Scene Analysis: Simba And Nala's Argument

Intro

Trying out something new today, and starting with some scene analysis from my favorite movies and showing how those scenes can make a great impact in the story. Starting off with my favorite movie: The Lion King (hey it's the one I know the best, so the best choice for the first time experiment 😜).

Starting off with a less iconic, but in my opinion, a very important scene in the movie. I will be analyzing Simba and Nala's argument when Nala finally has found Simba and wants him to return but Simba refuses and doesn't want to tell her what the problem is.

So let's break down this scene, and see why this scene is important.

 

Why This Scene Is Powerful

After Mufassa's death, Simba ran away and started a new life with Timon and Pumba, leaving the pride lands behind him. Meanwhile, Nala lives under Scar's rule, and possibly terrorized by all the hyena's he let in. Finally she's had enough and leaves the pride lands, going to look for help in some way. What started as trying to have a meal, ended in being reunited with her best childhood friend she thought was dead.

Both of them have changed, but both of them are excited to see each other. But that doesn't fix everything. Nala's head is still filled with a hundred questions.

When Nala asks him why he never returned, he dodges her question, saying he just wanted to see the world and that's why he left, also telling her no one needed him. She presses him about the fact that he is king, which only makes him annoyed. She tries to understand him, but he refuses to tell her anything, and it ends with Simba walking away.

To be honest, I can see both sides in this argument. Simba blames himself for what happened to his father. Scar told him it was his fault, and told him to run away and never return, which is what he did. Going back would be going back to what he has done again. He feels like he can't tell Nala, because he is afraid it would upset her. He JUST found her and he is falling in love with her. Telling her his darkest secret would push her away.

On the other hand, Nala is desperate for help. She has seen the pride lands slip into decay, and lived with Hyena's around her almost her whole life. She found Simba, and him being alive means that the pride lands can be saved. Added to that, Simba was her best friend. They always were together, and now he refuses to tell her why he suddenly disappeared and what he went through that day. To her, it sounds like he doesn't trust her anymore. 

Writer's note: When two people have an argument, they can both be right or have a point in what they say or how they act. It isn't always just 'I am right and you are wrong.' Of course there are cases where this is true as well, but most of the time, you should be able to see it from both sides. If you write an argument and your readers can understand both point of views, then you have done it very well in my opinion. Don't let one character come of as a jerk in an argument and the other 100% innocent. Or, this MIGHT work, if you reveal the true thoughts behind the 'jerk' later. 

Bonus POV

So there is one other set of characters that is not necessarily present in this part of the scene, but they are quite important. If you've watched the Lion King 1 1/2, you would know Timon and Pumba tried to separate them, because they didn't want to lose Simba. And of course, they were happy when they saw their fall out.

Trying to seperate two best friends or a couple is bad, but there is also a point from their side. They are basically Simba's parents. After they found Simba, they raised him and took care of him for years. Then, a Lioness comes along, first trying to eat Pumba, and then suddenly everything is perfectly fine and nothing ever happened. To be fair, she never apologized for trying to eat Pumba. (Yes she's a lion and it's her instinct, but still). Timon and Pumba are watching their best friend and the young lion they raised suddenly pull away from them.

Writer's note: Just because a character does a bad thing, doesn't mean they don't have a reason for it. I mean, yes of course if your character kills a bunch of people and then starts to cry about how they were trying to protect someone, I can't feel pity, but this is a different thing.  

Conclusion

So this was a smaller analysis scene, but this way I might be able to keep up my previous schedule. I hope you guys liked it. What do you think of this analysis? Do you think one of them is right? If this scene wasn't in the movie, would it have been the same? Let me know, I would love to hear your thoughts!

If there is a scene you would like me to analyze, let me know and I'll put it on the list. I think this is going to be a long and fun series! 

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