Not everything is what it seems

by Ricardo Almeida and Jos Vieira

Na obra O Principezinho de Antoine de Saint-Exupry intervm vrias personagens. O Piloto, a Rosa, o Rei, o Vaidoso, o Bbado, o Homem de Negcios, o Acendedor de Candeeiros, o Gegrafo, a Serpente, a Raposa, o Agulheiro, o Comerciante e claro, o Principezinho. In The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint- Exupry there are several characters involved. The Pilot, the Rose, the King, the Conceited man, the Tippler, the Businessman, the Lamplighter, the Geographer, the Snake, the Fox, the Railway switchman, the Merchant and, of course, the Little Prince.

Atravs dos atos de algumas personagens, o autor pretendeu demonstrar a simbologia das mesmas na histria. Esta simbologia muito importante para a compreenso da obra. Through the actions of some characters, the author aimed at demonstrating the symbology of their life experiences. This symbology is very important for the understanding of the book.

A Rosa dona de uma beleza incontornvel, mas era orgulhosa, contraditria e mentirosa. Ela cativou o corao do Principezinho que morria pelas saudades que tinha dela e, apesar de todos os seus defeitos j no podia viver sem ela e amava-a com todas as suas foras.
The Rose is the owner of an amazing beauty, but she was proud, contradictory and a liar. She tamed the Little Prince is heart, who missed her very much. And, despite all the Roses faults, he couldnt live without her. He loved her with all his strength.

O Rei representa as pessoas da nossa sociedade que pensam que so superiores a todos os outros e demonstra um poder absoluto pois, no seu pequeno asteride, quer reinar sobre tudo e todos mesmo no tendo ningum sobre quem reinar.
The King represents the people in our society who think they are superior to all others. He shows an absolute power because in his small asteroid he wants to reign over everything and everyone even if there is no one to reign.

O Vaidoso significa o egosmo e a vaidade. muito egocntrico; no v mais nada para alm de si prprio. Assim no consegue apreciar as coisas boas da vida. The Conceited man means the selfishness and vanity. He is very self-centered; he doesnt see anything beyond himself. So he cant enjoy the good things life has.

O Bbado simboliza o vcio pelo lcool, mas tambm o absurdo, pois bebia para esquecer a vergonha que tinha de beber. Ele escapa da realidade atravs do lcool, mas no consegue escapar da vergonha de ser como . O seu desabafo um alerta contra todos os vcios. The Tippler symbolizes the addiction to alcohol, but also the absurd, because he drank to forget the shame that he had for drinking. He escapes from reality through alcohol, but he cant escape the shame of being as he is. His outburst is a warning against all addictions.

O Homem de Negcios tem uma grande ambio e obsesso pela riqueza. Representa o perfeito adulto porque sua mente est ocupada apenas por nmeros.

The Businessman has a great ambition and obsession by wealth. He represents the perfect adult, because his mind is only occupied by numbers.

O Acendedor de Candeeiros representa o absurdo. Ele prendeu-se de tal forma sua ocupao que acha que o mundo no funciona sem a sua contribuio. The Lamplighter represents nonsense. He thinks that occupation is so important that world doesnt work without contribution. the his the his

O Gegrafo simboliza a rejeio pelo que novo. Sabe toda a teoria, mas no aplica seus conhecimentos. Nunca sai da sua mesa para explorar as descobertas e diz que trabalho para outra pessoa. The Geographer symbolizes the rejection of what is new. He knows all the theory, but he doesnt apply his knowledge in the real world. He never leaves his desk to explore the findings and he says that activity is a task work for someone else.

O Piloto na sua sensibilidade artstica e na sua capacidade de ver alm das aparncias deita por terra aqueles que se entregaram monotonia dos seus pequenos mundos (os adultos).

The Pilot in his artistic sensibility and in his ability to see beyond appearances refutes those who have surrendered to the monotony of their small worlds (the adults).

A Raposa explica ao Principezinho que, apesar de existirem milhares de flores parecidas com a dele, aquela Rosa que ele deixou no seu planeta e por quem tem tanto afeto nica no seu mundo, e foi o tempo que ele lhe dedicou que a fez to importante.

The Fox explains to Little Prince that though there are thousands of flowers similar to his flower, the Rose that he left on his planet and which he loves affection is unique in his world. And it was the time that he dedicated to her, that made the Rose so important to him.

Com a Raposa aprendemos o valor de cativar e ser cativado e percebemos que isso requer responsabilidade. A Raposa representa uma conselheira para o Principezinho a quem ensinou o verdadeiro valor da amizade. Demonstra ser muito sbia no que diz.

With the Fox we learn the value of taming and we realize that it requires responsibility to make friends and keep them. The Fox is an adviser. He taught the Little Prince the true value of friendship. She proves to be very wise in what she says.

A Serpente embora fale sempre por enigmas a personagem mais franca de toda a histria. Ela respeita o que puro e verdadeiro.

Though always speaking in riddles, the Snake is the most sincere in the story. She respects what is pure and true.

O protagonista da histria, o Principezinho fica perplexo com as contradies dos adultos e ele simboliza a inocncia, a ignorncia, a pureza, o amor e a fora inocente da criana que existe dentro de ns. The main character of the story, the Little Prince is amazed by the contradictions of the adults and he symbolizes the innocence, ignorance, purity, love and innocent strength of the child who exists inside us. Fim. The end.