Gender Roles and the Importance of Family in Disney’s Mulan

Written by: Zvonimir Prtenjača (FFOS)

Issue 2 (April 2018)

1. Introduction

Numerous products borne out by Walt Disney Animation Studios, namely animated motion sequences associated with the studio’s most famous stock characters, Disney princesses, have been a subject of a plethora of research conducted as a part of a study referring to the interrelation of language and gender. Consequently, the studio’s most prolific franchise, the Disney Princess franchise or simply the Princess Line, has been interweaved with several topics the studies of language and gender call upon, primarily the preset stereotypes of what it means to be masculine or feminine, how the given is portrayed in the then society and the society nowadays, and how it is influenced and constructed by the exact same society. Interculturality and the concept of family also play a rather major role, and all the listed concepts will serve as fundamental constituents of this paper which aims to explicate the given by focusing on an isolated case in the Princess Line, the 1998 action-comedy-drama film, Mulan, and its subsequent characters, storylines, tracks, portrayals and interpretations.

2. Framing the paper: the historical context and the narrative

Prior to delving into the exploration of gender roles in Mulan, it is of utmost importance to realize how those roles were distinguished and interpreted in the society which served as the basis for the quintessential storyline of the movie. Drawing its influences from the history of Chinese imperial dynasties, precisely the Han dynasty, it is imminent to mention that the then society was largely patriarchal and as such, prone to demean women. Thus, that these reflections were precisely glued to the basic storyline of the movie in order to fully characterize a woman (or a girl, as it differs in various sources) as capable and not belonging to such society, is no wonder at all. Therefore, to portray such a society with means to establish a powerful female character was a task surely not easily to be undertaken and, even though the studio achieved to stimulate the spirit of the imperial dynastic China, it most certainly did not choose to adhere to its norms.

Such historical context is undoubtedly pertinent to the study of gender as being socially constructed, and it is this exact context that is furthered within the realms of Mulan as being ‘‘loosely based on an ancient Chinese poem ‘The Ballad of Mulan’ and set in 15th century China’’ (Blum). To follow the narrative of the story and offer it in hindsight to awake certain interpretations within the reader even prior to exploring what will be argued within the remainder of the paper, the author offers the following: ‘‘It deals with a brave girl named Fa Mulan who is in search of self-definition and in this process enters the Imperial army disguised as a man and manages to save the country’’ (Blum).

Bearing the stated in mind, it is also of consequent nature to offer a basic overview of the Disney mythology and its eventual evolution which followed hastily. For the time being, to distinguish the three basic constituents of the general mythology, namely the Classic period, the Renaissance and the Revival, is more than enough and fluidly practical to the basic understanding of a much larger history. It is also consequent to realizing how the princesses in the Princess line evolved over the years. An oversimplification of this evolution can be found below, with the periods mentioned marked for the purposes of creating coherence within the argumentation:

Snow White (1937): Beauty is everything, women are good at housework, the only way out of your terrible life is for a man to save you

Cinderella (1950): The only way out of your terrible life is for a (rich) man to save you

Sleeping Beauty (1959): Necrophilia? Totally cool. (Also terrible life, man saving you, etc.) (The Popcorn Scoop)

Herein things begin to shift for Disney and the princesses, yet the presupposed clutches remain (however, on a minor scale, and the evolution is to ensue).

The Little Mermaid (1989): A man won’t like you unless you get your lady parts and shut up, and it’s important he likes you because he’ll be replacing your culture, lifestyle, and everyone you’ve ever known or loved

Beauty and the Beast (1991): Don’t worry about that abusive relationship, girls, you can totally change him. Also, beauty is a reward, both literally and figuratively, because only pretty people can be good.

Aladdin – Jasmine (1992): Seriously, all you’re good for is marriage.

Pocahontas (1995): There are cliffs in southeastern Virginia. (The Popcorn Scoop)

However simple and poorly spoken, it definitely serves the purpose of offering the historical context behind the creation of this movie. Mulan itself and the entire Revival period have been left out from this part of the paper solely on the basis of them being explored and argued within paragraphs to follow.

