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Which adults does the little prince meet during his journey through the asteroids?
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The Little Prince
Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) pictured on a French stamp, circa 1998.
During his journey through the asteroids, the little prince encounters six adults, each representing a narrow-minded function or obsession:1
- A king: He demands absolute obedience but has no subjects to rule until the prince arrives.1
- A conceited man: He is the sole inhabitant of his planet and desires only to be admired and flattered.1
- A drunkard: He drinks to forget the shame he feels about his drinking habit.1
- A businessman: He is obsessed with counting the stars, believing that owning them makes him wealthy and important.1
- A lamplighter: He is bound by a rigid, repetitive duty to light and extinguish his lamp every minute, as his planet rotates rapidly.1
- A geographer: He records information from explorers but knows nothing of his own planet because he never leaves his desk to observe the world firsthand.1
These encounters serve to illustrate the author's critique of how adults often lose their imagination and sense of wonder as they become consumed by their roles and functions.1