The Little Prince is a famous book written by Antoine de Saint−Exupery. He was a pilot before he joined the French Air Force. After he was demobilized from the French Air Force he traveled to the United States to persuade the government to join the war against Germany. North America was the place where he wrote his three most famous works which are The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) Wind, Sand and Stars, and Night Flight.
The Little Prince is a fantasy book about a pilot, stranded in the Sahara Desert, who meets a small boy from another planet. The boy, who refers to himself as a prince, is on a quest for knowledge. The little prince asks questions of the pilot and tells the pilot of life on his own very small planet. The Prince tells the boy about the King, the Conceited man, the Tippler, the Businessman, the Lamplighter, and the geographer. Eventually, the Prince reached the earth and then helped tame a fox. Suddenly he realizes that his rose has tamed him and he regrets leaving the rose behind.
My favorite story in The Little Prince is the Lamplighter. In the novel “The Little Prince” there are many stories but only one of them is my favorite. In the story, the Lamplighter lived on a small planet where he only does one thing: He follows a certain order. The order was that he would light a lamp when night falls and put it out when the day comes. But one day the planet started turning faster so each day would be one minute. He would have to light and put the lamp out every minute!
I feel bad for the Lamplighter. He must light and put out the lamp every single minute. In twenty-four hours there is like 1440 sunsets so he has to repeat the steps 1440 times every normal day. He doesn’t have any time for sleep, eating, drinking, or even play. One of the only things he can do is talk. Plus, his planet is not big enough for two people so he can not have any company forever. If I had not even a minute to rest I would be super tired and I would want to stop. I think that the lamplighter has the same feeling but he still does it because he is faithful to his duty.
Since the Lamplighter is more concerned about others than himself, that makes him the least selfish person in the novel. He will not stop no matter what. It is a job he sticks with and he does what he should. The Lamplighter brings beauty into the universe when he lights his lamp. The Lamplighter's commitment to his work and the work itself bring beauty into the universe. This arduous task, which he does for others, represents his unselfishness.
He follows the order even if he does not want to. The order used to be that he would light the lamp when night falls and put it out when the day comes but since the planet started turning faster each day would be one minute. Even though the order was very tiring he followed it properly. He follows the obsolete orders, and he is unwilling to try the prince’s suggestion that he takes a break by walking in the direction of the sun. I like this type of behavior especially when things are very tough. If I were him I would follow the order too.
The Lamplighter does what he thinks is right but the others do what they want. He wants to stop lighting the lamp but he will not stop even for one morning. If the others had this job they would have quit already, but the Lamplighter is one of the only people who would hang in there and work hard and responsibly.
In the novel “The Little Prince” there are many stories. Each one is more ridiculous than the other. Only the Lamplighter is the least ridiculous. These stories make the book a great book and teaches a lesson. That lesson is “What is essential is invisible to the eye”.
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