3. Gender roles: Fa Mulan and Li Shang

To begin with the exploration of how Mulan defies the boundaries set for women in a male dominated society, one firstly has to list some of the mentioned to offer an extensive view. That these roles were traditionally gendered is a well-known fact, so there seems to be no surprise whatsoever when the issue of arranged marriages and the preparation of the young women for the mentioned is offered in the movie. Following the scenery of this extensive preparation, it is easily understood that Mulan is ‘‘pushed and pulled by the hairdressers and costumers, always looking pained and uncomfortable in her own body. Every characteristic, even a tiny waist, is fabricated rather than natural, and none are essentially linked to the biological ‘‘fact’’ of Mulan’s sex’’ (Cheu 117).

In such a world Mulan cannot find her center and she stumbles when tested by the Matchmaker, a woman whose symbolic name basically adheres to the gendered nature of the society. What is more, the fact that the institution of marriage was the only social ladder up which women could climb simply cannot be overlooked, for it is, in its dire essence, one of the fundaments of the patriarchal system. Yet it is this exact system Mulan upsets by stumbling within its very reigns: ‘‘Their transformation culminates through finding husbands and integrating them fully into the heterosexual matrix by which they will be recognized as women. Thus a woman is delineated by her appearance only in that it leads to heterosexuality’’ (Cheu 117). Hence, ‘‘serving’’ in the society purely by being mothers and wives undoubtedly genders them and restrains not only Mulan, but all the other women, as well.

However, these restraints are broken when Mulan reflects on her wishes which do not coincide with the society’s norms (see: the interpretation of the song ‘‘Reflection’’) and when she struggles to reveal her true identity even to herself. Just as she is forcefully urged to wear make up, she demonstratively chooses to remove it from her face and reveal herself – a girl whose place transcends the preset norms. (Wearing or not wearing makeup is a taboo topic even in the contemporary society as it definitely deals with genders and gendering.) Such dynamics and the concept of identity being fluid and constantly built (even changed) follow the tendencies of the post-structuralist feminism, so it can easily be argued that the creators of Mulan consciously followed this interpretation to offer a progressive view of the Disney princesses.

As the story follows, Mulan enters a military camp and goes through a rigorous training in order to protect her father and she eventually becomes the heroine by rescuing not only the Chinese emperor as the leader, but also by helping a young captain, Li Shang, and rescuing him twice. As such, Li Shang does not necessarily paint the men in the society as weak, meek or submissive, but rather accentuates the strength and direct savvy Mulan is endowed with, traditionally only thought to be ascribed to men. It can certainly be argued that Mulan ‘‘perpetuates male dominance in gender binaries despite its (unsaid) promise that identity does in fact move beyond gender’’ (Mumtaz) and that ‘‘males are still held in a superior position in respect to females’’ (Mumtaz). To an extent, such statement can be seen as true, but it is easily deconstructed by the end when the emperor chooses not to chastise Mulan for breaking all the norms – stealing her father's armor, running away from home, impersonating a soldier, deceiving her commanding officer, dishonoring the Chinese army, and destroying the palace. He, on the other hand, acknowledges the fact that Mulan is not one of the society’s identical girls, but rather a powerful, well-thought, brave girl, so he awards her the seal to reaffirm her family’s honor. This certainly offers a progressive tendency the entire movie slightly alludes to over the course of its duration.

Even Captain Li Shang, a young commanding officer who basically embodies the norms of what it means to be a man, follows these tendencies after the realization that Mulan is actually a woman, and not a man, ensues. Li Shang is far from being submissive or weak, he reflects the sheer physicality (again, see: the interpretation of ‘‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You’’)) men were usually thought to have possessed, the heart of the warrior and the tactical brain and mindset. There is no doubt that these characteristics, among many others, characterize him as masculine, yet he is saved twice by a woman, Mulan. Despite being upbrought traditionally and within the confines of the society, Li Shang recognizes what the emperor did, as well. Even though he is firstly reluctant to listen to Mulan, as he puts his trust in ‘‘Ping, a more manly and buff version of Mulan’’ (Mumtaz) whose ‘‘perceived appearance generates his function’’ (Mumtaz), he eventually grasps the progression embodied within Mulan and becomes attracted to it (and to her for not being drowned in the monotonous vortex of uniformity so gracefully stimulated by the tradition and the society).

After having mentioned and explicated all of the norms and gender roles, it is equivocally important to accentuate the fact that Mulan is ‘‘the first princess who does not need to be rescued by her prince’’ (Van Camp) as she rescues him, and that ‘‘she is also another (the first being Pocahontas) princess who does not marry at the end of the film’’ (Van Camp). Marriage as the only institution to offer progression for women is thus grounded and negated, what remains a positive outcome of the movie and the ways in which it has been interpreted.

