In The Lion King (Disney, 1994), a young lion cub undergoes a deep and powerful lesson of life while developing his morals and personality along the way. This young cub is in line to be the next ‘King of the Jungle.’ The name of the cub is Simba, who leaves on a journey after his uncle, Scar, sets his father Mufasa up to be murdered. After Muafasa is murdered, Scar tells Simba to leave instead of staying and becoming king. Mufasa, Simba’s father, was always a very prideful and righteous King who always tried to do the right thing. He taught Simba about “The Circle of Life,” which is a methodology about the balance of nature, and how every member of the jungle community has its own place and purpose. Simba however is a young and rebellious trainee who has just not matured enough to learn these traits from his father. The exile from the community leads him to find two lazy friends with whom he spends the next couple of years with, learning their way of life. He lives this lazy lifestyle until he has an epiphany about his father who wishes him to return, trying to rid Simba of the shame he felt for thinking he caused his fathers death. The many experiences of Simba allow him to develop into a King that cares for the entire jungle community. He learns many traits about himself, reflects on the lessons of his late father, and even learns how to not take life to seriously from his two lazy counterparts.
The portrayal and treatment of the characters in this film were at times realistic, while at other times unrealistic. It depends on how deeply you look into the film. We see the story through the eyes of our main character, which is developing into a young adult. After his father dies, Simba is ashamed and feels that his death is his responsibility. This is a realistic feeling, as there are many children and adolescents who feel at fault when an event happens that affects the family, such as a death or a divorce. As a
Cited: Berk, Laura. Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Pearson Publishing, 2012. 7th Edition. The Lion King. Film. (Disney, 1994).