In The Butterfly Lion, two women die of broken hearts after their beloved Bertie departs, suggesting that grief is an ailment of terminal ferocity. The novel argues that unless we can shape grief into purpose, it can consume us. The first to die in this way is Bertie’s mother. Her husband sends her child and the pet lion cub away, leaving her in extreme isolation on a remote South African farm. Bertie explains that her losses were ultimately the cause of her death: “‘[M]y mother died. […] She had malaria, but I think she really died of a broken heart.’ When he looked up his eyes were swimming with tears. ‘You can, you know’” (66). When Bertie’s mother briefly feels control over her environment—when she parlays her inability to have more children into a fierce protectiveness of the lion cub—she finds the strength to cope with her health issues. However, after losing her son and the lion, she has little reason not to give in to despair.

The second example of overwhelming grief is Millie. At the conclusion of the novel, Michael asks his history teacher, Mr. Cook, about a former student named Andrews. The teacher confirms Bertie’s attendance at the school and his Victoria Cross medal.