To synthesize the exploration of gender roles and how it is carried out by characters in the movie, be them male or female, it is consequent to conclude that Mulan not only differentiates the gender roles, but also blurs them, initiating their deconstruction. To provide a short example, one can easily refer to the difference between Mulan’s two personas – Mulan, a young, beautiful, brave, stubborn and active woman, and Ping, her military/male persona, bulky in appearance, rougher, stiffer, ardent. However, one can also call upon the very end in which Mulan’s war comrades attain the appearance of concubines to defeat the enemy by grace and intelligence, not sheer physicality: ‘‘Brute force – the worst expression of the strength espoused by “Be a Man” – is ineffective in this situation. Instead, Mulan realizes that she has to return to a system she rejected at the beginning of the movie’’ (The Popcorn Scoop).

4. To Make a Man out of Her: the soundtrack interpreted

Having explicated the narrative of the movie and the gendering it in hindsight deals with, one simply cannot traverse the richness and the gravity the soundtrack of the movie is ornamented with. These vivid examples in their entirety coincide with the study of language and gender and also prove to be a quality basis for the exploration of how genders were actually perceived and received (within the movie and subsequently). The following commentary speaks volumes about the importance of the songs and the what the movie(s) would have missed without them:

Although the musical scores of Aladdin, Mulan and Pocahontas provide aural indicators of the heritage of their heroines, the songs for which they have become known have nothing to do with a specific time or place. Each film begins with a number that establishes its cultural characteristics: the mode, percussion, bells, accent, and racially insensitive lyrics of ‘‘Arabian Nights’’; the pentatonic mode and Chinese flute of ‘‘You’ll Bring Honor to Us All’’; and the conch shell, drumming, chanting, and the whooping of ‘‘Steady as a Beating Drum’’ immediately elicit the spatio-temporal boundaries of the narrative. (Fleeger 126)

The interculturality and the critical interpretations of the songs are thus put under the spotlight, not necessarily the historical context or the narrative which were explicated previously in the paper. (Simply for the purpose of fluid argumentation and to prevent the unpracticality of the paper, the lyrics of the songs shall not be disclosed in their entirety, but the lines which serve to argument Mulan as a topic of study of language and gender will. To access the entirety of the lyrics, see: references.)

Honor to Us All

(Wilder and Zippel)

Primped and polished till you glow with pride

Trust my recipe for instant bride

…

When we're through

Boys will gladly go to war for you

With good fortune and a great hairdo

…

Men want girls with good taste

Calm

Obedient

Who work fast-paced

With good breeding

And a tiny waist

You'll bring honor to us all

…

A man by bearing arms

A girl by bearing sons

…

Each a perfect porcelain doll

As an opening sequence, ‘‘Honor to Us All’’ not only subjectifies women, it also objectifies them in entirety. Women are thus (traditionally) gendered to be submissive and nothing but beautiful objects whose sole purpose is to be inseminated for the sake of procreation. They are also taught to be fragile and obedient, and the terms ‘‘woman’’ and ‘‘bride’’ seem to conflate, as if another future for a woman doesn’t exist.

‘‘Honor to Us All’’ also ‘‘exaggerates and, in doing so, deconstructs, the idea (which Disney is all-to-frequently in love with) that all women are good for is to be pretty and get married’’ (The Popcorn Scoop).

I’ll Make a Man Out Of You

(Wilder and Zippel)

Did they send me daughters

When I asked for sons?

…

Mister, I'll make a man out of you

…

Be a man

We must be swift as a coursing river

Be a man

With all the force of a great typhoon

Be a man

With all the strength of a raging fire

Mysterious as the dark side of the moon

…

You're unsuited for the rage of war

So pack up, go home you're through

How could I make a man out of you?

‘‘I’ll Make a Man Out Of You’’ undoubtedly invokes a myriad of stereotypes adhered primarily to men. It is, in its essence, a step-by-step tutorial on how to attain masculinity and BE masculine. Yet it is much more than that as it echoes the traditional approach to how boys were raised. Knowing to be needed in a war supersets them and positions them above women as it clearly states that war is the activity necessarily gendered (but also sexed) for men.

Mulan, however, breaks this norm and enters the army, completes the training and rises above these traditional claims. Not necessarily criticizing the gender roles and not attaining the approach to this song as being predominantly men-extolling, it can also be stated that it rightfully glorifies the characteristics of being strong, swift, and quick to understanding (be it prescribed to a man or a woman).

