Similarities Between Rendall And A Lion Called Christian

In the book, A Lion Called Christian by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall, we see the dynamic between them and Christian as more a friendship then ownership. Their purchase of the lion Christian leads them to see animals in a different light. Through their experiences with him they realize the level of intelligence he has and how he closely resembles a distinct persona and is an intelligent non-human being with which Ace and John have a relationship, rather than Christian simply being their pet. Throughout the novel we see how Christian is presented in this way and find out why this is significant in their lives and also the audience reading the book.
At the start when John and Ace purchase Christian they treat him differently than other owners.

They care about his wellbeing. They do not want him to end up in a zoo like most lions do, “But, we could also ensure that he would not spend the rest of his life in a zoo or circus” (18 Bourke and Rendall) . This is the first instinct that they don’t see him as any animal. They see him as a persona and take care of him like a child. They are concerned for his safety and his future. This is important for the reader because people will buy animals senselessly. For example during Easter some parents will buy bunnies for their children with the sole purpose of representing a holiday, which is completely irresponsible and happens constantly. When a human being buys animals in this senseless way they are not concerned for their future or wellbeing.
When John and Ace move into Sophistocat with Christian we see care for him also.

They are concerned about his transition into the store and his new home. They set a routine for him as if he was their child. John and Ace even feed Christian baby food and go as far to go to a zoo and talk to someone experienced with lions to figure out what to feed him. To figure out what nutrients and vitamins he needs in his system. John and Ace also take him to Moravian Chase to make sure he gets exercise and has a place to run and play. This shows how they see him not as an animal. They go the extra mile to make sure his comfy and is able to not get rid of his lion instincts. Most people when feeding animals don’t take concern of what’s in the food. They try and purchase the cheapest alternative of food. This is significant because it shows how far John and Ace went to care for

Christian.
In chapter three we also see them give Christian human characteristics.

They say, “His sense of humor seemed very similar to ours (35 Bourke and Rendall),” giving him a human trait. They talk about how lions can relate to humans more than other animals. John and Ace see themselves as having a lot in common with Christian. Bourke and Rendall in this chapter also give the lion many personality traits. Saying his presence is immense and filled up the room. Further showing how they see an intelligent creature and not just a reckless dumb animal. They also go on to say how they had a mutual respect with Christian; they did not have a domestic – animal relationship. John and Ace didn’t try and train him and be in charge of him. Their goal was to take care of him and help him. This can be seen as important to the reader because it shows how you do not have to be in charge of your animal and how they are smart creatures with

emotions.
Another thing that showed Christian as more of a persona were his eyes and how he regarded the men who bought him. According to the two men the lions eyes were extremely expressive. They showed his intelligence and emotions. They were very expressive. Lions live in prides and have families. Christian saw John and Ace as his family. They were not less than him or more than him. They greeted each other how lions greet each other. This makes the three of them almost equals. This shows how John and Ace regarded Christian as a persona, they were all family.