Dane Gian Angelo Tan 3 .3.

2024
X – BOYLE
ENGLISH

A Brief Analysis on Mulan: A Feminist Approach

Mulan, a multi-series about the story of a young woman who disguises herself as a man
to save her father from serving in the army, has captivated audiences for generations. While the
film celebrates Mulan's courage and resourcefulness, this critique aims to reveal underlying
limitations in its portrayal of gender roles and societal expectations.

Mulan, a brave and clever young woman, disguises herself as a man and takes his place. Through
hard work and resourcefulness, she earns the respect of her fellow soldiers and becomes a skilled
warrior. Despite facing challenges due to her true identity, Mulan's courage and intelligence help
her save the day. However, the film also reinforces traditional gender roles and societal
expectations, prompting discussion about its portrayal of female agency and empowerment.

Mulan portrays the traditional gender roles well by showing her struggle for acceptance as in the
film she faces constant challenges due to her gender. Her goal of saving her ailing father from
getting drafted to the military forces Mulan to completely transform herself and disguise herself
as a Man to overcome this challenge in the patriarchal society, this ultimately shows Mulan’s
courage and shows that she is not just limited to what societal norms are. An honorable idea in
the film also mentions that contrast of Mulan and her sister, where her sister was portrayed as the
traditional female, as what societal norms were, preparing for domesticity, and marriage, a
passive feminine standard. While Mulan on the other hand portrays what societal norms were
against to what a female should be. This idea reinforces the binary of a “traditional” woman and
a “masculine” woman as what the film portrayed.

Although Mulan empowers the idea of a strong woman who overcomes traditions and challenges
the patriarchal society there were shortcomings and missed opportunities that the film could’ve
applied to better present the idea. While Mulan showed courage by saving her ailing father from
getting drafted to the military, it was due to filial pity, a value that encourages that heavily
emphasizes on obedience to one’s parents particularly in the context of Chinese ethics in which
where the film is set from. This undermines her agency to fulfilling societal expectations rather
than pursuing her own desires.

While Mulan heavily emphasizes on the idea that empowers women, breaking the societal
expectations of a woman, it had its advantages and missed opportunities. By acknowledging
these limitations, we can engage in a critical dialogue about how media representations can
either reinforce or challenge traditional gender roles and contribute to a more inclusive and
equitable society.