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Happy Princes

The question of happiness in The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery and The Happy Prince
by Oscar Wilde
Good morning, today my presentation ill focus on to texts!
The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint Exupery, "#$%&' and
The Happy Prince, hich is a fairy tale by Oscar Wilde. "#((('
) ill tal* about ho the child and animal characters contest gron+ups, definition of happiness
and offer a different perspecti-e. .y aim is to in-ite you to thin* about ho these texts can
contribute to your on -ies on happiness ithin your e-eryday li-es.
There are many different -ies of hat happiness is, or hat it should be, and ho it should be
attained,
ho it can become an expectation, hich e should see* ithin our human quest and accomplish
at the end.
Sarah Ahmed, in launching this conference, spo*e of humanity searching for the /promise of
happiness0 as it becomes the purposeful nature of human action. Aristotle , thought the goal of
e-ery human life as eudaimonia, 1slide2 a deep conception of happiness as long+term
flourishing, rather than fleeting pleasure.
3oe-er, The 4ittle 5rince obser-es!, 1slide2 /.en6 set on their ay in express trains, but they
6do not *no hat they are loo*ing for. Then 6.they rush about, and get excited, and turn
round and round6, "St. Exupery, &7'.
So, hat is it that humans are continuously loo*ing for8
9oth stories, use child and animal characters to challenge adults, pursuit of unachie-able
happiness and suggest paying attention to simple actions, treasured moments and cherished
relationships.
:o today, as ) refer to "or dip into' the to stories, don,t orry too much about hich prince is
hich. )n both cases they are child princes. And, ;ust li*e you, they are obser-ing, The 4ittle
#
5rince obser-es hat he has encountered on different planets in the <ni-erse= and The 3appy
5rince obser-es hat he sees in his city.
) shall also be using some obser-ations of Aristotle and obser-ers>"scholars, philosophers,
thin*ers' through the centuries to today.
) rote this paper because ) am fascinated ith hat children loo* for, hat interests them and
hat they can teach us. Whether it,s children loo*ing out the indos of trains, or my young
students in ?olombia and in 4ondon, ho children -ie happiness is essential for me to reali@e
for my or* and "in my' e-ery day life.
1Slide2
The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde begins ith tonspeople admiring the statue of the
3appy 5rince. 9oth children and adults appreciate its beauty but for different reasons. Gron+ups
produce sophisticated, aesthetic ;udgments about the statue, hile the children say, /3e loo*s ;ust
li*e an angel.0 3oe-er, the maths teacher tells the children that they cannot *no that because
they ha-e ne-er seen angels. The children retort that they ha-e, in their dreamA That causes the
maths teacher to fron because he dispro-es of children dreamingA
Brom the start of the fairy tale, adults are portrayed as unimaginati-e and dull compared to
imaginati-e and open+minded children. This teacher is indeed a representation of the constraining
educational system that Cean Cacques Dousseau attac*s! 1slide2
What is the thought of that cruel education which sacrifices the present to an uncertain
future .that burdens the child with all sorts of restrictions and begins by making him
miserable, in order to prepare him for some far-off happiness ..which he may neer
en!oy"
"Dousseau, &E'
Dousseau hates the suppressing of children,s present imagination and pleasure, for the
expectation of happiness sometime in the long term future.
1Slide2 A similar situation arises at the beginning of St. Exupery,s The 4ittle 5rince. The
narrator had found hen he as a child that boring and uninspired adults did not understand his
draings. This one 1Slide2 they thought as a hat, hereas in fact it is a draing of boa
constrictor digesting an elephant 1Slide2. E-entually, by the age of six, he abandoned hat could
ha-e been a career as a painter to dedicate his time to something more /serious.0
7
When he gre up he became an aeroplane pilot. 9ut then, as an adult, the narrator finds himself
li-ing /all alone0 "##' because other gron+ups, hom he tests ith his draing of the boa
constrictor, ha-e lost their imagination and much rather tal* about bridge, golf and politics ithin
other more Fimportant, sub;ects.
