“Matters of
consequence”, what exactly are they? A dictionary definition of this term would be what is of value
in the world. Antoine St. Exupery explains what he thinks are true “matters of
consequence” in his satire, The Little Prince. In the story the Little Prince states, “Only
children know what they are looking for…They waste their time over a rag doll and it becomes important to them…” (page 89). What this quote means is that only children know what true “matters of consequence” are. We know the author believes this because he dedicated the book, “To Leon Werth, when he was a little boy.” It implies that children appreciate the simple things and that they take time to live in the moment.
There are three characters in the book that speak for the author. The pilot is a likely spokesperson because he, like the author, is a pilot, and he als
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There is a section where he talks about adults caring about things like how many siblings your new friend has, or how much money his father makes. The pilot is presented sympathetically; he is not made an object of ridicule like the businessman, geographer, etc. This incident shows the fact that something as simple as drinking should be enjoyed.
Exupery does an excellent job in explaining true “matters of consequence”. The narrator clearly expresses a difference between an adult’s deluded matter of consequence, and a child’s true matter of consequence.
There is an incident in which the Little Prince talks to a railroad switchman.
The author opens the book talking about the differences between adults and children. The man says that adults get on the train and sleep and are anxious to get to their next destination and that children look out the window and enjoy the scenery. o sympathizes with children because he does not fit in with “grownups”, like the author. These pills were made to save people fifty-three minutes a week that they would normally spend drinking water. Yet a child asks about favorite games, if he collects butterflies and things of that sort. People need to start appreciating the simple things in life. The adults ask the numbers, and the children ask the questions that deal with imagination.