Bocala, Chrinzzel Joedil November 22,2022

STEM 11, Block EAPP

Summary of Mulan

Mulan is a girl, the only child of her honored family. When the Huns invade China, one man from
every family is called to arms. Mulan's father, who has an old wound and cannot walk properly,
decides to fight for his country and the honor of his family though it is clear that he will not
survive an enemy encounter. Mulan, who just got rejected by the matchmaker because she had
set her on fire, decides to prove that she is worth something and steals away to fit her father's
place in the Chinese army. She prays to her family's ancestors for protection and luck before
leaving as a man in her father's armor with her family's horse. The ancestors awake and decide
to send Mushu, a little dishonored dragon to aid Mulan in her quest. Weeks later, Mulan and the
other troopers have survived the training camp and are on the way north to stop the Huns. After
being spotted and pursued by the enemies, an impass situation in the mountains forces Mulan
to come up with an idea. But then, her real gender will no longer be a secret. She decides to risk
everything in order to save China.

Critical Approaches

Feminism- Mulan is the representation of a tough and brave woman. The movie raises the
issue of Mulan's feminism as the main character and gender stereotype that suggests women
as inferior to men. This paper focuses on the main character and how she tries to break the
stereotypes in her society.

Marxism- While being in the all men’s army, Mulan is faced with the challenge of hiding her
identity as a woman, because they are seen as subordinate members in this society.
While training for war, Mulan is a part of Shang’s army, which is full of strong men that rank
above everyone except royalty. These men are fierce and independent and are viewed as local
heroes. This gives them a slightly superior attitude towards others, which explains why Mulan
was seen as an outsider at first. Common citizens are under control of this army and the rulers,
so they feel disconnected from society and do what they are told in order to survive.