RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
A1 Alves, Ana Maria
T1 May-June 1940 seen from the sky: Saint-Exupéry witnesses the exodus
JF Romanica Olomucensia
YR 2017
VO 29
IS 1
SP 69
OP 76
DO 10.5507/ro.2017.005
UL https://romanica.upol.cz/artkey/rom-201701-0005.php
AB It was in Pilote de Guerre that Saint-Exupéry, influenced by the division of the nation as a result of its defeat, spoke about the harsh conditions in which the Air Force was found, in particular the Reconnaissance Group II/33, to which he belonged, and that witnessed the exodus of populations fleeing from the advancing Wehrmacht. This was a huge migration movement, a hazy crowd rushing along the roads in chaos and calamity, misery and the fatality of a demoralized France, fallen as a result of the total collapse of the French Army. The Luftwaffe, equipped with superior aircraft, had just finished destroying the French and Allied squadrons: "En trois semaines nous avons perdu dix-sept équipages sur vingt-trois. Nous avons fondu comme cire", as Saint-Exupéry states in his writings. This gradually led Saint-Exupéry to develop a commitment towards humanity. His commitment, embedded in profound humanism, was a true plea for the dignity and freedom of humankind. The intention in this paper is to grasp the principles of such humanism, especially in Lettre à un otage and Pilote de Guerre, where we find the pilot's creed that unveils the author's thoughts and commitment while witnessing the exodus of terror