The Little Prince by Antoine de saint-exupery is a very popular book which talks about a little prince who travels to many places until he gets to earth and meets many different characters. Of all these peculiar characters that he encountered on the journey, the one that leaves me the deepest impression is the fox. Through his conversation with the prince he teaches the prince the meaning of relationships, the process of taming, and that you need to look inside of people and not the outside. The fox is a wise, cautious and sensitive character which makes him the most memorable and impactful character in this book.
The fox taught the prince that building a bond with others takes time and patience which gives life meaning. By taking the time to get to know each other, you can build meaningful bonds. When the fox first met the prince he was skittish around him. The fox tells him "My life is very monotonous…But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life." Through this, the fox reveals his wisdom that making connections with others has immense value. The fox understands that if the prince tamed him and bonded with him, that would make his life more exciting and joyful. The fox knows that relationships matter more than anything else and that building it through time and effort gives purpose to your life. This lesson leaves a profound mark on us all.
The fox gives us a deep impression not just through what he teaches the prince, but how he teaches the prince. He instructs the prince by using metaphors and simple language which helped the prince understand what he meant. When the fox explained his ideas like “"If, for example, you come at four o'clock in the afternoon, then at three o'clock I shall begin to be happy.” This simple time related example tells us the joy when one of your loved ones comes. The fox also states that “ It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." This metaphor recalls the importance of the invisible and emotional connection. The fox teaches us and the prince the value of significance of relationships over the visible surface. The vivid metaphors and straightforward phrases makes his lessons more memorable which leaves an indelible impression on us.
In addition to his simple but useful teaching methods, the fox also shows rare emotional openness for such a wise character. Normally bright characters usually show that they do not get emotional, but the fox is instead openly sharing his emotions. When he first meets the prince he talks to him and admits that he is lonely. After he took some time to bond with the boy, he cried when the boy had to leave. These examples both show how the fox taught the prince and he bravely shared his emotions, secrets, and feelings to the prince although it seems like he acts like a teacher. This vulnerability makes the fox seem more human like our close friend. By openly showing his longing for connections and his tears when his friend leaves, the wise foxes seem more realistic and lively which touches my heart.
The Little Prince is a very touching and inspiring book. While the prince learned valuable lessons from all the individuals in his travels, the individual that gave me the deepest impression was the fox. Through his knowledge of time, emotional connection, and the meaning of life, the fox helped us to have a deeper understanding of what matters most. The fox uses a simple yet effective way of talking so that we can realize the true meaning. Despite his roles as a wise teacher, he still shows his emotions and longings for connections other than a blank face. For all these reasons-his wisdom, poetic language, and emotional openness-the fox is the most impactful character to me on the Little Prince’s journey. More than all the other figures, it’s the fox that teaches us to see with our heart.
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