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Alyssa Arens
Dr. Kendra Parker
ENGL 113-03
28 March 2015
Be a Woman: Mulans Effects on American Women of the 21st Century
In Disneys 1998 animated picture, Mulan, the male soldiers of the Chinese army sing A
Girl Worth Fighting For as they march to battle against the Huns:
I want her paler than the moon
with eyes that shine like stars
My girl will marvel at my strength,
adore my battle scars
I couldn't care less what she'll wear
or what she looks like
It all depends on what she cooks like. (Mulan np)
In response to their song, Mulan, a young woman who chops her hair and puts on armor to take
the place of her father in the war, suggests, How bout a girl whos got a brain? Who always
speaks her mind? (Mulan np), in which the men reply, Nah! These soldiers, just like a
majority of men, have their picture-perfect, idealistic woman. Although each man has his own
preferences, there are many common themes and characteristics that are shared amongst the
majority of men, such as beauty and obedience. These feminine traits affect the responsibilities
and roles that women have in society and create an evident division between genders for what is
appropriate and what is expected. The Disney movie Mulan strongly upholds the gender
expectations that are existent in the United States today. Although the movie takes place in

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ancient China, there are trends in current culture that mimic the historical premises of women,
even in the United States. Disneys Mulan characterizes the ideal woman as beautiful and
obedient, thus creating a long-standing division between gender roles, which 21st century
Americans are beginning to bridge through the empowerment of feminist movements aiming
towards gender equality.
Disneys character of Mulan is based off of an ancient Chinese poem, The Ballad of
Mulan, written during the Northern Wei Dynasty in the sixth century (citation). Since then, the
ballad has been carried on by zombies and elaborated upon in further dynasties by word of
mouth and in written on; therefore, there exists debate among scholars and historians on the true
translation. However, each translation and interpretation of the poem boasts Mulan as being the
woman warrior due to the masculine roles she takes on and the brave actions she performs.
During the Northern Wei Dynasty, nomadic invaders ruled northern China. Mulan, just as she
does in the Disney movie, disguises herself as her father. She equips herself for war and travels
alone through the mountains to meet the emperor and her fellow soldiers of whom she will fight
with for the next twelve years. Since the ballad is fairly brief, Disney certainly integrates its own
details and magic into the film for entertainment purposes. Regardless, the underlying message
of the anecdote is that just because Mulan looks like a woman, it does not mean she cannot fight
like a man. This is recognized by historians and authors as Mulans grand attempt to defeat
cultural norms and gender steroetypes. Chinese author and historian Feng Lan believes Mulan to
be a womanly warrior who defies her historical presets. Mulan does so as she explores the
nature of Chinese womanhood in terms of its potentials as well as its limitations (Lan 230).
Whiledoingso,thepoemfailstobecorrectculturally,sincethisdrasticactwouldhavebeenfar
fromacceptableinanancientChinesesociety.Inthatculture,awomanwouldhaveshownher

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strengththroughobediencetoherfamilyandtoherConfucianbeliefs.Tomaintainharmonyin
socialrelationswouldhavebeenoneofthegreatestaccomplishmentsofthistime;however,
Mulanactsincompletedisobedienceanddisruptstheunityofherfamilyandhersurrounding
society.Her characterization is blatantly unrealistic to the time period and what was expected of
Confucian women.
Irecognizethatthismaynotbehistoricallycorrect,butthepurposeofMulanscharacter
inboththefilmandthepoemwastobeawomanwhowasaheadofhertimeandwaswillingto
breakculturalnorms.InFilialDaughter,WomanWarrior,orIdentitySeekingFairytale
Princess:FosteringCriticalAwarenessThroughMulan,authorsIvy Haoyin Hsieh and Marylou
M. Latoush expand on Mulans identity of a womanly warrior. They contend that she also
proclaims herself to be a filial daughter and an identity-seeking fairytale princess. There exist
multiple interpretations of the ballad, all of which represent a different identity of Mulan and the
woman she seeks to be. Disney, however, using a loose interpretation of Chinese culture and
history, makes out Mulan to be a fairytale princess, just as they do to the main female characters
of many of their films. Although I can see the frustration of Disneys lacking factual detail, it is
important to recognize that Mulan was only based off of the ancient ballad. The poem is brief,
leaving it up to Disney to interpret it and expand on it as they wished. It was not Disneys goal to
recreate the poem in a realistic way, but rather to create an entertaining tale displaying the usual
damsel-in-distress role of females. I appreciate that Hsieh and Latoush recognize that Mulan
proclaims multiple identities depending on its interpretation and on the audience. Although Hsieh
and Latoush recognize that the ballad allows for multiple interpretations, each allowing a
separate portrayal, they overlook that Mulan can inhabit more than one role because they neglect
to consider that Disney was attempting to implement a new way of thinking into viewers, in