One day, his plane crashes in a desert. There the narrator meets the little prince and he is
immediately touched by ho full of imagination the fact the little prince,s -oice is as he narrates
his ad-entures.
Brom the beginning of the boo*, Saint Exupery presents the importance of friendship, as the
relationship beteen the narrator and the 4ittle 5rince de-elops. 9ecause the hole story unfolds
as the narrator,s memory, his description of the little 5rince is something that the narrator ants
to hold on to fore-er! 1slide2
/)f ) am attempting to describe him, it is in order not to forget him. )t is sad to forget a
friend. :ot e-eryone has had a friend. And ) could become li*e the gron+ups ho are
only concerned ith figures.0 "pg. 7&'
So Saint Exupery highlights the sub;ect of friendship early on in the 4ittle 5rince. The story
emphasi@es the relationship beteen characters, and ;uxtaposes the egoistic gron ups, ho li-e
by themsel-es on their on planets, hich the 4ittle 5rince -isits during his different ad-entures.
The Little Prince and The Happy Prince are both texts that gi-e special importance to the creation
of relationships. They help us to reflect upon se-eral issues that Aristotle brings up on
relationships.
Birst in the :icomachean Ethics, /Without friends,0 /no one ould choose to li-e, though he
possessed all the other goods0 "##GaG+H'.
1Slide2
) ould no li*e us all to re-alue!+
#' To hat extent is friendship itself a necessary or central component of the happiness of human
beings8
7' 3o central to human happiness is to lo-e8
1Slide2
.
&
9efore he sets off from his planet on his ad-entures, The 4ittle 5rince demonstrates care,
affection and attachment to a rose. 3e in-ests time and energy toards his floer by atering it,
protecting it and caring for it. The floer is -ain and naI-e, but the relationship that the 4ittle
5rince culti-ates ith her is a relationship that in-ol-es lo-e. When the 5rince lea-es his planet
he ants to return to his planet hoping to see her again. 9ecause of the rose, the little prince finds
that ta*ing responsibility gi-es him a sense of purpose that ma*es him happy! JslideK
/)f someone lo-es a floer of hich there is only one on the millions and millions of stars, it is
enough to ma*e him happy hen he loo*s at them for he can say! Fmy floer is somehere out
there., "pg &%'
Aristotle describes a good friend as one ho Fishes goods to the other for the other,s on sa*e,
e-en if no one ill *no about it., "##H(b7+H'.
)nitially The 4ittle 5rince ma*es us aare that social reality is made up of ea-ing human bonds,
as e all ;ourney through an endless eb of encounters. The relationship beteen The 4ittle
5rince and his rose is an example that demonstrates dependence, responsibility and -irtue.
Slide
4ater
JslideK )n ?hapter LL), The 4ittle 5rince has arri-ed to Earth and meets a fox ho as*s to be
tamed. The fox explains to the little prince that in-esting oneself in another person ma*es that
person, and e-erything associated ith him or her, more special. The fox here is explaining the
importance of creating a connection and Festablish ties, ith another in order to feel that one
needs the other. FOne can only understand the things one tames, said the fox. F.en ha-e no more
time to understand anything. They buy ready+made things in the shops. 9ut since there are no
shops here you can buy friends, men no longer ha-e any friends. )f you ant a friend, tame
meA, "pg M('
At that moment, The Little Prince reali@es that he has tamed his rose, for although there are
millions of roses that are similar to his, that particular one is important to him because he has
created a relationship ith her. 3e reali@es that hat he has gi-en to her is e-en more important
to hat he has recei-ed from her in return, once again reiterating Aristotle,s approach to
%
friendship Ffor the others sa*e., These ties that are created indicate lo-e, attachment, connections
and purpose. Slide
That is hy the fox insists that! Fit is only ith one,s heart that one can see clearly= hat is
essential is in-isible to the eye., "(7' slide
Similarly, in Oscar Wilde,s The Happy Prince, the relationship that is built beteen the 5rince,s
statue and the sallo is a clear example of friendship for the Fother,s sa*e., When The 3appy
5rince as ali-e, he originally li-ed in the ignorance of a palace ithin an enclosed garden /Sans
souci0, "ithout orries'. 1Slide2 Sorro as not alloed to enter his palace, he says, Fhappy
indeed ) as if pleasure be happiness,.
