THE PHILOSOPHICAL SUBTEXT OF THE FAIRY STORY «THE LITTLE PRINCE» BY A. DE SAINT-EXUPERY

Abstract

The timeliness of the fairy story «The Little Prince» by A. de Saint-Exupéry lies in the deep subtextuality of the work, the decoding of which enables readers to learn a complete life philosophy, grasping the true meanings of the work. So, the philosophical subtext of the work is investigated in the paper. The author analyzes in detail the images-symbols (travel image, snake, fox, flower, baobab, desert, well, planet, star, etc.) at different subtext levels, revealing the multiplicity of their interpretations. The review of the sources allows distinguishing a purely biographical approach to the implicit part of the work, but it can be decoded through the prism of the historical context of the time, as well as through philosophical aspects. The plain fantastic plot of “Little Prince” hides the whole life philosophy: one must always distinguish between what is really important and follow it, appreciate friendship and love, be responsible and kind, preserve the child, the purity of his/her soul, the openness of the universe and the fullness of the true.