PT Journal
AU Alves, MA
TI May-June 1940 seen from the sky: Saint-Exupery witnesses the exodus
SO Romanica Olomucensia
PY 2017
BP 69
EP 76
VL 29
IS 1
DI 10.5507/ro.2017.005
DE Saint-Exupery; Second World War; migration; humanism; responsibility
AB It was in Pilote de Guerre that Saint-Exupery, 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 equipages sur vingt-trois. Nous avons fondu comme cire", as Saint-Exupery states in his writings. This gradually led Saint-Exupery 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 a 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
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