Analysis of Fa Mulan Of Disney Mulan
Introduction
For those who don’t know, Mulan is the protagonist character of Disney’s 1998 animated film. She is inspired by the legendary Hua Mulan from Chinese poem. The plot of the animated film follows a young girl whose elderly father is conscripted into the Chinese army. She is the 8th of the Disney princess and the first heroine in the lineup who is not actually royalty. Mulan was disinterested in ladies’ chores and getting married too. She was more worried about the draft, which called for each family to send a son to the army.
Character Description
Mulan is a 16-year natural beauty with long black hair and black eyes. However, to blend in the army, she had to cut her hair short with her father’s sword. She designs to look like a man bun so that soldiers won’t recognize her. Despite her natural beauty, Mulan does not meet the expectations of young Chinese girls. She is unwieldy, outspoken and independent rather than graceful, obedient and demure. Moreover, Mulan posses’ vast military skills ranging use Kungfu fighting to use of swords. She was also intelligent and resourceful as she was able to learn quickly compared to her fellow trainees—the Disney princess a message of female empowerment individually, determination and independent to the audience. In the army, she developed not only physical abilities but also mental capabilities that were unmatched to those of men. She wore a range of outfits, from beautiful Chinese dress to her military gear and any other store to that beatified her appearance.
However, under badass paradigm, she’s a loveable young girl. This paper will focus on Mulan feelings, thoughts or behaviour based on achievement motivation, women resistance, gender-role stereotypes and androgyny.
To begin with, gender role can be described as social role compassing range of behaviours and attitudes that are considered appropriate or acceptable based on sex.
Gender Role Stereotypes
On the other hand, stereotypes can be simplified as an unfair belief that a group of people love particular characteristics or that all people in a group are the same. Gender roles and stereotypes are so ingrained in our society today. Gender roles and stereotypes can be best described using Mulan’s story. In the animation, Mulan is described as a character who is independent. She is not thinking about finding a husband like other Chinese women. She rather tries to transform her self to man the fact that she remains subordinate to men even though she possessed more abilities and capabilities than them. In her community, men are depicted as heroes and women were not allowed to overstep. Both genders had a specific role that one must follow. Mulan made a brave choice by cutting her hair short and pretending to be a man so that she will go war against the Huns. Mulan was expected to be delicate, quiet, obedient, graceful and polite; however, she displayed non of these traits. She is too much a pseudo. She stood for her family’s legacy in a masculinity framework. She was able to prove herself as a sharp-witted, bold soldier that the emperor awards her the sword of Shan Yu and his crest. Indeed, Mulan succeeded in switching the gender role, and she proved that women are also capable of fighting in the battle.
As a heroine, Mulan is permitted on gender performativity. However, she has achieved to a great extent while in a stereotypical male role. She relinquished her masculinity role by exceptional martial recognition in the past and let male continue their superiority. She resumes the traditional female role that does not match her personality and identity. She renewed her fidelity to care for others and avoids the limelight, with no, protrude of culturally rooted social gender roles.
Women Resistance
Women resistance can be explained as a workplace where women would not accept any unfair treatment. She regrets ideas of feminism. Mulan does this at the time when women were not allowed to participate in battles. Chinese society exemplifies the typical gender roles in that women are expected to be good “housewives”. However, Mulan had other aspirations. She breaks the gender and socialization roles by joining the army; her struggles in the army show how women are treated unfairly. This was demonstrated by several moments of how difficult it was to be women. Men don’t listen to them. They were told to “hold their tongue in the presence of a man”. Despite the adversities, Mulan turns out to be heroin. Mulan breaks all the stereotypic myths. She has proven herself to be strong and courageous than most men.
Achievement Motivation
Mulan’s entire story is basically defined as an individual’s motivation and ambition to achieve certain goals at an exemplary level. Mulan was motivated by the fact that she wanted to maintain her family’s legacy and take her place in the war. She believed in the importance of family even before the rules of Chinese society. She managed to save her country and saved emperors life.
Androgyny
Androgyny is described as a combination of feminine and masculine physiological characteristics in an individual. Mulan’s life can be used to perfectly explain this situation. She heed her sex from other soldiers. Mulan succeeded in taking masculine role and courageously fought for her country. After the war, she tells Mushu that she abandoned her family so she could see herself useful. Mulan looked at her reflection in her helmet that implied she was as a woman who is searching for a worth in male dominated society. However, after the war, she dropped her heroic achievement and takes up her feminine role.
Stereotypes & Gender Roles
Mulan is a character that portrayed a young woman who doesn’t abide to traditional Chinese gender roles. She is the kind of woman that culture needs, she accepts both femininity and masculinity. She’s described as load, socially awkward and persistent. When her family prepares her for marriage, she’s nothing but a gentle bride.
Intersectional Analysis
Intersectionality can be explained as framework for conceptualizing a person’ as affected by unfairness and discrimination. In this case, Chinese society treated women unfairly. Mulan had to pretend to be a man in order to train. They were seen as weak gender and only expected to act as good housewives. It is the situation which forces Mulan to take upon masculinity role. It was not until she saves emperor’s life that she got accepted and gets the respect she fought for.
The reaction of Mulan true gender is the biggest difference between two source material and Disney adaptation. Perhaps, the film could have thought viewers that gender identity does not hold an individual back only if soldier would have reacted more positively.
Reference:
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Sulistia, R. (2016). Female Masculinity of Fa Mulan and Its Impact Towards Her Relationship with Male Characters in Disney Movie Mulan. Litera~ Kultura, 4(3).
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Rogers, A. S. (2019). Are Disney Characters ‘Frozen’in Stereotypes? An Intersectional Analysis of Frozen. Education Sciences & Society-Open Access Journal, 10(2).
Yang, Q. (2018). Mulan in China and America: From Premodern to Modern. Comparative Literature: East & West, 2(1), 45-59.