All in all, it is ‘‘bombastic and mocks the hyper-masculinity of warfare’’ (The Popcorn Scoop).

A Girl Worth Fighting For

(Wilder and Zippel)

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: Beef, pork, chicken

…

And I'll bet the ladies love a man in armor

…

How 'bout a girl who's got a brain

Who always speaks her mind?

…

But when we come home in victory they'll line up at the door

Unlike ‘‘I’ll Make a Man Out Of You’’, ‘‘A Girl Worth Fighting For’’ raises the topic of superficiality and is coherent to ‘‘Honor to Us All’’ in objectifying women, thus Mulan being portrayed as anxious and unnerved as the troops heartily exclaim that women are nothing but prizes (to an extent, even spoils of war) comes as no surprise.

However, the concept of intelligence also remains quite interesting as men were thought to be astute, yet the only wise person here seems to be Mulan. Thusly, these gender roles are challenged once again, and the song is ‘‘outright interrupted – by a burnt out village, which deromanticizes the entire idea of the song’’ (The Popcorn Scoop).

In its very essence, the song ‘‘demonstrates the absurdity of the ‘woman as a reward for the man’s success’ trope’’ (The Popcorn Scoop).

Reflection

(Wilder and Zippel)

I will never pass for a perfect bride

Or a perfect daughter

Can it be

I'm not meant to play this part?

…

Who is that girl I see

Staring straight back at me?

Why is my reflection someone I don't know?

…

Somehow I cannot hide who I am, though I've tried

When will my reflection show who I am inside?

When discussing identity as a fluid concept of post-structuralist feminism, the song to bear in mind is, indeed, ‘‘Reflection’’. Openly expressing her wishes, Mulan explores her own identity and fights the fray between who she really is and who her family/the society want her to be. Slightly echoing the ideas of Judith Butler, a prolific author in the study of language and gender, Mulan’s identity and consequently gender are definitely influenced by class, ethnicity and the surrounding remainder. In what can (without hesitation) be termed Mulan’s soliloquy, ‘‘Reflection’’ opens a way for Mulan to explore herself, but also for the viewers to explore Mulan and themselves, echoing the fundamental thought offered within the introduction – gender is a social construct and ‘‘a ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ are just roles you put on, and not something innate to any one person’’ (The Popcorn Scoop).

As explicated, Mulan surely blurs the gender boundaries and deconstructs the preset stereotypes, but it also allows is titular character ‘‘to transverse freely between masculine and feminine, and determine what works best for her in any particular situation’’ (The Popcorn Scoop). Thus, it not only echoes the oncoming conceptualization of identity as tightly related to both gender and sex, but it also makes ‘‘this movie possibly the greatest deconstruction of heteronormativity ever shown to six year olds’’ (The Popcorn Scoop).

5. The importance of family. The society

Surely much has already been explicated in the arguments preceding this part of the paper, but how exactly Mulan’s family and the neighboring society influence and construct her, still remains to be seen.

It is of utmost importance to state that, unlike the other Disney movies preceding this one, Mulan is not an orphan. It seemed popular within the studio to make their protagonists devoid of familiar ties in order to easily characterize them, yet Mulan walks a different path. Her parents are alive and their relationship with her is a dynamic one, indeed. Whereas her mother presents the one following the norms, Mulan draws much from her father who, despite being the traditional hero and a legend among the troops, remains broken after having found out that his daughter enlisted in the army. Endangering her life to save his and theirs, Mulan petrifies her parents, yet this only constitutes a well-developed relationship and a healthy background the viewers are called to ponder about. Also, the best example when the society intertwines with the family is the call-to-arms when Mulan’s father, in spite of having served his time and being badly wounded, once again swears to protect his family and country from the enemy. Herein arises a gender role which is ultimately challenged by the movie for the role is given to a young girl opposed to a war veteran, and this young girl succeeds and is granted the token of appreciation by the emperor himself. The traditional motif of honor within Chinese families is thus reinstituted. Furthermore, the gravity of the fact that the enemy had been beaten by a woman and not a strong man as Li Shang simply cannot remain overlooked. Herein arises the progression of both the studio’s decisions and Mulan as a character as she attains the title of a heroine.