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which women can be more than just a bride or a housewife. This hybridized version of Mulan
allows Disney to display Mulans her strength as a woman and capability to not be confined to a
single role. Although there exists no correct translation or interpretation of the ballad, there is
nevertheless a common theme of challenging society to new ways of thinking, in which gender
roles are nonexistent or irrelevant.
Using a gender criticism approach, I argue that Disneys Mulan aims to empower Mulan
as a woman in attempt to defy gender stereotypes and the cultural norms of her time. In ancient
Chinese culture, as well as many other cultures across the world, it was typical for women to
take care of the home and the children, whereas the men fought, supported his family
economically, and represented his family name. The beginning of The Ballad of Mulan recites:
Tsiektsiekandagaintsiektsiek,
Mulanweaves,facingthedoor.
Youdon'theartheshuttle'ssound,
YouonlyhearDaughter'ssighs.
TheyaskDaughterwho'sinherheart,
TheyaskDaughterwho'sonhermind.
NooneisonDaughter'sheart,
NooneisonDaughter'smind.(TheBalladofMulannp)
Mulansighsbecausesheisathomeweavingwhilethefathersarebeingsenttowar.Shefeels
uselessassheyearnstodomorethanadheretothelonglivedexpectationsoffemales.Disneys
Mulanfrequentlycomplementsthecharacterofthepoeminherfrustrationofinabilitytofight
andbreakthestereotypicalrolesandexpectationssetbeforeher.Iarguethatalthoughneitherthe
poemnorthemovieishistoricallycorrect,Mulansenteringthearmyinplaceofherfatherwas

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morethanjustanactofcuriosity,butinstead,itwasacourageousattempttoalterthethinking
ofthosearoundher.Shedidnotwantherwomanhoodtobeconfinedtobeingabrideora
housewifeandbeingphysicallyattractive.ForMulan,fightinginthearmywasherwayof
showingthatwomenshouldnotbelimitedintheiropportunities.Theyareabletodoanything
thatmencando.Furthermore,althoughtheexpectationsandbeliefsystemofConfucianismare
narrowingtotheviewsofthosearoundher,Mulandisplaysherabilitytobreakculturalnorms
andproveherselfasawoman.Boththemovieandthefilmdepictthestrictandnarrowminded
viewsofConfucianismthatarethereasonfortheexpectationsofgenderrolesintheChinese
society.Forexample,themovieespeciallystressesthebridetoberoleofwomen.Disney
voicesthatawomanhasnoworthuntilsheisabride,whichmarksthebeginningofalifelong
dutyofpleasingherhusband.Mulanshowsthatshedoesnothavetobeathomeweaving,
cooking,orcleaningwhileallthemenareoutatwar.Sheputsituponherselftodothe
unthinkable:goagainstthebeliefsofherfamilyandhersociety.Bydoingso,Mulanexpandsthe
rolesoffemalesandaidsinbridgingthegendergap.Theextremeactionofgoingtowarinplace
ofherfatherwasaclearattempttoshowthatwomenarestrongandcourageous,andtheyshould
notbelimitedtoasetofstereotypicalroles.Finally,althoughMulansjoiningthearmyisan
extremeactofrebellion,Iarguethatitaimstoempowerwomeninfeminismbyprovingthe
abilityandstrengthwomeninhabit.Inthistimeperiod,joiningthearmyasawomanwouldhave
beenunheardof.Itseemsthatasimpleractwouldbeperformedtomakehermark.However,
Mulangoestosuchanextrememeasuretoshowtheextremecapabilityofwomen!Thisis
vividlyempoweringtotheaudience,evenyoungviewers.ManyaspectsoftheDisneyfilmmay
havebeenexaggeratedbyzombiesinculturalandhistoricalaspects;however,theyareoverall

