Talking Animals and the Circle of Life: The Characters of The Lion King
One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king.
–Mufasa
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. You’re probably singing along in your head now, aren’t you? This song is not only very catchy, but it plays a significant role in the movie The Lion King. The music connects to the idea of the animal hierarchy that is present throughout the film, and it is also utilized in the movie, with the characters Timon and Pumbaa off-handedly singing it at one point. The film deals with different aspects of fictional concepts that have very realistic implications. The so-called “Circle of Life”, written and scored by Elton John, is not only a great opening song and theme to the movie, but it also relates to the real world ideas of evolution and natural selection. As the film progresses, more and more examples of realism are revealed through the settings and characters. The major characters in the movie, including Simba the lion, Timon the meerkat, and Pumbaa the warthog, all portray features of their animal counterparts, while also exploiting the benefits of their fictional animation.
Simba is the main character of the story told in The Lion King. The movie begins with his birth, and what seems to be all of Africa bowing down before their future king. As a lion, Simba is at the top of the food chain. This point makes perfect sense, because in the wild, lions are some of the most efficient predators out there. They are not hunted by any wild beasts, only under the threat of poachers. The family of Simba is interesting. He has a father, Mufasa, who is the king of the Pride lands, also known as “everything the light touches” (which appears to be almost all of the African grasslands). Simba also has a mother, Sarabi, who nurtures and cares for him at a young age. Both Mufasa and Sarabi display typical lion parenting characteristics, including Mufasa’s teaching Simba how to pounce on prey, and Sarabi’s licking Simba to clean him. These different actions the animators of the film chose to include because they contribute to the realism of the animals. Outside of the traditional family perspective that Disney producers always try to promote, the lion pride is affected by the instinctual leadership roles. Simba is the next rightful king, but Mufasa has a brother named Scar. Scar is the traditional lion in the pack that will try to fight the king of the pride for his role as ruler. Instead of a serious fight between Mufasa and Scar, as would be expected in the wild between male lions, Disney chooses to include specific themes by creating the cunning that Scar possesses. Scar kills Mufasa after pushing him off a cliff into a stampede of wildebeest, then cleverly tricks Simba into believing that Simba was the cause of Mufasa’s death. This twist that Disney incorporates exemplifies the hand of the animators in the natural order of the animals. The only other major inaccuracy is that Scar would not have let any of the cubs that had anything to do with Mufasa continue living, including Simba. This infanticide is common of the new alpha male. But obviously Disney could not keep that a fact, for sake of the storyline. Simba shows many of the basic qualities of a lion, and the events of the movie generally follow a simple formula that is normal of wild African animals, but the important part is the accuracy of Simba’s character related to his animal counterpart. He correctly shows the basic curiosity of a typical jungle cat in exploring the elephant graveyard with his female partner, Nala. Nala also plays an important role in the example of the lion’s nature. Because Simba is the next king, he is already paired with a mate to be his queen. Nala is this mate that has been set up from birth. This trait is somewhat humanistic in the monarchies that are present in governments around the world, but lions also have a natural hierarchy within their prides. Lions are not the only animals that are present in The Lion King, and other animals have specific realistic aspects about their characters.
