Simba's childhood: good or bad?

[Tacobell Lion]

Did Simba have good childhood or a bad one? U guys decide and debate on it!

[Regulus]

I'd say bad, for obvious reasons, although, personally, I think Nala had it even worse, living with Scar.

[InsaneSeagull]

Hmmm... Interesting question.

From the one side, it is really bad. He grew up thinking of how he "murdered" his father. He believed Scar about his guilty and didn't even consider it could not be it. It must be horrible for a young cub.

On the other hand, I don't think he truly had a bad childhood. He was taken by Timon and Pumbaa who learned him to truly enjoy his life. He run off from all his worries, sometimes pretending like he forgot it. I guess it helped him a lot. He seemed happy although knowing that he would have to face his past sooner or later.

I agree with Regulus that Nala's was much worse.

[TheLionPrince]

A little bit of both.

Simba's childhood was good until Mufasa died. Before that tragic event, Simba's life was perfect. He had a best friend to play with, every necessity was provided for him, caring parents, and could fanatize about being king.

But, after Scar messed his life, he was haunted by his father's death, and believe he was "responsible" for it. Sure, he had Timon and Pumbaa for friends, but his carefree life in the jungle didn't make his inner pain away. And running away from your past isn't good, and for Simba, it eventually caught up with him.

[Tora]

I believe that his childhood was just plain bad. He did start out with a lovely childhood, but after his father died then it went off the deep end. He did find Timon and Pumba, but that just isn't going to fill the gap. Simba undoubtedly was very troubled even while in Hakuna Matata, because as you can tell the moment that Timon and Pumba mentioned the stars and asked Simba what he thought of the stars it brought grief back to him. I don't really believe that he truly could forgive himself or even cope completely until he found out that it was Scar that killed Mufasa. Hakuna Matata was nothing more than a facade.

[tynanking]

[quote="Tora"]I believe that his childhood was just plain bad. He did start out with a lovely childhood, but after his father died then it went off the deep end. He did find Timon and Pumba, but that just isn't going to fill the gap. Simba undoubtedly was very troubled even while in Hakuna Matata, because as you can tell the moment that Timon and Pumba mentioned the stars and asked Simba what he thought of the stars it brought grief back to him. I don't really believe that he truly could forgive himself or even cope completely until he found out that it was Scar that killed Mufasa. Hakuna Matata was nothing more than a facade.[/quote]

I feel that while Hakuna Matata may have the air of a facade, it's really just a humble declaration of strength and perseverance in the face of tragedy. Take for example the central story of the song, which tells the story of Pumbas early life of alienation and bullying:

Another example is the story of Pumbas tragic early life of alienation and persecution:

Quote:
[Pumbaa:]
Those two words will solve all your problems

[Timon:]
That's right. Take Pumbaa here for example,
Why, when he was a young warthog...

[Pumba:]
When I was a young wart hog!

[Timon:]
Very nice

[Pumbaa:]
Thanks

[Timon:]
He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal
He could clear the savannah after every meal

[Pumbaa:]
I'm a sensitive soul though I seem thick-skinned
And it hurt that my friends never stood downwind
And oh, the shame {Timon: He was ashamed}
Thought of changin' my name {Timon: Oh! What's in a name?}
And I got downhearted {Timon: How did ya feel?}
Everytime that I.....

[Timon:]
Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!

[Pumbaa:]
Oh. Sorry


In Simbas situation, he is carrying the death of his father and presumably his mothers pseudo-marriage to his uncle who has taken over his father's throne. These would be complex issues to process, obviously. Hamlet dealt with the same situation and (even before discovering that it was his uncle who killed his father) his emotional behavior is alarmingly bleak:

Quote:
O that this too too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d
His canon ’gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on’t! O fie! ’tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!


Simbas ability to live happily, to connect with new people and rebuild his life through meaningful friendships, seems honest to me. To point a finger at Hakuna Matata and say "IT'S ALL A LIE" seems unfair.

[jelle]

Well i think you can easily say he got a great childhood. I mean he had loving parents and a great friend in Nala ofcourse.
Saying this i am ofcourse not counting in the death of Mufasa.

[Tabby]

They killed his father for gods sake XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[Tora]

@tynanking
I never said [quote="tynanking"]"IT'S ALL A LIE." [/quote] Of course he had somewhat of a good time, but he never forgot about his father, nor did he let it go. I don't exactly call that a good childhood.

[Miharuka]

I'd say a bad childhood.
His father got killed by his own uncle.
Not only that, he even have seen it happening! It must have been so horrible. :C
And then he needed to leave his home and got chased by hyenas. ;w;''
Good that it went better for him after all that though.