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AlyssaArens
Dr.KendraParker
ENGL11303
BeaWoman
InDisneys1998animatedpicture,Mulan,themalesoldiersoftheChinesearmy
singAGirlWorthFightingFortheymarchtobattleagainsttheHuns:
Iwantherpalerthanthemoon
witheyesthatshinelikestars
Mygirlwillmarvelatmystrength,
adoremybattlescars
Icouldn'tcarelesswhatshe'llwear
orwhatshelookslike
Italldependsonwhatshecookslike
(Mulan,n.p.)
Inresponsetotheirsong,Mulan,awomanwhocutsherhairandputsonarmorto
taketheplaceofherfatherinthewar,suggests,Howboutagirlwhosgotabrain?
Whoalwaysspeakshermind?inwhichthemenreply,Nah!.Thesesoldiers,justlike
allmen,havetheirpictureperfectidealisticwoman.Althougheachmanmayhavehis
ownpreferences,therearemanycommonthemesandcharacteristicsthatareshared
amongstthemajorityofmen,suchasbeautyandobedience.Thesefemininetraits
affecttheresponsibilitiesandrolesthatwomenhaveinsocietyandcreateanevident
divisionbetweengendersforwhatisappropriateandwhatisexpected.TheDisneymovie

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MulanstronglyupholdsthegenderexpectationsthatareexistentintheUnitedStates
today.AlthoughthemovietakesplaceinancientChina,therearetrendsincurrentculture
thatmimicthehistoricalpremisesofwomen,evenintheUnitedStates.DisneysMulan
characterizestheidealwomanasbeautifulandobedient;thus,creatingalongstanding
divisionbetweengenderroles,which21stcenturyAmericansarebeginningtobridge
throughtheempowermentoffeministmovementsaimingtowardsgenderequality.
TheportrayalandinfluencesofidealisticwomeninMulanestablishesgender
expectationsforawomansrolesinsociety,whichsetstheattitudesforwhatanormal
womanactslikeintwentyfirstcenturyAmericanculture.Atthebeginningofthemovie,
Mulanispreparingforhervisittothematchmaker,inwhichitwillbedecidedifsheis
suitableforahusband.AfteradayofpamperingandpracticerecitingTheFinal
Admonition,Mulanfinallymakesanappearancewiththematchmaker.Duetoaseries
ofaccidents,thematchmakerbelittlesMulaninfrontofherfamilyandtherestofthe
village,proclaiming,Youareadisgrace!Youmaylooklikeabride,butyouwillnever
bringyourfamilyhonor!(Mulan,n.p.).Fromthispointon,itisevidentthroughoutthe
filmthatthesolepurposeofbeingawomanistobecomeabride.Itcanbenotedthatthe
maledoesnotneedtogothroughamatchmakingprocesswhereheshowshisskillsin
ordertobedeemedasuitablehusband.Rather,itisthewomanthatneedstoputon
makeup,getherhairdone,wearabeautifuldress,andshowhertraitsofobedienceand
wit,alltoachieveherworthinessasabride.Althoughamatchmakingprocessisnot
typicallyaprecursortoanAmericanmarriage,thereexistmanysimilarattitudesofthe
bridetobe.ManylittlegirlsintheUnitedStatesgrowupfantasizingabouttheirwedding

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days.Theydoodleheartsandboysnamesontheirnotebooks,playwithBarbieandher
perfectboyfriend(Ken),andaretaughtfromayoungagethattheirgoalistofindaman
whowilllovethemfortherestoftheirlives.Thatgoalisreflectiveofthetaskswomen
performonadaytodaybasis.Littlegirlsgrowuplearntosew,dolaundry,washthe
dishes,andamultitudeofotherhouseholdchores.Itistheboyswhoperformoutdoor
activities,getdirty,andusetheirmachostrengthtogetworkdone.Whengirlsgrowinto
youngwomen,theygetjobsasbabysittersornannies;inwhichtheyreceivepractice
caringforchildren,justastheyareexpectedtodoasmothers,inhopethattheywillraise
strongsons.Men,ontheotherhand,takeondifferentjobs,becominglandscapersand
mechanics.Aftermarriage,ifonespouseisexpectedtogiveuphisorherjobtotakecare
ofthechildren,itwillalmostalwaysbethewoman.Itcanbearguedthatthisisduetoa
womansmorenurturingsideandtheexpectationthatmenshouldbethebreadwinnersof
theirfamilies,butitisnottosaythatwomenshouldhavetoforfeittheireducationsand
careerstobetheobedienthousewivesfortherestoftheirlives.Thisthemeisdepictedin
MulanasarmygeneralLiShangsings,DidtheysendmedaughterswhenIaskedfor
sons?(Mulan,n.p.).Itisthementhatareexpectedtocomeandfightfortheirfamilies.
Itisalsothementhathavethedutyofbringinghonortothefamilyname,ataskthatthe
ancientChineseculturedidnotseesuitableforwomen.Thisthemeisstillprevalentin
21stcenturyAmericanculture,whichcanbeseenbylookingatthemotherlyrolesof
thewomenandthemanlyrolesofthemen.
Thepossibilityofchangingattitudestowardswomensrolesandgenderequality
ishinderedbythehistoricalfactorsthathavecontributedcrossculturallytotheportrayal

