The houses and walls and structures of control are so easily dismissed, by an unlocked latch – and then their ability to behave politely, to treat the lion with their usual regard and civility, goes right out the window. That he so innocently does not understand that he is trapped by society not only makes his enjoyment of his domination poignant, but mirrors the plight of the humans in the story, too. He never longs to roam free he is happy to be walled in he is happy with politeness and civility. African/black culture – not only determine how the adults interact, but completely structure the lion’s thinking as well. The story shows how the dichotomies of nature vs. In contrast to the adults in the story, when the lion first leaves his enclosure, he is greeted by other animals, squirrels and birds, who take no notice that he is “loose,” but greet him with a familiar friendliness. His ignorance of how he is perceived by his “friends” – as a predator, a threat – speaks of something beyond the consciousness of a lion. He doesn’t understand that the fire engine that shows up is meant for him just in time, a little boy comes and kindly walks the lion back to his cage, which he never desires to leave again. Of course, the lion does not realize that people consider him dangerous. “I supposed,” he said, “this must be the way people behave when they are not at the zoo.” The lion has been removed from his home, out of the nature, into society, and he may be alone and enclosed, but he is safe, which is to be prized over freedom, over one’s own nature.Īnd while the lion remains corralled, the people who visit him from a safe distance are friendly, and he thinks of them as friends – which is why he is so shocked and dismayed when, after his keeper leaves the latch undone and the lion goes to visit his “friends” in their houses (read zoo), they faint and run from him in terror. the “lovely” French town – read civilized, under control – are established. So right away the opposing virtues of the “dangerous” plains – read, wild, uncivilized – Africa vs. With a large rock garden surrounded by a moat… The happy lion had a house in the town zoo, all for himself,
It was a lovely French town with brown tile roofs and gray shutters. Where hunters lie in wait with their guns,
… was not the hot and dangerous plains of Africa Written in 1954 by Louise Fatio, the story features a lion whose home The Happy Lion reads so obviously as an allegory of cultural and species dominance, it’s hard to believe it’s really meant to be solely a children’s book.
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