A Comparative Study of the Metacognitive Components of Characters in the Novels the Little Prince and Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Abstract

This study adopts an analytical–comparative approach to examine the central characters of two allegorical–philosophical works, The Little Prince and Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and seeks to clarify the similarities and differences between these two characters in their intellectual, existential, and symbolic dimensions. The main issue addressed in this research is the analysis of how awareness, self-knowledge, and humanity’s confrontation with the world are represented through the allegorical characters of these two works. To this end, such components as the ontology of the characters, their relationship with society and adults, their modes of learning and perceiving the world, as well as their symbolic and allegorical functions, have been examined. The findings of the study indicate that both characters appear as “enlightening narrators” and critics of the habitual and materialistic world of modern humanity. Nevertheless, the Little Prince primarily represents innocence, an ethical perspective, and fundamental existential questions, whereas Jonathan symbolizes liberation from mental limitations, individual transcendence, and movement toward practical and cognitive self-awareness. Furthermore, the difference in the ways these two characters confront the world reflects two distinct approaches in contemporary allegorical literature: one based on a return to simplicity and meaning, and the other grounded in transcending the boundaries of ability and experience. Ultimately, the present study demonstrates that a comparative reading of these two works can provide a deeper understanding of the function of philosophical–allegorical literature in conveying humanistic and spiritual concepts.