Chapter 2 - The Men

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

De Saint-Exupery's professional sense of honour becomes even more apparent in this chapter, where he eulogises about two 'comrades': Mermoz and Guillaumet. The descriptions of the two men and their experiences are full of fitting hyperboles. This convinces the reader that the flying profession is one riddled with deadly moments, and that 'comradeship' is the only way for the pilots to trust and relate to one another.

Mermoz, a pilot killed in service, is portrayed in the best possible light. De Saint-Exupery says, in relation to Mermoz, that in the mould of the flying profession a new breed of men has been cast. These words are important in that they tell us De Saint-Exupery sees himself and his colleagues as an exclusive club of men who would lay down their lives for the service of the common people.

The episode about Mermoz's last moments is told with suspense and longing. It tells the reader that when pilots lose one of their 'comrades' it is the worst thing imaginable. But the hurt that comes from loss also binds the pilots together: "Life may scatter us and keep us apart; it may prevent us from thinking very often of one another, but we know that our comrades are somewhere "out there". The romanticising of Mermoz stresses this point. He goes on to say that there is a moral message in Mermoz's sacrifice: "We understand better, because of him [Mermoz], that what constitutes the dignity of a craft is that it creates a fellowship, that it binds men together and fashions for them a common language. For there is but one veritable problem - the problem of human relations." Evidently, De Saint-Exupery is of opinion that there is "no hope of joy except in human relations."

De Saint-Exupery then relates a desert experience that involved him and his comrades spending the night together in possible danger. This is where the title of the book appears: WInd, sand and stars. But what does it mean? While spending the night with his 'comrades' under the stars, he realised that they were "infinitely poor", and all they had were "wind, sand, and stars", and yet "their memories were sharing invisible riches." Is De Saint-Exupery saying that one may be poor (materialistically) but if one can share oneself with one's comrades, one is infinitely rich? I will let you draw your own conclusions.

Before Part I ends, an important point is made: "Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered: it is something moulded." This is to say that life can only have meaning once you have made the effort to learn about life. It is a tough journey, not a chance discovery.

Part II is entirely about Guillaumet, whom De Saint-Exupery describes in lofty terms. Guillaumet has had a near-death experience, and this experience is retold by De Saint-Exupery to the reader. Authorial perspective is of importance here. Note that the author keeps using the more personal "You" when speaking about Guillaumet, instead of the less personal "He". The scene is created in such a way that it is as if the author were having an intimate conversation with his friend.

Guillaumet's experience itself is fascinating, but it, like Mermoz's account, contains a moral message as well. Guillaumet said that the only way for him to resist the temptation of sleep (which would have killed him in the extreme cold) was to think about his family and how they would hope for his survival. De Saint-Exupery praises his courage, but says "his moral greatness consists in his sense of responsibility." Guillaumet had kept himself alive for his service and his comrades, and that, thinks De Saint-Exupery is why he was such a great man. He goes on to say that to be a man is to be responsible. This underlines the author's idea of comradeship: no-one exists by himself. What he does should benefit others. A generous man is a nobleman, concludes he before the chapter draws to a close.

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Wind, Sand and Stars - The Craft

The opinions expressed here are mine and are not the be-all and end-all. If you have other opinions or questions, leave them at the bottom of this entry so that all of us can read them. These opinions are not meant to substitute your lessons or contradict what your teacher may have to say in class. Their intention is to jump-start an interesting discussion. The quotes used have been taken from the Harbrace edition published in 1967, translated by Lewis Galantiere,

 

An aviator who loved his occupation, his 'comrades' and life on Earth - this was the man of passion that was Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Wind, Sand and Stars (Terre des Hommes), a picturesque memoir, is De Saint-Exupery's tribute to the flying profession and the mysteries of life. Abstract, at times deeply philosophical, this is a book that requires the reader to think along with its author.

The opening chapter, 'The Craft', immediately sets the prideful tone that will echo throughout the rest of the memoir. De Saint-Exupery was clearly a man who took pride in his profession, one which was beset by mortal dangers. He writes that some of the pilots would sometimes "fail to come back" and they would then be eternally revered. This is because up in the air nature is unpredictable. What may seem peaceful to someone on the ground may turn out to be a pitfall for a pilot. This is further proved by the author's summary of Mermoz's experience and mention of Lecrivain, who "had not landed at Casablanca [and] would never again land anywhere."

The perilous nature of the profession meant one thing for De Saint-Exupery: that what he was doing was of a noble nature: "If, some day, the crew are hooked by a cliff it will not have been in the interest of tradespeople that they will have died, but in obedience to orders which ennoble the sacks of mail..." The author also writes these critical words about the "tradespeople" or bureaucrats: "You, like a termite, built your peace by blocking up with cement every chink and cranny through which the light might pierce ... You have chosen not to be perturbed by great problems." He is scornful of bureaucrats because he thinks they are "hardened clay", incapable of realising their potential. De Saint-Exupery was a man appreciative of nature's mysteries. This is expressed in a cryptic paragraph about coffee-drinking: "Amidst all these stars there was but one that could make itself significant for us by composing this aromatic bowl that was its daily gift at dawn. And from that earth of men ... our ship was separated by astronomical distances. All the treasures of the world were summed up in a grain of dust now blown far out of our path..." He mourns the fact that humans are no longer capable of understanding their significance in the universe. The joy of living, he says, lies in "the remembered sensation of that first burning and aromatic swallow." He is speaking of the beauty of simple things. Even a simple act like drinking coffee with one's friends at dawn should inspire one to "hold communion with the earth."

De Saint-Exupery stresses how important it is for a pilot to stay connected with the elements of nature, as he "looks to them to tell him the direction of the wind or the progress of the storm, and the quality of the night to come." He is far from romanticisng nature. In fact, he says the pilot's problems are "set him by the mountain, the sea, the wind." In order for the pilot to survive, he must learn to read nature's signs.
 

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