For young children it is easy to be carefree about your future. It is not until you are an adolescent that you begin to see what is important and what is expected of you. In the Walt Disney motion picture Mulan the title character is being tested by what her traditions and society expects of her. The film touches on numerous concepts on childhood and what society expects of children in China. She has to exist in a community where her gender has expectations set for young females. She has strict traditional expectations set by her family for her age, in which she is to be prepared to seek out a husband. War begins to threaten the community and her father who is aging and ill is expected to go and serve. Her instinct to protect her aging father leads her to make a decision and to begin the journey to find out who she is on inside. Mulan embarks in a self quest to find out who she really is and goes against all the social construction that society has set out for her.
Mulan’s character is a unique Disney heroin that had not yet been portrayed before 1990’s. Most characters had the damisel in distress storyline, such as Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. The femininities movement was beginning to make its way in children 's literature and films. No longer were parents wanting the submissive, passive stereotypical female example for their young children. Mulan is a strong, powerful character that overcomes the gender stereotypes of young females. The actual telling of
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
Disney directly exposes the idea that young girls should make their main goal in life to find their prince charming, fall madly in love, and live happily ever after. Making young girls’ aspiration in life revolve around finding a man of their dreams “transfix[es the] audience and divert[s] their potential utopian dreams and hopes through the false promises of the images [Disney] cast[s] upon the screen” (22). Disney tells the audience that women need a man to be happy. Disney presents the idea that women are dependent on me. Just like in The Little Mermaid, Ariel goes as far as surrendering her voice, to a witch named Ursula, and abandoning her family in order to be with her prince. Ariel also trades in her life as a mermaid, drastically changes her body, and sacrifices her greatest talent all in order to win her prince. Disney sends the message that girls need to give up their talents and lives in order to be with a man. Disney suggests that a woman’s main priority is her lover, no one or nothing else. Disney effectively portrays women in a negative way, depicting them as weak and needy. No attempt to break the stereotypical gender roles of women are evident however, these stereotypes are growing as Disney instills this image of women in the minds of viewers.
The idea of feminism has not always been common. The term “feminism” wasn’t introduced until the 1970s. This shows how society didn’t allow anything that had to due with everyone being equal because of the standards that society constructed. In all the versions of Mulan, I think that Disney’s Mulan was the most strict on her having Ancient China’s role of being a woman. This would be having kids, helping clean around the house and not working for money, but working for her husband and kids. In Disney’s Mulan, her family is more hard on her to be a lady and for her to be the proper role of a women. This is because they went to a “matchmaker” to find her husband, and after saving everyone several times, she was still looked down upon because she was a woman.
A person who is brave enough to come out of their comfort zone and take risk, someone who never gives up even when things may seem impossible, a clever and creative mind, and to top it all with a heart that only means good; all mold together to make a hero.
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.
From the very beginning the Huns in Disney's Mulan are portrayed as evil incarnate. In the opening scenes, they are associated with an eerie atmosphere heightened by ominous sounds. The Huns do not appear immediately; they are introduced by suspense, preceded by the appearance of a bird of prey. A Chinese soldier, standing guard on the Great Wall of China is not even attacked by the falcon, he is caught by its wing, almost as if the Huns were trying to warn their enemies of their arrival, showing that they do not fear the resistance.
Now she is able to be who she wants to be, rather who everyone had once wanted her to be. Mulan’s story is a good example of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey because of how it analyzes the Mulan as a person through her journey. Mulan begins as somewhat weak young girl unable to please her parents because she isn’t able to attract a man for marriage. But then we see that she cares much more in protecting her family rather than finding someone to spend her future with in the way she decides to take her father’s place despite the consequences. Now we see her as a mature young woman with a strong will, who cares more for protecting and honoring her family over finding a man who will take care of
Disney’s Mulan has depicted the religion/beliefs accurate and inaccurate in many key events. An example of an accurate scene was when Mulan’s grandma gave her a lucky cricket for good. Disney portrayed this scene well and accurate because research show that throughout Chinese history, crickets have symbolized wisdom and prosperity which is what makes the lucky ("Why Is a Cricket a Sign of Good Luck? | Synonym", 2017). In the balled did not get given a lucky cricket but that is probably because Mulan didn’t have a grandma in the story. Mulan likely could have been given a lucky cricket by her grandma because Chinese believed in that. One of the inaccuracies in the movie was the talking red dragon Mu-Shu. There was a talking dragon called Mu-Shu
Walt Disney movie Mulan is based on a legendary figure. The real story is quite similar to the movie. Mulan is based on a woman from ancient China. She's usually described in Chinese poem known as the Ballad of Mulan. According to Scribe, in ballad, “Hua Mulan [took] her aged father's placed in the army.” she was known for her skilled martial art and sword, although was not highlighted in the movie. She fought for twelve years and gained high merit, but refused. Mulan the movie is set in China during Han Dynasty; taking after the invasion by the Huns, the Emperor asks one man from every family to join the Chinese armed force (Scribe). Realizing that the only male in her family is her father, Mulan takes her dad's protective layer and sword
Society has placed this norm on women insisting that the only way to bring honor to the family is to marry off and live a life in the constant shadows of their prearranged husband. As Mulan fails this test of bridal readiness, she realizes that she does not fit the typical gender role that society has placed upon her. Her life was predestined to be simple just as Lieberman states, “the beautiful girl does not have to do anything to merit being chosen; she does not have to show pluck, resourcefulness, or wit; she is chosen because she is beautiful,” but this lifestyle does not fit with who Mulan is as a person.
In the movie, “Mulan” the gender stereotyping is different than in the movie, “The Lion King.” Although she is portrayed as a strong female she still needs a man in her life. Giroux states, “Mulan may be an independent, strong-willed young woman, but the ultimate payoff for her bravery comes in the form of catching the handsome son of a general” (Greene 582). This teaches that young girls should strive to be beautiful so they can find a handsome man that will want to be with them. Men, on the
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
However, Disney’s movie Mulan countervails these stereotypes as the main character and protagonist, Mulan, acts as a symbol of resilience by resisting the gender roles placed on her by society and as a result, is seen as a hero.
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