The Rose[edit]
The Rose in The Little Prince was likely inspired by Saint-Exupéry's Salvadoran wife, Consuelo (Montreal, 1942).
Many researchers believe that the prince's petulant, vain rose was inspired by Saint-Exupéry's Salvadoran wife Consuelo,[29][31] with the small home planet being inspired by her small home country El Salvador, also known as "The Land of Volcanoes".[32] Despite a raucous marriage, Saint-Exupéry kept Consuelo close to his heart and portrayed her as the prince's Rose whom he tenderly protects with a wind screen and under a glass dome on his tiny planet. Saint-Exupéry's infidelity and the doubts of his marriage are symbolized by the vast field of roses the prince encounters during his visit to Earth.[13]
This view of Consuelo was described by biographer Paul Webster who stated she was "the muse to whom Saint-Exupéry poured out his soul in copious letters..... Consuelo was the rose in The Little Prince. "I should have judged her by her acts and not by her words," says the prince. "She wrapped herself around me and enlightened me. I should never have fled. I should have guessed at the tenderness behind her poor ruses."[12]
The Prince[edit]