Good morning/afternoon, Seniors!
With getting all of the classes set up online this week, I'm afraid I had to drop the ball on providing feedback on your Pursuing Success essays. So, I'll be taking this week to do that, and your revisions will be due on Monday, April 6th at noon. Note that I'm not grading these first drafts; I'm simply providing feedback that allows you to revise. Only your final draft will be graded. However, if you discover that I left only positive feedback on your draft and/or went ahead and put a grade in the grade book, you don't have to worry about revising: you're good to go. So, because you'll be busy revising at some point, you only have a reading assignment this week--and just a short response to this blog. I think you'll really enjoy this week's reading. This week, you will read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Note, when you click on the link, that you have to sign in with your school credentials to read the text, since it is copyrighted). The Little Prince is a deceptively simple book; it is a children's story written for grown-ups. Throughout, de Saint-Exupéry distills the wisdom gained throughout his life's experiences (Google him; he's an interesting fella') into the adventures of an aviator/narrator and the titular Little Prince. Throughout, especially as the Little Prince meets new characters, searches for water, and discovers the importance of his rose, consider the lessons communicated by each of his experiences. When you've finished reading the book (it's quite short; I imagine it won't take you much longer than a couple of hours, total), respond below (leave your own comment by filling in the boxes under "Leave a Reply;" you should not enter anything for "Website") by explaining your favorite "lesson" from the novella. I've done one below, as an example. But, before you get to that point, settle in to a comfy chair or couch, turn off the TV and/or phone, grab a cup of hot cocoa, coffee, or tea, and relax into the delightful story of The Little Prince .
23 Comments
Cala Hunter
3/30/2020 08:59:11 am
My favorite lesson starts with the quote, "“Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” This is my favorite because it tells you to listen to your heart and go through life with no regrets. In the end it doesn't matter the kind of car you drive or how much money you have. It's about the moments you will remember and what you decide to put into the world. Seeing the world through the choices we make with our heart rather than pressured choices makes life so much enjoyable because you make the choices that help you to find the good parts of life.
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Mr. Rudebusch
4/2/2020 12:49:05 pm
That's one of the most-quoted lines of the novella, Cala--and for good reason. You're so right in saying that it's about the unimportance of material things. So often we focus on working toward getting a thing or achieving a goal--and there's nothing wrong with working toward a goal--but it's important to remember that the strength and knowledge that we gain while working toward something is just as important, if not more important, than the end goal itself.
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Devin Matson
3/31/2020 09:59:31 am
I am split between two favorite lessons from the story. the first comes from the quote: "You must see to it that
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Mr. Rudebusch
3/31/2020 01:23:44 pm
Were I asked to choose a single lesson, I would struggle with the decision as well.
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Sierra Schofield
3/31/2020 01:47:02 pm
A lesson that stood out to me especially in the tribulation the world is facing right now comes from the characters searching for much needed water. The Little Prince says, “what makes the desert beautiful…is that somewhere it hides a well.” What this means that in any setbacks or trials we face, there is a blessing to be found. We must look at the adversity we face as a chance to grow and to find the good in each situation, rather than focus on the bad. Having a world pandemic and not being able to live our lives as we normally would is a major setback, and I think this lesson is very pertinent to what we’re going through. I think it’s important for each and every one of us to focus on what we can gain from this experience, instead of honing in on what we might lose. Life is constantly changing and how well we can adapt and what attitude we choose to have will ultimately determine our happiness.
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Mr. Rudebusch
4/2/2020 12:44:33 pm
That's a very valuable and timely insight, Sierra. Knowing and trusting that there's some good to be had in the midst of hardship keeps us going, motivates us to keep searching for that "well in the desert" when we might otherwise want to simply give up. Thank you for that reminder.
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Summer Borgheiinck
4/1/2020 08:48:22 am
A lesson that stood out to me was when the king said "that is the most difficult thing of all. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others." What the king means by this lesson is that about this is that you have to judge yourself before you judge others. The king also says that that it's also more difficult to judge yourself then judge others because I think that you are more quicker to judge someone then judging yourself. This lesson is important because I think before you judge someone you should judge yourself.
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Mr. Rudebusch
4/2/2020 12:40:33 pm
That is indeed such an important point! As you say, it is very easy to judge others and point out their faults: in fact, pointing out others' shortcomings often makes us feel better about ourselves. However, our time and energies are much better spent discovering our own faults and working to mend those faults, rather than distract ourselves.
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Gage Dobbs
4/1/2020 05:50:29 pm
My favorite lesson was about the rat on the kings planet, the Prince is charged with finding him and putting him to death, but he must pardon him because he is the only one they have left. Rat's don't provide any benefit to anyone, but he must stay alive because that's the only thing the king really has. Even though it is bad for the King, he wishes to have something, even if it is bad.
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Mr. Rudebusch
4/2/2020 12:33:21 pm
I don't think I've ever considered the significance of the King's rat, but you're right: there's a lesson in that, as well! Those trapped in the belief that power is success can easily find themselves more beholden than empowered. I believe there's a verse or two in the Tao te Ching that suggests something similar....
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Kaden Eng
4/2/2020 06:55:43 am
The lesson that stood out to me the most was when the fox said, "Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more.'' This one stuck out to me the most because I believe that friendships are one of the most important things in someones life. This is a great lesson that stuck out to me because we can't just buy and purchase a friendship like we can with anything else. Most other goods or items in the world are made through factories and shops. You can't buy a friendship and in order to form a friendship it takes, trust, effort, and heart. If we do not do those things then it will be hard to form a friendship with someone and we could be left lonely. Friendships can be hard and if someone ruins a friendship with their friend that person and can't just buy that friendship back. It will take effort and heart to get them back.
