On Monday we analyzed Cinderella and Snow White. For this week I want you to choose a fairy tale/fable/parable to analyze in your blog. You should do the following: 1) Summarize the fairy tale, 2) List all the themes you can see, & 3) Analyze one to two of the themes and discuss how you see them effecting the larger audience and yourself.

The Lion King

Simba is the son of Mufasa, king of the Pridelands. Mufasa teaches Simba about the Pridelands and the things in them every evening and Simba is excited about one day being king. Mufasa's brother and advisor, is jealous of Mufasa's power, and is conspring to overthrow him and become king himself. By tricking Mufasa into thinking that Simba is in danger, Scar throws Mufasa into a wildebeest stampede while Simba looks on. Simba, blaming his father's death on himself, subjects himself to an exile from the Pridelands, nad passes out in the middle of a desert. He wakes up in a lush jungle oasis, with Timon, a meerkat, and Pumbaa, a warthog. The two friends teach Simba their life philosophy of Hakuna Matata, Swahili for no worries. Simba learns to enjoy life for the little things, and grows to adulthood with Timon and Pumbaa in the oasis, eventually forgetting about the Pridelands. When his childhood friend Nala, on the flee from Scar's harsh rule, finds Simba in the oasis, she tells him of Scar's regime and the poor state of the pridelands. Simba explains to Nala that he cannot return to the Pridelands, as he let down those living there when he abandoned his father. Later that night, Simba sees a vision of his father, who tells him to be brave and return to his rightful place in the Pridelands. Although Timon and Pumbaa express resentment at Simba's departure, he returns to the Pridelands to atone for his sins. After seeing Scar strike his mother, Simba reveals himself at Pride Rock, and has a duel with Scar. Simba is quickly overpowered by Scar, who tells the pride that Simba was the one who killed Scar. Simba, dangling over Pride Rock, is told by Scar, that he was not the killer, but Scar was instead. With newfound strength Simba leaps up and defeats Scar, who is then devoured by hyenas. Simba takes his place as king of the Pridelands, and raises a family with Nala.

Themes:
Destiny
Family
Betrayal
Self-Doubt
Worry

Family

The themes of family from the Lion King come straight from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Simba's exile is both begun and ended by family in some way. Timon and Pumbaa become his surrogate family, and eventually return with him to the Pridelands. He fights Scar because of what happened to his mother. This gives the characters more realistic bonds, while also making relationships between the characters more tender and believable.

Destiny

Scar's coup on Mufasa comes from his feeling that he was the one meant to rule the Pride Lands. Simba felt as though his destiny was to be king, but abandoned it after the death of his father, only coming back to it later int he film. Both did not respect the destiny of others, and were affected in different ways. Scar fell to a coup nearly as violent as his own, and Simba nearly lost his family and the Pridelands as a whole. This keeps the audience more invested in the story, by showing how each respective character nearly passed by their ultimate purpose.