. And tamed. And he, the little Prince, is responsible for those whom he has tamed. So it's time to go home.

And this is where the snake comes in. This image is easy to read and recognizable from the biblical canons. The tempting serpent that was there continues to perform the same function in almost all literary works. And then, as soon as the boy has a desire to return home, this same tempter appears, offering his help. In the Bible it was an apple, but in the work of a French writer it was a bite.

The snake says that it can send the child home, that it has a magical remedy and, of course, it is poison. In the biblical story, after communicating with a snake, people ended up on Earth, but in Exupery's fairy tale, everything happens the other way around - the boy disappears. Where, there is not a word about this in the work, but the snake promises to return him to his home planet. And since there is no body, the reader can only hope that this is how it happens. Or is the Little Prince still going to where Adam came from - to heaven?

A tamed fox and an insidious snake are important, plot-forming characters this work. Their importance in the development of the story cannot be overestimated.

Capricious rose: beauty that has thorns

If the Fox is the personification of devotion and trust, the Snake is deceit and temptation, then the Rose is love and inconsistency. The prototype of this hero was the wife of the author Consuelo, a very wayward, quick-tempered and, naturally, capricious person. However loving. And after all, the Little Prince says so about her that his Rose is capricious, sometimes unbearable, but all this is protection, just like thorns. In fact, she has a very soft and kind heart.

Longing for the flower, the boy agrees to the snake's offer. For the sake of love, people are capable of many things. And even die, in order to be reborn again somewhere beyond the stars, somewhere on a completely different planet, tiny, but in an embrace with a beautiful rose.

Snakes have always had a special gift to transport people to a completely different world overnight. And, who knows, maybe everything was like that, as that snake promised the Little Prince, and he really ended up on his planet with his flower.

The story does not provide an answer. But since this is a fairy tale, we can all hope for a happy ending!

Familiar not only to children, but also to adults.

Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince" main characters

The main characters of the story "The Little Prince" are:

• Pilot - a story is being told on his behalf
• Little Prince - the protagonist, who had a completely different perception the world. He was able to appreciate all its diversity, noticed the unusual in the most inconspicuous.
• Fox - a symbol of wisdom and knowledge of life
• Drunkard
• Lamplighter
• Baobab
• Dealer
• Rose is a symbol of beauty
• The snake is a symbol of wisdom and immortality
• Switchman
• Geographer
• Ambitious - a person who aspires to an honorable position, craves fame.
• King
• Turkish astronomer
• business man
• Flower with three petals

Little Prince- the protagonist of the work, this is a child living on the asteroid B-12 - symbolizes for the writer purity, disinterestedness, a natural vision of the world.

fox- this is a very important character, he helps to reveal the very essence of the philosophy of the whole fairy tale, helps to look into the very depths of the story. And directs the story.

A tamed fox and an insidious snake are important, plot-forming heroes of this work. Their importance in the development of the story cannot be overestimated.

Characteristics of the Little Prince

The little prince is a symbol of a person - a wanderer in the universe, looking for the hidden meaning of things and his own life. The soul of the Little Prince is not shackled by the ice of indifference, deadness. Therefore, the true vision of the world is revealed to him: he learns the price of true friendship, love and beauty. This is the theme of "vigilance" of the heart, the ability to "see" with the heart, to understand without words. The little prince does not immediately comprehend this wisdom. He leaves his own planet, not knowing that what he will look for on different planets will be so close - on his home planet. The little prince is laconic - he speaks very little about himself and his planet. Only little by little, from random, casually dropped words, the pilot learns that the baby flew in from a distant planet, “which is all the size of a house” and is called the asteroid B-612. The little prince tells the pilot about how he is at war with the baobabs, which take root so deep and strong that they can tear apart his little planet. The first sprouts must be weeded out, otherwise it will be too late, "this is a very boring job." But he has a "firm rule": "... got up in the morning, washed, put himself in order - and immediately put your planet in order." People must take care of the cleanliness and beauty of their planet, jointly protect and decorate it, and prevent all living things from perishing. The little prince from Saint-Exupery's fairy tale cannot imagine his life without love for gentle sunsets, without the sun. “I once saw the sunset forty-three times in one day!” he says to the pilot. And a little later he adds: “You know ... when it becomes very sad, it’s good to see how the sun goes down ...” The child feels like a particle of the natural world, he calls adults to unite with her. The kid is active and hardworking. Every morning he watered the Rose, talked to her, cleared the three volcanoes on his planet so that they gave more heat, pulled out the weeds ... And yet he felt very lonely. In search of friends, in the hope of finding true love, he sets off on his journey through other worlds. He is looking for people in the endless desert surrounding him, because in communication with them he hopes to understand himself and the world around him, to gain experience, which he lacked so much. Visiting six planets in succession, the Little Prince on each of them encounters a certain vital phenomenon, embodied in the inhabitants of these planets: power, vanity, drunkenness, pseudo-scholarship ... The images of the heroes of A. Saint-Exupery's fairy tale "The Little Prince" have their own prototypes. The image of the Little Prince is both deeply autobiographical and, as it were, removed from the adult author-pilot. He was born out of longing for the dying little Tonio - a descendant of an impoverished noble family, who in the family was called "The Sun King" for his blond (at first) hair, and in college was nicknamed Lunatic for the habit of looking at starry sky. The phrase "Little Prince" itself is found, as you probably noticed, back in the "Planet of People" (as well as many other images and thoughts). And in 1940, in between battles with the Nazis, Exupery often drew a boy on a piece of paper - sometimes winged, sometimes riding on a cloud. Gradually, the wings will be replaced by a long scarf (which, by the way, the author himself wore), and the cloud will become the asteroid B-612.

