Characters in the Little Prince
The Little Prince has over 30 characters. Each of them has an interesting story and some of them are inspired in a way that is hard to believe. This list encompasses characters from both The Little Prince by Exupery and Untold Stories of the Little Prince by Nikola Misovic.
The Little Prince
The Little Prince is the boy who appears out of nowhere in the middle of the desert and asks the stranded pilot to draw him a sheep. He is the protagonist of The Little Prince novella and is usually interpreted as a lost child who lives deep inside all grownup people.
The Pilot
The pilot is the narrator of the story which takes place in the middle of the desert where his plane crashed. With his water and food supplies running scarce, the pilot must fix the plane before it’s too late. It is when the Little Prince appears.
The Fox
Possibly the most iconic character from The Little Prince is the Fox. He says that famous quote:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
The fox teaches the Little Prince about taming and relationships allowing him to understand that his rose is unique because of all the time he spent nurturing her.
The Wolf
The wolf is famous for being the opposition to a fox. He said one thing that made the Little Prince question everything he knew:
The heart is blind. One can see rightly only with time. What is essential stays invisible in the present moment. Time reveals everything to both eyes and heart.
The Rose
Rose is the reason that the story of the Little Prince exists. The boy left his world after the two of them had a fight. He was young and didn’t know how to love her. And she was vain and demanding. But she also taught the boy that flowers are not to be listened to. They should be observed for their beauty, smelled for their fragrance, and nurtured so they can survive and keep being what they are — the colorful lines of meaning in our uncharted lives.
The Flower Growing From a Crack in the Rock
The flower growing from the crack in the rock is a symbol of a tired man who wants everything to be over. He wants to be thrown into the lake and spend his last days in the abundance of water. But this isn’t the story of surrender. It is a testimony of how the desires in our souls can fade if we are tormented for long.
The Three-Petaled Flower
The three-petaled flower says there are only six or seven people living in this world. It is observed as a symbol of men who do not go out and explore the world and therefore, have limited knowledge. But it could also be a testimony of the unique perspective every living creature has on life-based on its previous experiences.
The King
The king is the first grownup the Little Prince meets. Like most grownups, he perceives the world through himself and believes everyone is his subject. However, unlike all the kings humanity has seen throughout history, this king gives only the type of orders his subjects can and want to fulfill.
The Bears
Bears are the rulers of the forest. Unlike the human king, they do as they please and don’t mind the desires of other creatures inhabiting their kingdom. They are also angry with all human beings because some bad people have stolen their cubs. It is why they consider all the people to be the cub stealers. Bears are the last animals the Little Prince meets in the forest.
The Conceited Man
The conceited man is the second grownup the Little Prince meets. He asks the Little Prince to clap his hands and tell how he admires him. Indeed, many grown men in the world we live in are conceited.
The Drunkard
The drunkard leaves the Little Prince completely puzzled. The drunkard is drinking to forget his shame. He is ashamed because he is drinking. His explanation pushes the Little Prince into deep melancholy. The drunkard symbolizes contradictory human nature.
The Businessman
The businessman is obsessed with possessions. He is a symbol of materialistic culture as well as delusions people have. He can write on his paper that the stars are all he wants, but the stars don’t care about his idea and they will keep shining and blinking just the same.
The Lamplighter
The lamplighter is arguably the only noble grownup the Little Prince meets. He is deeply dedicated to his job, which is to turn on and off the street lamp as a day and night switch. The problem is that his planet is so tiny that he does it every minute. He always says, “Good evening” or “Good night” as the time changes. He symbolizes the absurdity people bring themselves in when blindly following the rules.
The Geographer
The geographer is obsessed with learning everything about other planets. But he doesn’t go anywhere. He always stays home and records what other explorers have discovered. He is the symbol of people who don’t live life and instead think about it. The geographer teaches the Little Prince what ephemeral means after telling him his rose is ephemeral.
The Snake
Little Prince meets the snake in the desert. The snake speaks in riddles but clearly states that, although as small as a finger, she holds more power than a king. The snake realizes the Little Prince is not from this world and offers to help him get back home if he gets too tired from life on Earth.
The Rabbit
The rabbit is the first inhabitant of the secret forest the Little Prince meets. He is snoozing and barely looks at the boy who wants to talk to him. His role is revealed by the turtle.
The Turtle
The turtle fell on her back and couldn’t get back up. One of the things she teaches the Little Prince is that a home can sometimes turn into a dungeon.
Those who cannot depart can never experience the joy of reunion.
