Thinking about the “circle of life,” describe at least three significant elements related to the culture of the Pride Lands. Describe any similarities or differences related to your culture or background.
Several cultural elements are depicted in the Pride lands that link the contemporary world to the film. Such elements include patriarchy, race, and class. There is no doubt that the Pride Lands have a highly patriarchal cultural basis. Ironically, lions live in a matrilineal society where Prides are run by females, but the film depicts otherwise. Sarabi’s status in the lands is defined by her relationship with her husband, and other females in the society appear to be one-dimensional and sometimes wicked. Most of the story centers around men’s lives and excludes women from the “circle of life,” whereby the father is seen holding up his son. The Pride Lands seem to emphasize male leadership because the female leaders lack power in the movies, and there seems to be no consideration of a possible female lion who could lead. It’s conspicuously notable that the major characters in the land, including the hero who saves the day (Simba), the friends who aid the hero (Rafiki), and Mufasa, all have to be males while females play stereotypical roles.
Besides patriarchy, the power is also generalized in a hierarchical society that is based on the food chain whereby the lions bear the divine right of kings. In the Pride Lands, the lions represent the high social status while the hyenas are at the social classes’ bottom. They are portrayed as outcasts and are first shown to be in the elephant graveyard, which is referred to as “the area beyond our borders. However, the hyenas are keen to gain a higher status in the animal kingdom, and this is evident through the friendship they forge with Scar. They seem to hate the lions because the latter gets the most prey within the Pride Lands. Moreover, the element of race comes into play whereby the hyenas’ accents and mannerisms are attributed to that of a black street gang. Through their voices, one can tell that they represent a race different from that of the lions.
Through these elements, several similarities and differences can be made towards our contemporary culture and backgrounds. Male dominance may be weakened, but it is still prevalent in today’s society. For example, women comprise a majority of the voters today, but representation is still heavily male-dominated. Families are still mostly patriarchal, whereby wives continue to assume their husband’s names. The social system is also hierarchical, divided into the political class, the middle class, and the working class. However, in the Pride Lands, this hierarchy is based on food, while in our cultural background, the aspect is based on money and power.
Considering the movie and characters in their entirety, what evidence of subliminal cultural bias is present.
Subliminal bias is evident in the movie’s plot and characterization. The movie features characters who speak in either British or American accents even though the setting is that of Africa. It’s particularly peculiar that the only characters with an African accent are Shenzi the Hyena and Rafiki the monkey advisor, who are both at the lower point of the power chain. Besides, unconscious bias is also seen in the lenses of patriarchy. It beats logic that Nala, who defeats Simba as a kid, now needs a “man” to rescue her. Moreover, if lionesses are the primary hunters in the pride, why wouldn’t they have the ability to come together to battle and overthrow Scar?