The comedic relief present in this film is obtained through the characters of Timon and Pumbaa. This odd pairing of a meerkat and a warthog is not uncommon in the wild, but Disney used this more as a point for an outlet of laughs. The stereotypical duo of the large dumb lug and the small brainy character is a classic aspect of film and any great comedy has it. Timon the meerkat acts a lot like a normal meerkat would, being very alert and nervous constantly. Meerkats in the wild traditionally hold one meerkat as a sentry while the others are foraging or hunting. When danger approaches, the meerkats make a sort of barking noise that alerts the others to the impending danger. Timon plays into the role of a meerkat through his wariness of many mysterious situations. Although Disney made him a much more relaxed character with the whole motto “Hakuna Matata”, but again, just a point that Disney used to get across their major themes in the story. Pumbaa the warthog shares characteristics like a natural warthog, such as the idea of being gross and carefree. He is reckless, and charges at many things, including vultures, an act which actually ends up saving Simba. The constant poking fun at Pumbaa and his issues with passing gas is not just a simple joke Disney uses to add comedic effect. Warthogs are not known for having a lilac and rosy scent. Typically, they are very smelly, and this makes them difficult prey. That might be a reason that in the movie Disney chose to pair Timon with Pumbaa. Pumbaa might act as a sort of guardian over Timon, since he has very few predators. The problem with this logic is also the cause for it. A warthog’s smell would easily be too much for a meerkat to take in. Meerkats are very anxious creatures, and they have a keen sense of smell to detect predators and danger. Because of this, a meerkat like Timon probably wouldn’t be able to hang out with a warthog like Pumbaa. A solid precision that Disney included in the film was the diet of Pumbaa and Timon. Meerkats consume insects, like in the movie, and warthogs also have a varied diet. While warthogs would not include a juicy bug at the top of their dining menu, it is not impossible for them to keep them in their diets. Warthogs are traditionally omnivores, so insects could potentially be included in their diets. These little details that the animators and producers at Disney took time to pour over transform a simple children’s film into a story with accurate cultural setting and characters.
Even though many of the main characters share similar features with their animal counterparts in the African wilderness, the film is still quite simply that: a movie. It is fictional and animated, with talking animals and a meerkat and a warthog doing the hula. These specifics are what make the movie worth viewing. It serves its ultimate purpose to entertain the masses, but certain aspects included also aid an informative side to the movie. The “Circle of Life” will continue on in the years to come.
Works Cited
Allers, Roger, and Irene Mecchi. “The Lion King Study Guide.” Disney On Broadway. Disney Theatrical Productions Education Department, Nov. 2008. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. <http://media.disneyonbroadway.com/pdf/TheLionKingStudyGuide.pdf>.
Harrington, E. 2004. “Panthera leo” (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 26, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Panthera_leo/
Hinson, Hal. “The Lion King.” The Washington Post 24 June 1994: n. pag. The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 1996. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/review96/lionkinghin.htm>.
Nkwame, Valentine Marc. “King of the Jungle in Jeopardy.” The Arusha Times. The Arusha Times, 9 Sept. 2006. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.arushatimes.co.tz/2006/36/features_10.htm>.
Wilmes, Josh. “”The Lion King”” The Lion King: Film Notes. Buena Vista, 25 May 2000. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.lionking.org/text/FilmNotes.html>.
How This Essay Fits Into the Theme of the Portfolio
The ultimate goal of this portfolio is to explore the roots of my family’s ancestry and discover our realistic origins. This first essay was written without having examined the theme for the whole project yet. The theme of this portfolio is connecting the two sides of my own family, and deciphering how my past ancestors influence my life today. The Lion King deals with major themes such as family, loyalty, and past demons interfering with the present. The central idea of the movie and the lions living on Pride Rock is that they are all one big family and they look out for each other. The royal family, which is made up of Simba, Mufasa, and Sarabi, is important to the story because the connections over time affect their way of life. Aside from the cliché of family love and always staying true to yourself, there are small moments in the movie which speak to me as to why this essay is relevant to my portfolio as a whole. One of the most symbolic and significant times in the film is when Rafiki convinces Simba to return to Pride Rock and fight back against his Uncle Scar. In this scene, Mufasa appears as a ghost in the sky and speaks to Simba, talking about how the stars in the sky are the great kings of the past looking down on him. This really hit home for me because of the idea that you have to look at your family’s past to understand the present. Since the theme of my portfolio is figuring out where my ancestors come from and how that affects me, The Lion King is the perfect example of connecting the past to the present. Writing this essay inspired me to push further into my own background and deepen my knowledge of my ancestral roots.
Connecting the Past 