Creative task: A conversation with the Switchman

“The Little Prince” is a staple in children’s literature, a philosophical fable that still remains relevant. It can be unbearably relevant and true even for an adult audience, with its reflections exceptionally well describing our contemporary world. It reminds us of lost innocence, a time when friendship was just friendship—a time when we were children. The Prince visits different planets, including ours, to finally embark on a journey “back to himself.” Read a fragment from “The Little Prince,” specifically Chapter XXII, where the character meets the Switchman. You can do this through the University of British Columbia website here: https://blogs.ubc.ca/edcp508/files/2016/02/TheLittlePrince.pdf
Explore the theme of travel in the book and consider whether the bitter words of the switchman accurately describe our contemporary attitude towards journeys. The section “Enlightenment through Exploration” on the Sparknotes page for the book could prove useful for this purpose: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/littleprince/themes/

Module: The Little Prince