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oftheidealisticwomaninMulan.AncientChinesephilosophyisbasedontheconcepts
ofyinandyang.Yinandyangisaunitedsymbolofharmony,eachpiececomplementing
theother.Yinisthepassiveandfeminine,andiscomplementedbyyang,theactive
masculinepiece(Cartright,2012).Althoughthetwobalanceoneanother,itisthefemale
(yin)thatisgiventheinferiorandobedientcharacteristics,asopposedtothemale,whois
giventhedominantandfirmmasculinetraits(ShenandDAmbrosio,n.d.).This
philosophyhasproducedgenderexpectationsfortherolesofmenandwomeninsociety.
WhenChiFuentersMulansvillagetodelivertheorderofwarfromtheEmperor,he
informsMulansfatherthathewillrepresenttheFafamilyinthewaragainsttheHuns.
Mulan,havingsympathytowardsherfatherskneeinjury,justasherwomanlyinstinct
wouldtellhertodo,objectstoherfathersacceptanceoftherole.Inresponse,ChiFu
hisses,Silence!Youwoulddowelltoteachyourdaughtertoholdhertongueinaman's
presence,(Mulan,n.p.).Herfathersolemnlyreplies,Mulan,youdishonorme,
(Mulan,n.d.).ThisscenedepictsthesuperioritymenhadoverwomeninancientChinese
culture.Themanwastheheadofthehouseholdandwastorepresentthefamilyname.
Daughtersareraisedtohonorherfamilythroughobedienceandmaintainingpeace.
Thesethemescanalsobeseeninthecontextof21stcenturyAmericanculture.In19thand
20thcenturywartimes,themenwouldbecalledtobattleasthewomenstayedhometo
raisethechildren.Theywouldcook,clean,andsew,unabletogotocollegeorreceive
anyfurthereducation.Althoughgreatstrideshavebeenmadesocially,menarestillseen
asthedisciplinaryheadofthehousehold.Iamsurethateverypunishedchildhasheard
fromhisorhermother,justwaituntilyourfathergetshome....Itisasifwomendonot

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inhibitenoughpersonalstrengthnorpowertobeleaders.
MulansdepictionoftheidealisticwomanhascausedAmericanstoreevaluatethe
standardmentalitiesforhowaperfectwomanshouldbe,whichhasincreasedfeminist
ideologiesandstridestowardgenderequality.MulanisarguablythefirstDisneyprincess
tobreakthetypicaldamselindistressrole.InthesongReflection,Mulanquestions
heridentity,askingherself:
NooneknowswhoIam.
Musttherebeasecretme,I'mforcedtohide?
MustIpretendthatIamsomeoneelseforalltime?
Whenwillmyreflectionshow,whoIaminside?
(Mulan,n.d.)
Mulanscharacterresemblesextremebraveryandcouragetobreakthebarrierof
genderexpectationsforhercultureandtimeperiod.Lookingbeyondthedangershe
enteredbybeingawomaninthearmy,Mulanwillinglyfoughttobringnotonlyhonorto
herfamily,buthonortoherself.Hercharactershowsthatwomenarenotalwaysfighting
formen,butrather,forthemselvesandtheirownidentities.Thiscanbeseeninthe
UnitedStatestodayintheemergenceoffeminism.Womenhavemadeenormousstrides
towardsequalrightsthatwouldhavebeendeemedimpossibleinthepreviouscentury.
Theyhavegainedaccesstohighereducation,whichhasresultedinsendingwomeninto
space,becomingdoctorsandlawyers,andfollowingotherprestigiouscareerpaths.
Furthermore,womenhaveapproachedfeminisminalightthatisnotdiminishingto
males.Ratherthantryingtogetaheadoftheoppositesex,womenfightforequal

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opportunities.Beingapowerfulwomanisnotreflectiveofeducation,occupation,or
salary.Rather,itisapictureofawomanfollowingherpassions.Ifbeingastayathome
momisawomansdreamandiswhereshefindsherprideandjoy,thensobeit.The
purposeofequalrightsissothatbothmenandwomenhavethesameopportunitiestodo
astheywish.Duetothelonglastinggenderexpectationsthathavebeenengraved
throughouthistory,feministmovementswilltakeaprolongedefforttocontinueseeing
results.WomenlikeMulaninspirewomeninhibittheidentitythattheywish,notan
identitythatisexpectedofthem.
TheDisneyfilmMulanpresentsideasofwhatanidealwomanshouldlookand
actlike.Thesedesirablewomanlycharacteristicshavebeenupheldforcenturies,
datingbacktoearlyphilosophyinancientChina.Althoughthingshavealwaysbeenthis
wayandwomenhavealwaysfelttheneedtoadheretocertainstandards,21stcentury
Americanopinionaboutgenderequalityischanging.WomenlikeMulanrepresent
breakingdownthebarriersofthewallbetweengenders.Thisisanongoingprocessthat
willtaketheworkofmanymore,bothmenandwomen,toachieveitsgoalsofequality.
Slowlybutsurely,stridesarebeingmadewithinthefeministmovement.Americans,after
alltheseyearsofequality,areseeingthatthedividebetweengendersisstillevidently
inplace.Afterall,itwasMulanthatbroughthonortousall(Mulan,n.d.).

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References
http://www.ancient.eu/Yin_and_Yang/
http://www.iep.utm.edu/genderc/#H4