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A Look At How "The Lion King" Reflects Today's Society
I have to admit that I struggled a bit with this assignment. I did admire the movie for the quality in animation, and I feel that the story it tells can empower children to be responsible and find the good side in situations. However, I did not find a wealth of reflections of today’s society contained within this movie. I did find some that stand out to me, in which I will go into further detail later on in this essay.
For Simba, I would say that his story somewhat reflects the “prodigal son” story from the Bible. Simba as a child is easily led astray by those he trusts. While he is gone, he lives a life quite carefree. Meanwhile at home, his mother thinks he is dead. He does, however, make a triumphant return home, and resumes his rightful place atop the throne of the Pridelands. I guess the main lesson to be learned through this character somewhat echoes Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz, “There’s no place like home.”
Mufasa is indicative of what a good father should be like. Too many parents are not a good influence on their children. This movie speaks to those who are. Mufasa, in his attempt to watch over and raise his son properly, unfortunately commits the ultimate sacrifice. His own brother led his son into harm’s way for personal gain. Mufasa can be viewed as a strong male role model.
Nala reminds Simba that you can always go back. Time heals all wounds, and the past can be forgotten and even forgiven. Nala, in the words of Tammy Wynette, “stand(s) by her man” and shows him the way. She shows him that the best relationships develop out of friendships.
Scar, in a word, is a jerk. He is the evil influence that haunts us all. Scar can sometimes get the best of us, but if we listen deep down inside, we can all find that we can overcome our own personal Scar contained within us all.
Zazu would be considered that old family friend. Zazu’s type is the person who stops by when you’re sick just to check up on you. He calls and gives advice when you need it. A Zazu is a tremendous person to know.
Rafiki is similar to Zazu, but more knowledgeable. Rafiki is the type of person who has all the answers, but won’t spout off at great length to let you know this information. He is the person who makes you look at a problem from multiple ways to find the best answer.
Timon and Pumbaa are your nonproductive friends. They’re the guys you just hang out with at the sports bar on a Sunday afternoon watching football. However, they could also be viewed as drifters, or the lazy welfare types. They have good hearts, but ultimately [next page]