the lion king thesis statement

The Lion King: The Concept of Nature Essay

The narrative of The Lion King can be termed “circular” as it begins and ends with the birth of the king. This is a story of the struggle for power, the significance of family relations and fighting for what is right. The concept of the circle of life is a dominant theme in the film reflecting the state of things in modern society. The visual imagery of the cartoon is an excellent expression of realistic animation aesthetics. Despite Disney’s films simulate real life due to depth and panoramic shots, 3D characters and the way they move, etc.; we can still trace two trends, the simplicity of the graphics like in early releases of Mickey Mouse and naturalism in details, for example, in Bambi . In this paper, I will attempt to raise an issue of nature and representation in the animated movie in question.

The Lion King represents the trend of detailed naturalism. The epic solemnity of the story is replenished with a true-to-life effect of animal movements. To achieve this, animators studied the movements of animals to create a “plausible” screen version. Bright colours revive the African landscape making it “alive” and attractive to the viewers.

The first scene informs us what the whole movie is going to be like. At sunrise, animals wake up and move across the colourful plains to venerate the newborn king. The king’s successor, just a baby, is held up in the sun to be adored by the subjects.

Quite the opposite scene is shown at the place of hyenas and in the dwelling place of Scar. Dark and almost desaturated colours here bring in an air of gloominess connected with the “dark” character of the king’s rival. This opposition has something in common with the religious images of paradise and hell, which contribute greatly to the promotion of understanding the importance of nature preservation.

At the beginning of the film, Mufasa explains to his son the importance of natural balance and the meaning of the circle of life. Eating your subjects is not at all bad because it is natural ( The Lion King ).

Environmentalists find this encouraging since we need to understand the ecological system. It looks like everything is in harmony, and there should not arise any questions why lions eat antelopes, for this is just the circle of life. However, a careless intrusion into the system can lead to ecological catastrophe as the Prideland turns into a desert under the rule of Scar and hyenas (Whitley 128).

In The Lion King, “Nature” forms a concept of wildlife in a given landscape. Ecological apprehensions go together with the vision of Africa as an archetype of wilderness. It is the first Disney animated feature movie, which has no human characters. Since the territory of the Prideland is presented to follow a natural order of things, the gloomy home of hyenas is opposed to it as something unnatural.

If we look at The Lion King as an illustration of the recent history of Disney, the concept of nature can be viewed as a reflection of society. Good and evil acquire such qualities as well-built and gaunt; the mane is a symbol of manhood. Rafiki, a hairy baboon, is an image with these two assets. He uses tools, paints pictures, and appears as a shaman or a witch doctor. He hits Simba on his head and makes his return to his duties. This is an initiation in adult life which signifies the end of adolescence (Giddings 6).

The world of The Lion King is patriarchal where a hierarchical society is based on the food chain with lions on the top. The film touches upon individual and family crises. Interpreting the modern world, Disney articulates general concerns regarding modern culture with a special emphasis on the father-son relationship. It teaches the children that their parents can die someday and advises how to live on relying on their friends. Life is not always sweet, but in the film, this lesson is presented in the form of a “mild” narrative (Ward 10).

The movie also uses specific linguistic and psychological terms to reflect the organization of society. The accents and behaviour of hyenas speak of their belonging to a street gang. They are shown as urban, but at the same time, they are different as they are outlawed and dwell beyond “the circle of life”. Although they are comic characters, bringing in some relief, they continually display their stupidity, violence and cowardice – all being a hint of a racist vision.

In the light of natural hierarchies, social position, gender, natural balance and many other issues, The Lion King is something more than yet another Disney fairy tale promoting bourgeois values and morals.

Works Cited

Giddings, Seth. The Circle of Life: Nature and Representation in Disney’s The Lion King . 1998. Web.

The Lion King. Ex. Prod. Don Hahn. Los Angeles, CA: Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 1994.

Ward, R. Annalee. Mouse Morality: The Rhetoric of Disney Animated Film. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2003. Print.

Whitley, David. The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation. Hampshire, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2008. Print.