To call upon another societal topic raised within the movie, one simply has to allude to Li Shang and his father who nurture a relationship deemed ‘truly masculine’. Li discovers a role model within his father and aspires to ascend to his level, but is badly psychologically broken when he finds out his father (not his role model) had died. Both Li and Mulan herein progress as characters, namely because Li’s character challenges the presupposed stereotypes of a man forever being tough and not displaying his emotions, whereas Mulan, already characterized as strong and active, not weak and passive, displays her softer side. What ensues is the balance of gender roles conveyed before a well-developed climax.

Consequently, it is highly relevant to call upon the symbolism of the doll Mulan examines after entering the plundered village. Undoubtedly representative of the terrors of war, this tiny symbol of a child opposes the (supposed) glorification (possibly) interpreted within the previous two acts of the movie. Yet it does not only that, it also calls upon the basis of family as a powerful construct – an instigator of Li’s determination to praise his father and a shelter for Mulan who is devoid of the warmth her family (however traditional) provides.

To round off the entire exploration and all the elements which constitute Mulan and Li Shang as characters and which influence their gender, the author chooses to call upon another stereotype broken within the movie. Mulan doesn’t engage in marital activities which only furthers her capability and the opposing side she attains to contradict the preset norms of the society. The romance between her and Li Shang is finely characterized and developed fluently to balance their roles in the society in general, but also their roles to one another. Mulan doesn’t represent a damsel in distress and is not reliant on a prince to rescue her, so her relationship with Li is in no way a senseless one. Him being the brave, strong, honorable leader overflows practically and exquisitely with her being righteous, fearless and never prone to quit. The trope of ‘the man getting the girl’ is thus left behind, which only serves to accentuate the progressive nature of the movie and its advanced portrayal of gender and gender roles.

6. Conclusion

As a watershed movie within the lineage of Walt Disney Animated Studios, Mulan gracefully explicates its position as a subject matter relevant to the study of language and gender. One of the primal reasons behind it enjoying such critical response has to dwell within its layered nature carried out by the simple, yet fruitful narrative furthered by analysis-worthy tracks prone to challenge gender roles or call oneself to ponder about his/her own identity.

The progressive tendencies of constructing a female character as a powerful, non-reliant heroine embroidered with fearlessness and righteousness undoubtedly do not collocate with the presupposed stereotypes as borne out by the society in which she was raised and nurtured. Subtly alluding to gender being a social construct and gender roles being under the influence of numerous complex factors such as class, ethnicity, upbringing, education and even sex, Mulan deservedly stands as a turning point and a threshold to the period of the Disney Revival, a period not lacking in strong, intelligent, self-reliant princesses, namely Tiana (The Princess and the Frog), Merida (Brave), and Elsa (Frozen). Echoing a powerful message, Mulan certainly stands as a role model especially to young girls and women, but also to everyone who aspires to find his/her own ‘‘Reflection’’.

To conclude, Mulan does the aforementioned and more as it calls upon unity and the fundamental nature of family not only as a factor of building one’s identity, but also as a shelter to preserve the exact same identity.

7. Works Cited

Blum, Sonja. ‘‘The Representation of Gender in Walt Disney's "Mulan".’’ GRIN Verlag, http://www.grin.com/en/e-book/92028/the-representation-of-gender-in-walt-disney-s-mulan . Accessed 14 June 2017.

Cheu, Johnson. Diversity in Disney Films: Critical Essays on Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and Disability. McFarland, 2013.

Fleeger, Jennifer. Mismatched Women: The Siren's Song Through the Machine. Oxford University Press, 2014.

Mumtaz, Shazhad. ‘‘Disney Makes a Man Out Of Her.’’ sites.williams.edu, https://sites.williams.edu/engl117s16/uncategorized/disney-makes-a-man-out-of-her/ . Accessed 15 June 2017.

The Popcorn Scoop. ‘‘Why “Mulan” is the Greatest Movie Disney Ever Made?’’ thepopcornscoop.wordpress.com, https://thepopcornscoop.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/why-mulan-is-the-greatest-movie-disney-ever-made . Accessed 15 June 2017.

Van Camp, Wendy. ‘‘Portrayal of Women in Disney Films through the years.’’ mediadiary.wordpress.com, https://comm10mediadiary.wordpress.com/2012/03/20/portrayal-of-women-in-disney-films-through-the-years/ . Accessed 14 June 2017.

Wilder, Matthew and David Zippel. ‘‘Lyrics from ‘Mulan’.’’ disneyclips.com, https://www.disneyclips.com/lyrics/i-n.html . Accessed 15 June 2017.