【正文】 because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to bee butterflies)。 because it is 8 she that I have put under the glass globe。 men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored.‖ So he asks the little prince to tame him. And he tells the little prince some essence of life through simple words. The symbolic meaning of “tame” The symbolic meaning of ―tame‖ is to love and undertake responsibility. ―Tame‖ is to establish ties. The fox tells the little prince that before tamed, the little prince means nothing but a boy who likes a hundred thousand other little boys. However, when he is tamed, they shall need each other and they will to be unique to each other in the world. The fox knows the essence of life and tells the little prince the true meaning of love and responsibility in simple words. ―It is only with the heart that one can see rightly。 the businessman is crazy to the number。 the conceited man is infatuated with ridiculous vanity。 and Paul Verlaine during the 1860s and 39。s essence is contained in the lines uttered by the fox to the little prince: One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye. Other key thematic messages are articulated by the fox, such as: You bee responsible, forever, for what you have tamed and It is the time you have devoted to your rose that makes your rose so important. The Little Prince is so charming that there are many studies of it. Their studies are mainly concerned in three aspects. Firstly, study the symbolism in the work and many people study in this aspect such as Ling Xuedong, Hu Yulong, and Jiang Haitao. Secondly, study the realistic meaning or philosophical meaning in the work. Thirdly, study the relationship between the author and the aviator in the book through analyzing the symbolism of the work. Those are a great help to understand The Little Prince and also offering a lot of information of both the work and the author. Based on the studies as referred, the subject of this essay is mainly about the little prince’s realizing love and responsibility during his travel by analyzing symbolic meanings in the book. It begins with escaping from the love restricting, experiences the course of taming others, and ends with returning of love and responsibility. In the society of lacing of human touch, searching for love and responsibility has a profound meaning indeed. 3 1 Some theories about symbolism and the research status of symbolism in The Little Prince. There are some basic theories about symbolism as follows. Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. A symbol is an object, action, or idea that represents something other than itself, often of a more abstract nature. Symbolism in literature is when the author uses an object or reference to add deeper meaning to a story. Symbolism in literature can be subtle or obvious, used sparingly or heavyhandedly. An author may repeatedly use the same object to convey deeper meaning or may use variations of the same object to create an overarching mood or feeling. Symbolism is often used to support a literary theme in a subtle manner. Writers insert symbols into their writing to allude to a feeling, mood or attitude without directly stating the perspective or mood intended. Symbolism is supplemental to the story. Symbolism was a late nieenthcentury art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil, 1857) by Charles Baudelaire. The works of Edgar Allan Poe, which Baudelaire admired greatly and translated into French, were a significant influence and the source of many stock tropes and images. The aesthetic was developed by St233。s book, The Little Prince makes several profound and idealistic observations about life and human nature through symbolism. ―We can see symbolism everywhere in the book which is clear and obscure and it makes the fable very beautiful and charming.‖(Moir233。 Night Flight。 Flight to Arras。Air (French Air Force), flying reconnaissance missions until France39。 圣 埃克蘇佩里； 愛與責(zé)任 ； 哲理性 童話 iii Acknowledgements This thesis is the product of the author and the supervisor’s three months of efforts. It has been repeatedly revised under the guidance of Professor Guo. It was the joint efforts of both the author and the teachers in Foreign Languages Department. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Professor Guo and the teachers who have helped the author in the process of the thesis writing. I will also give my thanks to my classmates and friends who have helped me revise the thesis. Last but not least, I will give my heartfelt thanks to my parents who have been always supporting and encouraging me. iv Content Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1 Some theories about symbolism and the research status of symbolism in The Little Prince. .............................................................................................................. 3 2 The symbolic meanings in the growing of the little prince.................................... 4 The little prince escapes from love ...................................................................... 4 Symbols of ―Selflove‖ and ―love others‖ ........................................................... 5 Residents in the five asteroids.........................