Reception of the Little Prince, Written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Through Individualisation

Abstract

This paper examines ideas, meanings, and motives in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. By studying the symbols present in this literary curiosity, we point out the multiplicity of meanings that make this modern fantasy story a read for children and adults. The complexity of The Little Prince, the ambiguity of its elements, and the intertwining of motives, ideas, and messages of this paper, can be a real challenge for young readers when it comes to proper interpretation. There is a question of whether this literary work is intended for children at all? To facilitate students’ understanding and provide a complete emotional experience, we propose the application of individualized teaching, a model of work that allows each child following their intellectual, cognitive, emotional, and other abilities, to adopt a literary text and appropriately engage reception. Literature, as the art of words, should be able to provide an opportunity for recipients to get to know a literary work in their way, that is, following their abilities and sensibility, and to understand all its compositional layers.