The Little Prince Lesson Plan

Is it serious to think about why flowers have thorns? Why or why not?

In Chapter VII, the prince wonders about what good thorns are if they don't protect flowers from being eaten by sheep. The narrator is upset because he is focused on fixing his engine and doesn't think it's important. What do the students think? Is it important? Why? The prince thinks it is important because he is worried about his specific flower, which is unique and important to him, and he doesn't want it to be wiped out in a single bite; the prince cares emotionally for the answer. But there are more "grown-up" reasons to see it as important, too. It's a question of evolution: why are the flowers...