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motivationaltotheaudience,especiallyyoungboysandgirls,inshowingthatwomenare
deservingandabletodoanythingmalescando.
The portrayal and influences of idealistic women in Mulan establishes gender
expectations for a womans roles in society, which sets the attitudes for what a normal woman
acts like in twenty-first century American culture. At the beginning of the movie, Mulan is
preparing for her visit to the Matchmaker, where she will learn if she is suitable for a husband.
After a day of pampering and practicing The Final Admonition, Mulan finally makes her
appearance to the Matchmaker. Due to a series of accidents, the Matchmaker belittles Mulan in
front of her family and the rest of the village, proclaiming, You are a disgrace! You may look
like a bride, but you will never bring your family honor! (Mulan np). From this point on, it is
evident throughout the film that the sole purpose of being a woman is to become a bride. Viewers
may note that the male does not need to go through a matchmaking process where he shows his
skills in order to be deemed a suitable husband. Rather, it is the woman who puts on makeup,
gets her hair done, wears a beautiful dress, and shows off her traits of obedience and wit, all to
affirm her worthiness as a bride. Although a matchmaking process is not typically a precursor to
an American marriage, there exist many similar attitudes of the bride-to-be. Many little girls in
the United States grow up fantasizing about their wedding days. They doodle hearts and boys
names on their notebooks, play with Barbie and her dreamy boyfriend, Ken, and are taught from
a young age that their goal is to find a man who will love them for the rest of their lives. That
goal is reflective of the tasks women perform on a day-to-day basis. Little girls grow up learn to
sew, do laundry, wash the dishes, and a multitude of other household chorestasks done by the
typical housewife. It is the boys who partake in outdoor activities, get dirty, and use their macho
strength to get work done. When girls grow into young women, they get jobs as babysitters or

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nannies, in which they receive practice caring for children, just as they are expected to do as
mothers raising strong sons. Men, on the other hand, take on different jobs, becoming
landscapers and mechanics. After marriage, if one spouse is expected to give up his or her job to
take care of the children, it will almost always be the woman. It can be argued by viewers that
this is due to a womans more nurturing side and the expectation that men should be the
breadwinners of their families, but it is not to say that women should have to forfeit their
educations and careers to be the obedient housewives for the rest of their lives. This theme is
depicted in Mulan as army general Li Shang sings, Did they send me daughters when I asked
for sons? (Mulan np). It is the men that are expected to come and fight for their families. It is
also the men that have the duty of bringing honor to the family name, a task that the ancient
Chinese culture did not see suitable for women. This theme is still prevalent in 21st century
American culture, which can be seen by looking at the motherly roles of the women and the
manly roles of the men.
Additionally, the possibility of changing attitudes towards womens roles and gender
equality is hindered by the historical factors that have contributed cross-culturally to the
portrayal of the idealistic woman in Mulan. Ancient Chinese philosophy is based on the concepts
of yin and yang. Yin and yang is a united symbol of harmony, each piece complementing the
other. Yin is passive and feminine, and is complemented by yang, the active masculine piece
(Cartwright np). Although the two balance one another, it is the female (yin) that is given the
inferior and obedient characteristics, as opposed to the male, who is given the dominant and firm
masculine traits (Shen and DAmbrosio np). This philosophy has contributed to producing
gender expectations for the roles of men and women in society. When Chi Fu enters Mulans
village to deliver the order of war from the Emperor, he informs Mulans father that he will

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represent the Fa family in the war against the Huns. Mulan, having sympathy towards her
fathers knee injury, just as her womanly instinct and sympathy would tell her to do, objects to
her fathers acceptance of the role. In response, Chi Fu hisses, Silence! You would do well to
teach your daughter to hold her tongue in a man's presence (Mulan np). Her father solemnly
replies, Mulan, you dishonor me (Mulan np). This scene depicts the superiority men had over
women in ancient Chinese culture: the man was the head of the household and was to represent
the family name and daughters were raised to honor her family through obedience and
maintaining peace. In TweenGirls'PerceptionofGenderRolesandGenderIdentities:A
QualitativeStudy,FannyM.Cheungisquoted,stating:
As a Chinese society, Hong Kong is paternal-oriented. The Confucian Chinese
tradition favors males as they are responsible to pass down their family names.
Chinese culture accords greater esteem, privileges, and status to males and there
are more restrictive prescriptions for the role of women. Women are expected to
submerge their individuality to the family, following the orders of their fathers
when young, their husbands when married, and their sons when widowed. The
virtues for a woman are defined narrowly in her role as wife and mother. (Cheung,
qtd. in Chan et al. 68)
The trends identified by Cheung in Chinese culture can also be seen in the context of 21st century
American culture. In 19th and early 20th century war times, men would be called to battle as
women stayed home to raise the children. They would cook, clean, and sew, unable to go to
college or receive any further education or job training. Due to the actions of political and social
activists, great strides have been made socially towards equalizing the opportunities given to
both men and women, men are still seen as the disciplinary head of the household. Most children

