295 Blog Post

Autumn’s Prince

When reading Ali Smith’s Autumn, it struck me how familiar the whole thing felt. I was instantly reminded of a fantasy cartoon (I know), drawing parallels between the characters, relationships, and the overall tone of the two works. Settle in while I reveal exactly how immature my brain is while relating Autumn to Netflix’s The Little Prince.

Welcome. If you’re unfamiliar, this Netflix film tells the story of a young girl, on a rigorous track to enroll at a prestigious new school. Her concentrated mother creates for her The Life Plan™, a minute-by-minute schedule of studying and conditioning to ensure she’s ready for the year ahead. The Little Girl is left with no time to socialize, but soon befriends the carefree old man next door, against her mother’s judgement. This man, The Aviator, introduces The Little Girl to his imaginative, spontaneous lifestyle, along with recounting to her the time he met The Little Prince. Their time together becomes an escape from her monotonous life, through which The Little Girl learns about friendship, honesty, and growing up. Precious.

This film kept resurfacing in my mind as I read Autumn. Particularly, I drew distinct parallels between the characters and their relationships with one another.

Looking at Autumn, Daniel was imaginative. His whimsical outlook on life is evident through the way he appreciates his past and how he analyzes the present. The way he speaks about the world around him often feels fantastical, like he is living in a different reality than everyone else. In these ways, Daniel is like The Aviator. This film character invents in his backyard – things like treehouses and even an airplane; he writes an illustrates his story to entertain the young girl next door; he keeps his home’s appearance flamboyant and carefree despite the strictly well-groomed neighborhood he lives in. These two men are lighthearted at first glance, with a deep appreciation for the complex lives they live. Their imaginative worldviews inspire the young girls each has befriended.  

The Little Girl in The Little Prince aims to be just like her mother at first. She is responsible, diligent in her studies, and never falls even a minute behind schedule. She understands what the rules are and how important it is to keep them. However, upon meeting the old man next door, her views begin to change. She is fascinated with his playfulness, and soon becomes completely invested in the story he recounts for her. Even when her mother tries to forbid her from seeing The Aviator, The Little Girl still makes an effort to sneak away. She values their friendship and the escape from a strict reality the old man has offered. Smith’s Elisabeth mirrors these attributes. She grows up under her mother’s watch, and listens to her rules. For some reason, Mr. Gluck always intrigued her, and their friendship is something she valued her whole life, even when not often seeing one another. She begins to adopt her friend’s worldview, seeing her life in a more imaginative, abstract light that contradicts the way she had grown up.

This film is based on an original story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The book is a fantasy, narrated by a pilot, telling the reader of a young prince he once met in the desert. This mystic story is translated to film as our Aviator tells his story to The Little Girl. His recollections keep a magical and mysterious tone, transporting the audience to a different world entirely. I was reminded of these scenes whenever I read a chapter from Daniel’s perspective. His mind frame while in a partial comma was similar to that found in The Aviator’s story. Both were dream-like and unpredictable, suspending their audiences in mystic wonder.

These two works related very clearly to me. Partially because The Little Prince remains a tried and true favorite of mine, I couldn’t help but catch glimpses of The Aviator and The Little Girl as I read Smith’s Autumn. The world of fantasy and friendship pulsated throughout each of these works in such a way that I won’t forget either any time soon.

PS - Please watch this movie. Your inner child begs you.