• The Main Ideology in "Pocahontas"
• Analyzing the Political Cartoon “School Begins”
• The Scar of Colonialism and Ongoing Post-Colonialism
• Production Analysis of The Lion King
• Concepts of the Life of a Lion
• Dragon Ball Z: Anime Review
• Animation: Ingredient of the Entertainment Industry
• The Simpsons: Visual Analysis
• The Oddity in NYC: The Poster of "Madagascar" Movie
• "Disney’s Dolls" by Kathi Maio
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, January 29). The Lion King: The Concept of Nature. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-lion-king-the-concept-of-nature/

"The Lion King: The Concept of Nature." IvyPanda , 29 Jan. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/the-lion-king-the-concept-of-nature/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'The Lion King: The Concept of Nature'. 29 January.

IvyPanda . 2022. "The Lion King: The Concept of Nature." January 29, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-lion-king-the-concept-of-nature/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Lion King: The Concept of Nature." January 29, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-lion-king-the-concept-of-nature/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Lion King: The Concept of Nature." January 29, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-lion-king-the-concept-of-nature/.

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

• Basic site functions
• Ensuring secure, safe transactions
• Secure account login
• Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
• Remembering privacy and security settings
• Analyzing site traffic and usage
• Personalized search, content, and recommendations
• Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

• Remembering general and regional preferences
• Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .

Interpretation Writing a Thesis statement The Lion King

Interpretation & Writing a Thesis statement

The Lion King -What is this movie REALLY about?

Interpretation -What is the point of the story? What does it mean? Examine: Characters, themes, symbols, word choice, point of view, historical background Come up with an opinion statement. “This story is about……” “It is meant to teach…. ” “It represents…. . ”

-Now that you have your opinion, it must be made into a thesis statement -A thesis is an opinion that can be argued, it is a “claim”. It is the focus of your analysis. -The claim could be an opinion, a proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation GOAL: convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

-A thesis should be clear and concise. -The thesis should appear somewhere in your introductory paragraph, but should not be the first sentence (usually one of the last sentences is best). -Don’t do this: “The point of my paper is…”

Is it too general? -Writing about general things does not tell us anything -Don’t skim the surface or tackle too many points at once -Choose 1 topic or focus to explore in depth

Narrowing the Focus Example: Original thesis : There are serious objections to today's horror movies. Revised theses : Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more graphic, horror flicks have desensitized young American viewers to violence.

Be Clear -Make sure that your thesis is as clear as possible. The reader should be able to understand your thesis easily. -Avoid vague words or abstract words such as "society, " “values, ” or “culture. ” -DO NOT ASSUME that the reader knows what you were trying to explain or what you “mean” to say. They can’t read your mind! -that the meaning of a sentence is obvious -Do you need to define your terms or use a different word?

Example Original thesis: Although the timber wolf is a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated. [if it's so timid and gentle -- why is it being exterminated? ] Revised thesis: Although the timber wolf is actually a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated because people wrongfully believe it to be a fierce and cold-blooded killer.

Avoid merely announcing the topic; your original and specific "angle" should be clear. In this way you will tell your reader why your take on the issue matters. Original thesis : In this paper, I will discuss the relationship between fairy tales and early childhood.

● Avoid making universal or pro/con judgments that oversimplify complex issues. Original thesis : We must save the whales. Revised thesis : Because our planet's health may depend upon biological diversity, we should save the whales.

When you make a (subjective) judgment call, specify and justify your reasoning. “Just because” is not a good reason for an argument. Original thesis : Socialism is the best form of government for Kenya. Revised thesis : If the government takes over industry in Kenya, the industry will become more efficient.

Avoid merely reporting a fact. Say more than what is already proven fact. Go further with your ideas. Otherwise… why would your point matter? Original thesis : Hoover's administration was rocked by scandal. Revised thesis : The many scandals of Hoover's administration revealed basic problems with the Republican Party's nominating process.

Is it original? Tip: The point you make in the paper should matter: Be prepared to answer “So what? ” about your thesis statement. Be prepared to explain why the point you are making is worthy of a paper. Why should the reader read it?