9ut hen he died, he as put up as a statue outside the garden, and he as introduced to the
po-erty of his city.
So sadness in-ades the statue of the once 3appy 5rince and he eeps.
A sallo ho as migrating to Egypt, but as left behind because he had fallen in lo-e ith a
reed, decides to rest under the statue before he continues his ;ourney. 3e finds is immediately
drenched, ith the
prince,s tears. JSlideK
The 5rince reali@es that he can use the ;eels that dress his statue to help others. 3e ants to gi-e
people the material relief that they yearn. To do this, the statue as*s the sallo to become his
messenger.
The eather is getting colder and the sallo *nos he should mo-e on, but he decides to be
helpful. 3e ta*es a ruby from the sord of The 3appy 5rince and flies off across the city to gi-e
it to a seamstress ho the 5rince has seen has a sic* child. The statue then tells the sallo to
ta*e one of his eyes made
of sapphire to a poor riter and then his other sapphire eye to a poor little match girl. JslideK
:o the prince is blind, he as*s the sallo to gi-e out the lea-es of gold that co-er his body,
to the poor. The prince admits that F) am co-ered ith fine gold you must ta*e it off leaf by leaf
and gi-e it to my poor for FThe li-ing alays thin* that gold can ma*e them happy.0 "##'
G
Though the centuries sages such as 9uddah and Aristotle ha-e taught humanity, that material
gain alone ill not fulfill our deepest needs. There is e-idence in the orld happiness report that
people
ho care more about others are typically happier than those ho care more about themsel-es.
That is hat Oscar Wilde is trying to sho us hen the sallo says! JslideK
Fit is curious but ) feel so arm no, although it is so cold., And the prince replies, F that is
because you ha-e done a good action., An action that Aristotle ould consider altruistic, as it
appeals to a greater good and is concerned ith the elfare of others.
This sallo,s feeling of lo-e and friendship toards the statue is actually nourishing the
sallo and *eeping him happy as ell. The sallo postponed his on need of going to Egypt
in fa-our of attending to the ishes of The 3appy 5rince,s statue and benefit others. 9ecause it
gets too cold for him to sur-i-e physically, the sallo ends up dying.
The gron+ups that the 4ittle 5rince meets along his ay are -ery different to the sallo. They
are adults ho ha-e lost their sense of onder as they see the orld as a place that caters for their
on selfish desires.
Throughout his ;ourney, The 4ittle 5rince encounters se-eral gron+ups.
- Birst, he meets a Ning ho claims to be the ruler of the hole <ni-erse and belie-es that
e-eryone ho comes upon it is a sub;ect. The Ning pathetically commands the little prince to
do things he actually has already done, pro-ing that ith no relationships his poer is empty.
- The little 5rince then encounters a -ain man ho cra-es admiration from all ho pass by.
3oe-er, by being alone he is assured of being the richest and best+loo*ing man on his
planet.
- The 4ittle 5rince then meets a drun*ard ho drin*s to forget that he is ashamed of drin*ing,
- and a businessman ho is busy counting stars that he belie-es he ons.

The 4ittle 5rince finds all these gron+ups to be /odd0 and /strange0 for his ideas of hat as
important ere -ery different to those of the gron+ups. The 4ittle 5rince finds no meaning or
purpose in any of these adult,s li-es.
H
The fifth planet that the 4ittle 5rince -isits is the lamplighter,s. A man is in charge of lighting a
lamp or putting it out, almost as if he brought one more star to life. The 4ittle 5rince finds some
meaning in this ;ob, as it is a ;ob in hich he is not only concerned ith himself.
slide
When the 4ittle 5rince reaches the Earth he meets the railay signalman ho Fsorts out tra-ellers
in bundles of a thousand,. 3e or*s at the hub for the enormous trains that rush bac* and forth
carrying dissatisfied adults from one place to the other!
