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Why does the businessman claim to own the stars 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 Little Prince, the businessman claims to own the stars because he believes that by being the first person to think of owning them, he has established legal possession.1
He maintains that his ownership makes it vital for him to know the exact number of stars in existence, as he spends his time counting them to manage his "property." This character serves as an example of the novella's critique of adults who are reduced to a single function and who prioritize material possession and rigid logic over the essential, invisible truths of life.1