Characteristics of the Rose "The Little Prince"

Rosa was capricious and touchy, and the baby was completely exhausted with her. But “on the other hand, she was so beautiful that it was breathtaking!”, And he forgave the flower for its whims. However, the empty words of the beauty, the Little Prince took to heart and began to feel very unhappy. The rose is a symbol of love, beauty, femininity. The little prince did not immediately see the true inner essence of beauty. But after talking with the Fox, the truth was revealed to him - beauty only becomes beautiful when it is filled with meaning, content. “You are beautiful, but empty,” continued the Little Prince. - You don't want to die for you. Of course, a casual passer-by, looking at my Rose, will say that she is exactly the same as you. But for me she is dearer than all of you ... "Telling this story about Rose, little hero He admits that he did not understand anything at the time. “On / before it was judged not by words, but by deeds. She gave me her fragrance, lit up my life. I shouldn't have run. Behind these miserable tricks and tricks one should have guessed tenderness. The flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young and did not yet know how to love!”

The prototype of the capricious and touching Rose is also well known, this is, of course, Exupery's wife Consuelo - an impulsive Latin American, whom her friends called "the little Salvadoran volcano." By the way, in the original, the author always writes not "Rose", but "La Aer" - a flower. But in French it is a feminine word. Therefore, in the Russian translation, Nora Gal replaced the flower with a Rose (especially since in the picture it is really a Rose). But in the Ukrainian version, nothing had to be replaced - “la fleur” easily became “kvggka”.

Characteristic Fox "The Little Prince"

Since ancient times, in fairy tales, Fox (not a fox!) Is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge of life. The conversations of the Little Prince with this wise animal become a kind of culmination in the story, because in them the hero finally finds what he was looking for. The clarity and purity of consciousness that were lost are returning to him. The fox opens the life of the human heart to the baby, teaches the rituals of love and friendship, which people have long forgotten about and therefore lost their friends and lost the ability to love. No wonder the flower says ABOUT PEOPLE: "They are carried by the wind." And the switchman in a conversation with the main character, answering the question: where are people in a hurry? remarks: "Even the driver himself does not know this." This allegory can be interpreted as follows. People have forgotten how to look at the stars at night, admire the beauty of sunsets, and enjoy the fragrance of the Rose. They submitted to the vanity of earthly life, forgetting about “simple truths”: the joy of communication, friendship, love and human happiness: “If you love a flower - the only one that is no longer on any of the many million stars, it’s enough: you look at the sky and feel happy." And the author is very bitter to say that people do not see this and turn their lives into a meaningless existence. The fox says that the prince for him is only one of a thousand other little boys, just as he is for the prince only an ordinary fox, of which there are hundreds of thousands. “But if you tame me, we will need each other. You will be the only one in the world for me. And I will be alone for you in the whole world ... if you tame me, my life will light up like the sun. I will begin to distinguish your steps among thousands of others ... ”The Fox reveals to the Little Prince the secret of taming: taming means creating bonds of love, unity of souls.

