Gender Roles In The Film Mulan

In the critically acclaimed film Mulan, Disney portrays a brave young woman who feels obliged to serve for her father in the war against the Huns. However, in the development of the story, a strong stigma against females is revealed. Mulan’s status as a female affects the way people view her. An official of the Chinese army states, “You will teach your daughter to hold her tongue in a man’s presence”. This act immediately reveals Mulan’s slant toward deviance early in the movie. She goes on to impersonate the son of her father. The new “manly” persona embodies Ping, which is Mulan’s new identity.

To begin, Mulan has intentions that are altruistic. She is willing to sacrifice her life in order to protect her incapacitated father; strong displays of heroism are highlighted in the character qualities of Mulan. For example she succeeds in the boot camp formed by the leader Shang. The warriors would not want to know they are being …show more content…
Mulan’s family and cultural influences are what unconsciously form her preconceived notions about many aspects of everyday life. In the opening scene of the movie, a boy is play with a sword, while the girl plays with the delicate doll. This puts in the mind that boys are meant to be strong and fierce, while the girls are taught to be more submissive. Mulan does not like to be stuffed into the cultural confinement forced upon by her society. The fact she is attending a school to teach her the manner and etiquettes for her future husband just reinforces the inequality in the movie. The movie also elaborates on her parents reservations about her entering the war. In a rage, Mulan’s father projects, “I know my place, it’s time you learned yours”. Not only the father, but the mother silently agrees with the father showing that many of the women in that society have just accepted their place, whereas Mulan fights to challenge