Title: THE LION KING

By: John Benedic Giangan        UPHUMSScreen.com / 11:33 AM      March 2, 2026 

    The Lion King is a movie about a young lion named Simba who learns how to be brave and responsible. At first, it looks like just a fun cartoon with animals that are singing and talking, but it actually has important lessons about growing up, and doing what is right. Im going to use two different Literary Lenses of looking at the movie to explain it better. First, Psychoanalytic lens. This helps us see that Simba feels very guilty after his father Mufasa dies. He thinks it was his fault even though it wasn't. Because of this, Simba runs away and hides from his problems. Later on the movie he meets Timon and Pumbaa, who teach him to say "Hakuna Matata" which means no worries. But even if he tries to forget, his feelings are still inside him. This shows that you can't just run away from your problems but you have to face them. Simba learns to face his fears and accept his past. When he goes back home it shows that he has grown up and overcomes his problems, this action of him marked that he is ready to be a leader. Next, the Marxist lens. This helps us look at the movie as a story about power and leadership. Mufasa is a good king who cares about everyone in the Pride Lands. But Scar wants power only for himself. He tricks the hyenas and promises them a better life if they help him become king. After Scar takes over, the land becomes dry and ruined. This event in the movie shows that when a leader is selfish and greedy, everyone will suffer. The lions are shown as the rulers, while the hyenas are treated as outsiders. The movie teaches that good leaders should care about their people, not just about themselves.

Next the different themes and techniques. First is mythological, because Simba's story is like a hero in old legends. He's a prince who has to leave home, face challenges, and come back to save his kingdom. Second Irony, because Scar says he'll make things better in their land, but everything got worse. Another technique is hyperreality, where the animals act like humans,they talk, have laws, and live in a society, even though this kind of things will never happen in real life. Overall, The Lion King teaches us that we should be brave, face our problems, and do what is right. It shows that being a true leader means helping others, not just ourself. Even though it's a cartoon, it has deep lessons to everyone, even kids, can understand and learn.