Disney succeeds in creating a memorable and meaningful movie that is to a great extent groundbreaking to gender stereotypes which makes it stand out from other Disney movies. This is done through the way language, imagery, and themes are used to present the true meaning of self-empowerment, honor, and equality to its target audience; kids.
The language used in the song “I’ll make a man out of you” contributes greatly in making Mulan a female hero and role model to little girls as she succeeds despite all the criticism shown to females in this song. The use of the rhetorical question “did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?” mocks girls through the creation of dark humor and sarcasm which portrays gender stereotypes and makes the …show more content…
The song “you’ll bring honor to us all” presents the way honor is portrayed in Mulan’s society. “A girl can bring her family great honor in one way by striking a good match” this line shows how a female’s only way of becoming honorable is by becoming a bride, and forces the idea that a female’s main goal should be finding a “good match”. The use of a word “good” which is a very dull description shows the irrelevance of the female’s opinion of her “match”, and the use of “one” prohibits the idea of becoming honorable without getting married. And this song also shows the harshness of her society as the song shows that the only way to bring honor to her family is by becoming a servant, this is seen through the line “Men want girls with good taste, calm, obedient” the word obedient carries connotations of slavery, and the way the sentence starts with “men want” gives great importance to the egocentric needs of men in her society. Similarly the way “perfect bride” is followed by “perfect daughter” in the song “reflection” associates an honorable daughter with becoming a bride. And therefore the sexist portrayal of honor as seen from her society’s eyes, outlines Mulan’s greatness as she managed to become honorable in a different yet distinctive
The language used in the song “I’ll make a man out of you” contributes greatly in making Mulan a female hero and role model to little girls as she succeeds despite all the criticism shown to females in this song. The use of the rhetorical question “did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?” mocks girls through the creation of dark humor and sarcasm which portrays gender stereotypes and makes the …show more content…
The song “you’ll bring honor to us all” presents the way honor is portrayed in Mulan’s society. “A girl can bring her family great honor in one way by striking a good match” this line shows how a female’s only way of becoming honorable is by becoming a bride, and forces the idea that a female’s main goal should be finding a “good match”. The use of a word “good” which is a very dull description shows the irrelevance of the female’s opinion of her “match”, and the use of “one” prohibits the idea of becoming honorable without getting married. And this song also shows the harshness of her society as the song shows that the only way to bring honor to her family is by becoming a servant, this is seen through the line “Men want girls with good taste, calm, obedient” the word obedient carries connotations of slavery, and the way the sentence starts with “men want” gives great importance to the egocentric needs of men in her society. Similarly the way “perfect bride” is followed by “perfect daughter” in the song “reflection” associates an honorable daughter with becoming a bride. And therefore the sexist portrayal of honor as seen from her society’s eyes, outlines Mulan’s greatness as she managed to become honorable in a different yet distinctive