What Is The Hero's Journey In The Little Prince

The Little Prince, by Antione de Saint Exupéry, isn't an ordinary story. In fact, it was tailored for the child inside of us, but even as grow-ups we can't seem to understand it fully. However, Saint Exupéry's use of Archetypal theory, the hero's journey in specific, assists the reader throughout the story and eventually reveals the meaning of it. There are conflicting opinions on who exactly goes on this heroic journey. In my opinion, it's only the the little prince: the pilot on the other hand, acts more as the mentor assisting his new friend on his journey. However, this doesn't take away from the fact that as the narrator listens and retells the little prince's story he too experiences this journey, therefore, making his crash at the …show more content…
He becomes lonely and as a result decides to leave. Before his departure, there were last minute reconciliations with his rose, however that didn't prevent him from departing on his adventure. At the Sahara Desert, the little prince meets his mentor, a pilot who accidentally crashed and can't find a way out. The two become friends and the pilot helps the prince through his loneliness by drawing him pictures like the sheep in a box, and even listening to his strange stories. Then little prince crosses the threshold. In a way, this part of the heroic journey challenges the archetype because the little prince doesn't enter the special world one time, but a number of times. Every time he travels to another planet, he experiences encounters with different people who in a way all seem the same. He doesn't understand the strange, narrow minded world of grown-ups and neither does he understand their desire to be in control or be the best in order to be admired. (All with the exception of the lamplighter). In this special world, the little prince creates allies such as the snake and the fox. Today we view these animals as enemies, however