As for the Fox, there were many disputes about prototypes and translation options. Here is what the translator Nora Gal writes in the article “Under the Star of Saint-Ex”: “When The Little Prince was published for the first time, there was a heated argument in the editorial office: the Fox in a fairy tale or the Fox - again feminine gender or male? Some believed that the fox in the fairy tale was Rose's rival. Here the dispute is no longer about one word, not about a phrase, but about understanding the whole image. Even more, to a certain extent - about understanding the whole fairy tale: its intonation, coloring, deep inner meaning - everything changed from this "trifle". But I am convinced that a biographical note on the role of women in the life of Saint-Exupery does not help to understand the tale and is not relevant to the case. I'm not talking about the fact that in French 1e gepars! male. The main thing in the fairy tale Fox is first of all a friend. The rose is love, the Fox is friendship, and the faithful friend of the Fox teaches the Little Prince fidelity, teaches him to always feel responsible for his beloved and for all his relatives and loved ones. One more observation can be added. The unusually large ears of the Fox in Exupery's drawing are most likely inspired by the small desert fox fennec fox - one of the many creatures tamed by the writer while serving in Morocco.

Itse Heroes of the novel "Fathers and Sons of Turgenev" Name of the hero a brief description of heroes Yevgeny Bazarov Yevgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov is a young man. He is about 30 years old. Bazarov is a nihilist, he is critical of everything. Bazarov is a cold, sharp, tough person. Bazarov is not a nobleman, but he is proud of his simple origin. Bazarov is studying to be a doctor. He's interested in natural sciences. Bazarov becomes infected with typhus and soon dies. More about Bazarov >> Arkady Kirsanov Arkady is a young nobleman, 23 years old, Bazarov's junior friend. Arkady falls under the influence of Bazarov and "becomes" a nihilist. But at heart he remains a romantic. He loves nature and art. He is a kind, gentle young man. More about Arcadia >> Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov Nikolai Petrovich - Arkady's father, a landowner. He is 44 years old. He has been a widower for 10 years. Nikolai Petrovich - dear, good person He is a romantic, loves music and poetry. Nikolai Petrovich loves his only son very much. More about Nikolai Petrovich >> Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov Pavel Petrovich is the uncle of Arkady Kirsanov. He is about 45 years old. He is a former "social lion" from St. Petersburg, an aristocrat with refined manners and habits. He is a selfish, arrogant and proud man. More about Pavel Petrovich >> Anna Sergeevna Odintsova Anna Sergeevna is a young rich widow, a landowner. She is 28 years old. Odintsova is a beautiful, intelligent, independent woman. She is calm and polite. Most of all in life, she appreciates comfort and peace. Odintsova is a cold woman, unable to love anyone. More about Odintsova>> Fenechka Fenechka, or Fedosya Nikolaevna, is a young peasant girl. She is about 23 years old. Fenechka - beautiful girl. She is stupid and empty, but a girl. Fenechka is a modest and dignified girl. The peasant woman Fenechka becomes the wife of the nobleman Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov. More about Fenechka>> Katya Lokteva Ekaterina Sergeevna Lokteva is the younger sister of Anna Sergeevna Odintsova. Kate is about 20 years old. Katya is a sweet, kind, smart girl with character. She loves music and nature. More about Katya>> Princess R. Princess Nelli R. is the beloved of Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. They don't have a relationship. After the break, Pavel Petrovich loses the meaning of life. Many years later, Pavel Petrovich still remembers her. More about Princess R.>> Kukshina Evdoksia (Avdotya) Nikitishna Kukshina is an acquaintance of Bazarov, Kirsanov and Sitnikov. Kukshina is a young landowner. She lives separately from her husband. Kukshina considers herself a woman of progressive views and a fighter for women's rights. Kukshina is an ugly, nondescript and untidy woman. More about Kukshina>> Sitnikov Viktor Sitnikov is a young man, a friend of Kukshina and Bazarov. He considers himself a student of Bazarov. Sitnikov is the son of a wealthy merchant, but he is ashamed of his origin. Sitnikov is a stupid person. He follows fashion in everything: both in clothes and in looks. More about Sitnikov>> Bazarov's father, Vasily Ivanovich Bazarov, is an elderly man. He is 61 years old. He is a retired military doctor. He is simple and good man. He is a talkative and energetic old man. Vasily Ivanovich loves his only son Yevgeny very much. More about Bazarov's father>> Bazarov's mother Arina Vlasyevna Bazarova - Bazarov's mother, a noblewoman by birth. She has her own small estate. Arina Vlasyevna is a kind and intelligent woman, a good housewife. More about Bazarov's mother>> Servant Peter Servant Peter is the servant of Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. Peter considers himself an educated, "improved" servant, only because he can read in syllables. Peter is a stupid and selfish person.