The little 5rince says, /They are in a great hurry. FWhat are they loo*ing for8
As the exchange of tra-ellers comes in, and the little 5rince as*s, /ere they not satisfied here
they ere8
:o one is e-er satisfied here he is, replies the signalman.
FAre they pursuing the first tra-ellers8 As*s the little prince.
They are pursuing nothing at all. They sleep in there or yan. Only the children press their noses
against the indopanes.,
Only the children *no hat they are loo*ing for, replies the little prince.
This is another example of the difference beteen the gron+ups and children ith regards to
ta*ing the present for granted. The pursuit of happiness is seen as something that must
continuously be loo*ed for and searched for. Slide
)t becomes a hedonic treadmill! Feach time e ad-ance toards a desired state, e quic*ly get
used to the ne terrain, and thus ha-e no more satisfaction than e did in the pre-ious location.
As a result, e or* hard at running but ne-er get anyhere., ":ettle MH'
)t is precisely the -ie of the children, the fact that they are pressing their noses against the
indopanes of life, that they are considered to *no hat they are loo*ing for= they are loo*ing
to get the best of life in the here and the no. They li-e the present. FAs Neats suggested, to
experience happiness requires us to be at least sometimes fully present in the here and no, and
not distracted by other desires!
slide
F)t is a fla
)n happiness, to see beyond our bourn+
)t forces us in summer s*ies to mourn
)t spoils the singing of the nightingale, "Neats in :ettle #HE'
M
?ritic such as Sarah Ahmed and 4auren 9erlant, along ith scientists such as Oa-id :ettle agree
that! FThe idea of happiness has done its ;ob as it has *ept us trying. )n other ords, e-olution has
not set us up for the attainment of happiness, merely its pursuit. )t says there is a croc* of gold at
the end of this next rainbo, and hen e get to the end it says, there,s a croc* of gold at the end
of the next rainbo., ":ettle, #H('
Therefore, hat should e do in order to a-oid getting on to this hedonic treadmill8
Conathan 3aydt in the 3appiness 3ypothesis proposes that
F3appiness is not something that you can find, acquire or achie-e directly. Pou ha-e to get the
conditions right and then ait. Some of those conditions are ithin you, such as coherence ithin
the parts and le-els of your personality. Other conditions require relationships to things beyond
you! Cust as plants need sun, ater and good soil to thri-e, people need lo-e, or*, and
connection to something larger. )t is orth stri-ing to get the right relationships beteen yourself
and others, beteen yourself and or*, and beteen yourself and something larger than yourself.
)f you get these relationships right, a sense of purpose and meaning ill emerge.0 "Conathan
3aidt, The 3appiness 3ypothesis'
Therefore, characters such as The 4ittle 5rince, the fox, the pilot, the 3appy 5rince and the
sallo remind us that!
slide
F3appiness is a butterfly, hich, hen pursued, is alays beyond our grasp, but hich,
if you ill sit don quietly, may alight upon you.,
The stories of Antoine de Saint Exupery and Oscar Wilde teach us that there are simple ays of
reaching the roots of happiness hich include paying attention to the present moment, doing *ind
actions and creating cherished relationships. )f e decide to focus on these e-ery day throughout
life then e ;ust might find the butterfly of happiness fluttering around us.
As ) had said at the beginning of my tal*, ) belie-e it is important to connect our research papers
to our daily li-es, and ) therefore ant to share ith you a -ideo in hich e can notice ho
children sho us that li-ing the present, sharing ith others, and creating relationships can bring
us true happiness.
(
Bibliography:
Primary texts:
Oe Saint Exupery, Antoine. The Little Prince. 3ertfordshire!Wordsorth Editions
<nlimited, #$$G.
Wilde, Oscar. The Happy Prince and other stories. 4ondon! 5enguin ?lassics, #$$%.
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file.
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$
#E

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