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have heard the phrase from their mothers, just wait until your father gets home... Society often
demonstrates that women do not exhibit enough personal strength or power to be leaders in the
home or in the workforce, which can be traced back to the engraved historical norms that many
men and women still adhere to.
Further, Mulans depiction of the idealistic woman has caused Americans to reevaluate
the standard mentalities for how a perfect woman should be, which has increased feminist
ideologies and strides toward gender equality. Mulan is arguably the first Disney princess to
break the typical damsel in distress role. In the song Reflection, Mulan questions her
identity, singing:
No one knows who I am.
Must there be a secret me, I'm forced to hide?
Must I pretend that I am someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show, who I am inside? (Mulan np)
Although Mulan is not the first Disney princess to question her identity and role in society, she is
the first to look beyond the division of gender norms. Mulans character demonstrates extreme
bravery and courage to break the barrier of what was expected of women in her culture and time
period. Looking beyond the danger she entered by being a woman in the army, Mulan willingly
fought to bring not only honor to her family, but also honor to herself. Her character shows that
women are not always fighting for men, but rather, for themselves and their own identities. This
yearning to break gender norms can be seen in the United States today in the emergence of
feminism. The work of both men and women has contributed to great progress towards equal
gender rights that would have been deemed impossible in the previous century. Women have
gained access to higher education, which has resulted in women being sent into space, becoming

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doctors and lawyers, and following other prestigious career paths. Furthermore, women have
approached feminism in a light that is not diminishing to males. Rather than trying to outdo the
opposite sex, women are simply fighting for equal opportunities. In Religion and American
Feminism, author Wendy McCoy states:
Gender feminism embraces the theory of social constructionism: it maintains that
women are defined by the institutions surrounding them. Social construction
theorists argue that a woman--her sexual identity, her relationship to society, her
self-image, her very being-- is a direct result of the political and cultural
environment. To change women so that they are no longer the victims of men, it is
necessary to change or deconstruct the "male" institutions of society (McElroy
29-30)
McElroy suggests that the domination by males in society limits the power and influence of
women. Social constructionism proposes that a society will work best with the joint efforts of
both men and women. This structure is not only representative of the true gender makeup of
society, but it also provides the equal opportunities that are being fought for by men and women.
Feminist movements defend that being a powerful woman is not reflective of education,
occupation, or salary. Rather, it is a picture of a woman following her passions. If being a stay-athome mom is a womans dream and is where she finds her pride and joy, then so be it. The
purpose of equal rights is so that both men and women have the same opportunities to do as they
wish. Due to the long-lasting gender expectations that have been engraved throughout history,
feminist ways of thinking will take a prolonged effort to continue seeing results. However,
women like Mulan, who are willing to break down the gender expectations set before them for
centuries, inspire American women to exhibit the identity that they wish, not an identity that is

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expected of them.
The Disney film Mulan presents ideas of what an ideal woman should look and act
like. These desirable womanly characteristics have been upheld for centuries, dating back to
early philosophy in ancient China. Although society has always maintained its norms for gender
roles and women have always felt the need to adhere to certain standards, 21st century American
opinions about gender equality are changing. Women like Mulan represent challenging the vision
between genders. This is an ongoing process that will take the work of many more, both men and
women, to achieve its goals of equality. Slowly but surely, strides are being made within the
feminist movement. Americans, after all these years of equality, are seeing that the divide
between genders is still evidently in place. After all, it was Mulan a woman that brought
honor to us all (Mulan np). Well done.

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