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Mr. Rudebusch
4/2/2020 12:27:30 pm
That is one of my favorite lessons, as well; in fact, Mrs. Rudebusch and I included that chapter about the fox and the roses in our wedding readings. You're so right that relationships with others give our lives meaning. The point the fox makes here--that the importance/meaning of those relationships relies on the effort and time we've put into them--is an important addition.
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Layce Kooima
4/2/2020 11:07:57 am
My favorite lesson takes place at the bottom of page 42. It is where the little prince is reflecting on the people he has met in the past five planets. He is talking about the lamplighter and says, “that man would be scorned by all the others: by the king, by the conceited man, by the tippler, by the businessman. Nevertheless, he is the only one of them all who does not seem to me ridiculous. Perhaps that is because he is thinking of something else besides himself.” The people who think about other things apart from themselves are often scorned by others. They are looked down upon because they seem to be neglecting themselves when they are actually helping the world to continue moving as it should be. The people who only look after themselves are constantly laughing at the ones who are making life easier/normal for them. It’s sad to realize that people don’t know their own ignorance. But I like this lesson because it speaks volumes about people who look after other things/people and aren’t constantly consumed with themselves.
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Mr. Rudebusch
4/2/2020 12:23:05 pm
I often forget about that lamplighter; thank you for reminding me to consider him. His chapter goes by so quickly, but you're right: he's the only person with his own planet that the Little Prince admires, and that deserves some extra attention. Much of the novella is about the importance of appreciation, but this other important point--that serving others is also important--is easy too miss.
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Ashley Shepherd
4/2/2020 01:12:45 pm
My favorite lesson throughout this story was on page 31. The king tells the Little Prince, "“Then you shall judge yourself,” the king answered. “that is the most difficult thing of all. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true
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Logan Sikkink
4/2/2020 01:26:42 pm
The lesson I chose was when the two are in search of a well and find water. "This water was indeed a different thing from ordinary nourishment. Its sweetness was born of the walk under the stars, the song of the pulley, the effort of my arms. It was good for the heart, like a present." What I think that essentially says is the things that we strive for, our goals or our aspirations become all the more sweeter the more work/time we put into it. The effort he put into obtaining that water made it even more sweet, more nourishing, and in the end, gave it more meaning.
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Jennifer Hanson
4/2/2020 07:11:00 pm
A lesson that stood out to me would be how it is best to let those you love go. Since the pilot has gotten to know the prince, he knows that to keep him around on earth would be to harm his friend. Right before the prince goes, he says, "In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing, when you look at the night sky." It's hard to let people go sometimes, but in the end it could benefit both people. Letting go shows that the person has come to terms as to what is best.
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Hannah Mickey
4/2/2020 09:33:12 pm
One of the biggest lessons that stood out to me in this text was to let those you love go. Ever since the pilot got to know the prince he has learned that if he keeps the little prince on earth it will harm his friend. Before the prince leaves, he says "In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing, when you look at the night sky." In life it can be hard to let those you love go, sometimes when you let them go you are sad at first. When you start to think about it you then realize that it was in the best interest of both people. I especially loved reading this piece because at One Act state we watched a play called the little prince. It was a very well thought out play and it helped me better understand this reading.
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Alexzaria Flisrand
4/3/2020 08:20:18 am
My favorite lesson throughout this whole story is “Then you shall judge yourself,” the king answered. “that is the most diffi- cult thing of all. It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself rightly, then you are indeed a man of true wisdom.” this quote can be found on page 31.
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Skyler Solsaa
4/3/2020 09:43:04 am
The life lesson that I really liked and can relate to is, "care for the the things you have, for they cannot be replaced." This tells how all of our possessions are irreplaceable. Even those replaceable by money are not replaceable to us. We make connections to our possessions that are hard to replace. For example, you have a car that you love that you have had for several years. However, one day you get in a car wreck and total it. You buy a brand new car that you will learn to love but it always seems that we miss that old car. Therefore, that is why I chose this Quote and life lesson because it holds true and dear to all our lives.
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Dahndre Hanssen
4/6/2020 12:43:24 pm
I learned from the quote, "care for the things you have, for they cannot be replaced," that things don't come easy. You have to work hard for what you want and you can lose it at anytime. Some things cannot just be replaced because memorabilia cannot not just arrive again in our lives.
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Tyson R Schmeling
5/12/2020 10:43:59 am
My favorite “Lesson” from The Little Prince is when the fox teaches the prince about finding the true meaning of a thing. He teaches the Prince to look inside a person instead of judging a person from the outside. This comes back to the saying that my grandpa taught me “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” I have learned that we as adults need to be more open minded and truly look into a person’s life, get to know them before we are so quick to judge. The novella explains things such as when you first meet someone, what are the first questions you ask. How old are they? Where do they work? How much money do they make? What part of town do they live in? What kind of car do they drive?” Everything now days seems to focused on money. This is how people now days perceive what kind of person you are when in all actuality there is more to a person and their success than just money. Instead you need to look deeper into the person to find out who they really are. What are their hobbies? What do they like to do outside of work? What is important to them? What brings them happiness?
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Kevin Munoz
5/15/2020 07:31:02 am
A lesson that stood out to me starts with the quote, "Indeed, as I learned, there were on the planet where the little prince lived– as on all planets– good plants and bad plants. In consequence, there were good seeds from good plants, and bad seeds from bad plants." on page 16. This quote stood out to me because it simply tells you that anywhere in this world there is going to be places with good people and places with bad people. The seeds are the actions those people do in their everyday life, good people will motivate, be positive, and stay active while being successful. While bad people won't bother to encourage, be very positive, and do much with what the word offers to give to them. So, surround yourself around the good people that will encourage you for the right choices and actions that will lead you to success.
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