The Butterfly Lion

Loneliness is central to the lives of the characters in The Butterfly Lion. How does loneliness inspire empathy in Bertie, Millie, and Michael?

What does The White Lion symbolize to the novel’s secondary characters, such as Monsieur Merlot and the British officer at the hospital? How does this symbolism compare to what the lion symbolizes to Bertie?

How does the novel characterize parents and parenting (both human and feline)? What effect do their parents have on the novel’s children?

Why does the novel reveal that Millie Andrews died a decade before Michael meets her? How would the novel be different if Millie were still a living woman talking to the boy?

How does the embedded narrative structure help the story transcend time and place?

Compare and contrast two or three of the novel’s settings, such as the Andrews family’s South African farmhouse, Bertie’s boarding school, Millie’s estate, or the hospital where Bertie recovers. What do they have in common? How do they differ?

How does the adult narrator compare to his childhood self? Why isn’t the novel simply told by the young Michael? What added elements does the adult narrator bring?

Why is Bertie so attached to the lion, and what makes him retain this loyalty throughout his life?