Disneyfiying Confucious’ Filial Piety as seen in Disney’s Mulan (1998)
Filial Piety in the Ballad of Mulan compared to Disney’s version
The legend of Mulan, the Chinese woman warrior, was first presented in an annonomous poem called “the Ballad of Mulan” which dated back the 6th sentury Tang Dynansty. The poem was written in five segments; each one represents Mulan’s origin, experience in the battlefield, and also sense of obedience to her family. The legend lives on as it is passed from one generation to other generation through diverse versions such as storytelling, poem, and movies. Ultimately, the ballad takes on a new form when it was adapted into a 1998 Disney animated feature. This is the first time Disney has drawn on an Asian
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We need to understand that the filial piety presented in the movie with the one in the original legend is different, because in the movie Disney portrayed back the filial piety based on American people’s understanding and stereotypes on Confucianism. In this way Mulan described as a free individual who does not want to be bounded by the strict rules of Confucianism. Although, most of the time Mulan expresses her refusal to Confucianism, she still represents the value of filial piety to her father by disguising herself as a man warrior and taking her father’s duty in a war. In this sense, Disney tried to show Mulan’s dutiful character by bringing out Mulan’s “manly” and rebellious personality. However, in order to strengthen Mulan’s head-strong personality, Disney deliberately lessened the value of obedience and replaced it with Mulan’s pursuit of identity. In this sense, Mulan is described as being confused of her real identity. She is given two difficult choices between fulfilling her role as a potential wife or listening to her own calling (She wants to find her own love without the interference of other people, including her parents). Moreover, the Ballad never explicitly tell the relationship between Mulan and her parents; but everyone can assume that Mulan does not have “a close relationship” with her parents unlike the one depicted in the Disney’s version. Because in filial
Earlier this week, my family and I went to the see new Jungle book movie. I felt that this movie and Mulan both show elements of the mono myth. In the Jungle book, I saw a refusal of the call from Mowgil. He did not want to go to the man village. He felt most comfortable with his wolf pack in the jungle, but he does leave the jungle and start his journey. In the end of the movie, he goes to the man village to get the lit torch also known as the red flower. He goes back to the jungle and uses it to kill Shere Khan. In the movie Mulan, it was easy for me to see the supernatural aid. Mulan was given Mushu from her ancestors to help her during her journey. In both movies they are the heroes in the end, and go through the mono myth steps.
Mulan, a tale of adventure and honor, is not only an engaging film to watch, but it also contains an amazing amount of historical accuracy concerning religions in China. The film Mulan is historically accurate in its portrayal of Daoist ideas, the expected behavior of women according to Confucianism, and Confucian relationships.
It all begins with the call to adventure. Mulan hears her father being called to fight for the emperor in a war against the Huns.. Outraged as she was, she pleaded for her father to not be taken away, as he already fought for the emperor in the past. Her
Ever since, I wondered whether this impression was correct. The goal of this thesis is to satisfy this curiosity and to determine, through textual and visual analyses, if the 1986 television series also carries a Confucian message, or whether it was solely produced for entertainment purposes. This leads to the following research question:
Confucian culture, also known as Confucianism, was founded by Confucius during the Spring and Autumn Period, which was developed gradually after the Han Dynasty with benevolence as the core. Since the Han Dynasty, Confucianism was the official ideology and the basis of mainstream ideology in the vast majority of historical periods of China, and it also influenced many southeast Asian countries in history. After a variety of shocks, Confucianism was still the core values of China's social public, and represented the Chinese culture and national tradition in the world (Littlejohn, 2010). In the contemporary society, the Confucian culture in China increasingly spread, at the
Mulan is a Disney animated film that takes place in ancient China during Han Dynasty War. Mulan is a young girl in China, the only child of her honored family who struggles to find her identity and meaning in society. While Mulan is a lovable, spirited girl who doesn’t fit in with Chinese tradition because she speaks her mind and follow her heart. Being a girl who experience culture, gender role, and self-image demonstrated what a non- tradition person will do to bring honor to her love one’s and the family.
if that is bad enough, Mulan’s unintelligent and socially awkward sidekicks serve as comedic function, which alters the authenticity of the film and offended many Chinese viewers. Disney’s production team really dropped the ball when they decided to have Mulan tote around a sidekick cricket for good luck, because crickets are not considered good luck in Chinese culture and therefor they once again negatively affected the authenticity of the film, which unknowingly offended many Chinese people (Amy, 53).
Men in the house held the majority of the power. Also, men were excepted to go to war for their country when called to the army. However, this idea of man’s job was challenged by the legendary woman, Mulan. In the poem, “Ode to Mulan”, Mulan goes in her father’s place to war, and fights for twelve years. Her strength and commitment to the war, and army truly challenge the concept of gender.
Both Mulan from the Disney movie Mulan and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars episode IV A New Hope follow a similar heroic journey. There are of course differences including the mentor, the herald, and the way each character accepts their call to adventure.
As Mulan’s father is enlisted to fight in the war, Mulan rebels against her gender role and speaks out on the drafting of her injured father who would unquestionably die to protect his country. Noticeably having crossed a line, she is shamed for her outburst and is now determined more than ever to bring her family honor. Mulan sets off to fight under her family’s name portraying the male role of a man named Ping. Under this role, Mulan begins to find her true identity, which is not necessarily that of a man, but of a single individual who is strong-minded and brave. As she prepares for war, Mulan leaves behind a flower pin from her hair and this flower reoccurs throughout the film. The flower represents her leaving behind this societal view of femininity as she
The source material of the ballad is highly unfamiliar to American audiences, in particular, but to the global audience as well. This gave Disney the opportunity to reconstruct the essence of the tale to speak more about Mulan 's individualism and struggle against a repressive culture in which she cannot show her face. Mulan: Rise of a Warrior presents a very different characterization of Mulan, a much more mature vision of the female warrior. She witnesses the death of her comrades in battle, and the struggle of falling in love with another soldier whom she knows at any moment might fall on the battlefield.
Have you ever met a sassy, determined girl? This is a girl named Mulan, a disney princess who has very interesting attitudes. She can be determined, but she can also be worried and feel devastated. Mulan’s attitude changes drastically throughout the movie, she is scared at the military camp and after training she is determined, walking into battle she is worried, and feels sadness when she dishonors her family.
Confucianism is a time enduring philosophy that has stood up to invading clans, war, resentment, enforcement and infringement of new philosophies, and eventually, revival. For almost 80 years, up until the late 1970’s, Confucianism and its ideas and values have been all but wiped away from China. Though effort was made to remove Confucianism for good from China by the Communist leader Mao Zedong in 1949, the ideas and values were so deeply embedded into peoples mind and the culture that even suppression could not keep it out of the culture and practices. The main factor that has brought Confucianism back into the limelight in China and other East Asian countries is the recent
Mulan, in fact, has more in common with male Disney leads than the female Disney leads. Mulan is a thinker. She 's resourceful, like Aladdin. She is quick to act, like Eric (from The little Mermaid.) And she sacrifices herself for the sake of others, like Hercules. She also speaks her mind, even in a culture that does not allow such a thing. She doesn 't waste time pining about "will I ever
In the movie there was a character named Mulan that went to fight in the war in place for her father. In Ancient China, women weren’t allowed to be in the war, making her ineligible for the task. In real life there may have been a person named Mulan, but she probably wasn’t that important, and didn't participate in the war.