Since it turns out the turtle and the rabbit are racing, the turtle, who is about to lose the race, teaches the Little Prince that some victories are defeats in disguise.
Beavers
Beavers symbolize persistence and diligence. With their little pair of teeth, they bring down the biggest trees and use branches to build dams despite knowing that bears might tear them down. They are the ones to invoke doubts in the Little Prince by sharing with him a harsh truth of life.
Mother Nature is cruel. She doesn’t give the crown to those who create the best but to the ones who destroy the most. It is why bears will always rule the forest.
The Crying Hedgehog
The hedgehog is one of the cutest characters in The Little Prince. He is famous for this iconic line:
“Why are you crying,” the Little Prince asked.
“I cry because nobody can hug me,” the hedgehog wept.
The hedgehog is a symbol of a silly delusion that many people develop throughout their lives: the delusion that they can’t be loved.
The Grasshopper
The grasshopper is waiting for his wings to grow up because he wants to fly. As his logic states it, if caterpillars who just crawl get wings, then it must be the case with grasshoppers who can jump high. The grasshopper symbolizes our inability to accept ourselves the way we are and our constant need to compare ourselves with others. These two traits are the main foundation of most human misery.
The Sheep Claiming to be the Wolf
The Little Prince meets a sheep who claims to be the wolf of the meadow. This encounter presents the concept of relativity and returns us to the prologue of the book:
Even a sheep becomes a wolf when it encounters its prey.
The Buffalo
The buffalo symbolizes wisdom. His understanding that all living creatures have someone who bows before them and someone to whom they bow, is an enlightenment.
The Moth
Moths are creatures very similar to butterflies. The main difference is that moths fly at night. Like butterflies, they don’t live long. The moth from The Little Prince is afraid that he is too ephemeral. He fears that every flight he takes could be the last one. Due to those struggles, the moth is a character who depicts our inability to live in the present moment and focus on what is rather than burden ourselves with the things that might happen.
The Ant
Just like it is the case with the narrator, there aren’t any depictions of an ent. Being able to lift a burden that is 5000 times heavier than his body weight, the ant represents willpower we all need to have. Unlike the grasshopper, he doesn’t consider himself with the question of who deserves what. The ant is the author of that famous quote:
Those who worry about what they cannot change are prisoners of their own minds.
The Drop of Morning Dew
The drop of morning dew is ephemeral. But unlike the geographer, she claims that flowers are eternal. As she tells it, her purpose is to be beautiful, which is why she is so short-lasting: the sun can’t resist her beauty and must take her right away.
The Big Tree
The big tree, the biggest one in the forest, teaches the Little Prince that ephemeral things don’t really exist.
But to be neither big nor small but just whole, we must reflect ourselves.
The Shaman
The shaman is the narrator of “Untold Stories of the Little Prince.” He advises the chief of the tribe living in the heart of the forest. According to the tradition and beliefs of his tribe, the shaman has a sacred duty of helping the Little Prince go back to his home world.
The Turkish Astronomer
The Turkish astronomer was the first to discover asteroid B612, the home of the Little Prince. However, nobody takes him seriously due to the clothes he is wearing. But upon changing the way he dresses, the scientific community starts to respect him. He symbolizes the shallow nature of human beings.
The Salesclerk
The salesclerk who sells pills that quench thirst and hunger is the symbol of the human urge to save time by doing everything as fast as possible. By not eating and drinking, humans can save almost an hour a day and use that time to do other things as fast as possible.
The Railway Switchman
The railway switchmen are the symbol of people’s inability to be happy where they are. This is because regardless of where they go, they can’t escape from themselves.
The Garden of Roses
The Garden of Roses with its many inhabitants is the symbol of shallow relationships. Although all the roses look alike, what makes a flower unique is the time dedicated to its nurturing.
The Baobabs
Baobabs are the symbol of human evil that we all have. With it, we have the obligation to restrain it. The only way to do it is to root it out while it is still little and weak. It is why, just like is the case with the Little Prince who diligently does his chores, we must be disciplined and fight the bad things that appear within us on a daily basis. According to some interpretations, baobabs represent Nazism.
The Shadows
The shadows represent fears and doubts. They remind us that even the purest of souls have their moments of weakness.
The Boa Constrictor(Hat)
The boa constrictor is a symbol of lost imagination. Everyone thinks it's a hat when it’s a big snake who swallowed a whole elephant.
The Candle
The candle which claims to be the flame is not only the symbol of lies but also the misconceptions ensuing from our delusional self-perception.
The Stars
Stars symbolize infinity. They said that famous quote:
Even the earth can be the sky if you know how to fly.
