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What does taming mean in the fox's lesson in The Little Prince?
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The Little Prince
Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) pictured on a French stamp, circa 1998.
In the fable The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the fox defines "taming" not as a form of control or restraint, but as the act of establishing ties between individuals.1
By taming one another, the prince and the fox become unique to each other, transforming their relationship into a source of mutual joy and significance. This process creates a deep, meaningful connection that distinguishes the other from all others in the universe, illustrating the book's central moral: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly: what is essential is invisible to the eye."1