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Summer Besteman
Professor Parker
ENG 113-03
February 26, 2015
Gender Roles in Disney’s Mulan
Many kids growing up enjoy watching Disney movies. Disney movies were a part of our
lives as a kid and will most likely be a part of our kids’ lives as well. We all grow up with our
own ideas of what men and women can and cannot do according to their gender. The Disney
movie Mulan calls to attention some of these ideas that we may have about gender roles and engrains them in young kids’ minds. Juliane Fung says, “Disney’s Mulan reinforces a binary understanding of gender stereotypes that privilege men over women” (Fung 1). Mulan consistently
portrays that women are inferior to men and need to stick to certain gender roles; therefore, this
may be sending the wrong message to young girls watching the movie.
The gender roles portrayed in Disney’s Mulan suggests that women are of less importance than men, which reveals to young girls in our society that in order for a woman to be noticed or considered important, she must first go through life threatening obstacles. After Mulan
had saved the Emperor from the Huns, he bowed to her, along with hundreds of other people in
the crowd who had just witnessed Mulan’s bravery. Upon her heroic deed, the Emperor offered
Mulan Chi Fu’s job within his council. She would have been the first woman to join, but she
kindly declined. Next, Mulan was presented with the Emperor’s Imperial crest and the sword of
Shan Yu for her heroic deed and risking her life. Young girls watching this scene may think they
have to do something drastic and unlike the norm to be important and looked up to. Mulan sav-
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ing the Emperor portrays to young girls that in order to be noticed, you have to go through life
threatening obstacles; otherwise, you will go through life being invisible and of lesser importance of men. Mulan would have been the first woman to join the Emperor’s council, which suggests to young girls that only men are fit for high position jobs, and women are not at the same
level as men. The message of Mulan being the first woman in the council, encourages girls to
think they will only be offered a high position job if they put their lives in danger and do something heroic first.
The gender stereotypes illustrated in Disney’s Mulan suggests that a woman must pretend
to be a man and portray characteristics of a man in order for them to be respected, which encourages young girls in our culture to believe the idea that being a woman will not get them respect
unless they act and portray manly characteristics. Throughout almost the entire movie, Mulan is
disguised as a man named Ping so that she is able to participate in the war to defeat the Huns.
Mulan learns to walk like a man, talk like a man, and fight like a man. By developing these characteristics, she becomes a stronger, smarter fighter like a man. These strengths help her save the
Emperor and become noticed and respected by everyone. Mulan pretending to be a man got her
noticed by not just a few people, but thousands of people. When young girls watch Mulan, they
may start to believe that they too need to act like a man to get respect and attention from others.
When Mulan pretends to be a man, it suggests that women should throw aside their female traits
because being a girl will not get them anywhere, but pretending to be a man can lead them to
fame.
The gender roles portrayed in Disney’s Mulan suggests that becoming a wife is the only
way to bring honor to your family, which illustrates to young girls in our culture that being a
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wife is the only job women are good for, and they are worthless unless they get married. In the
beginning scenes of Mulan, she is getting ready and being pampered in the hopes that she will
walk away with a suitable husband. Her mother and grandmother place a lot of stress of the fact
that this is an important day in Mulan’s life. Mulan becoming a wife will bring great honor to the
Fu family. While Mulan is getting herself ready, the lyrics describe the fact that, “A girl can bring
her family great honor in one way, by striking a good match and this could be the day. 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.” This song portrays to young girls that getting married is the only
way you will be successful in life. If you do not get married, you will not bring honor to your
family and they will be disappointed in you. Young girls also will start to believe that they will
only be suitable for marriage if they portray the characteristics listed in the lyrics. Having the
pressure to be obedient, calm, and have a tiny waste puts a lot of unnecessary stress on girls at a
young age growing up. When Mulan comes back home from fighting in the war, she brings the
Emperor’s Imperial crest and the sword of Shan Yu. Mulan’s grandmother then says, “Great, she
brought home a sword. If you ask me she should have brought home a man.” The grandmother’s
comment reiterates the idea that bringing home a man will bring great happiness to the Fu family. Even though Mulan successfully saved the Emperor, the first comment as Mulan walked
through the gate to her home had to do with that fact that she still had not found a man to marry.
Stressing the idea of marriage being so important, illustrates to young girls that nothing else they
do will be of any worth unless they give themselves to a man.
The gender stereotypes expressed in Disney’s Mulan suggests that men are in charge and
women should listen to them, which reveals to young girls in our society that women do not have
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their own voices and should keep their thoughts to themselves. When Chi Fu comes to hand out
the conscription notices to participate in war to each family, Mulan’s father, who is already a war
veteran, limps to accept the scroll. Mulan tries to stop him, because she knows her father is not
fit for war anymore and will most likely be killed if he goes. Mulan pleads, “Please sir, my father
has already fought.” Chi Fu says in return, “Silence! You will do well to teach your daughter to
hold her tongue.” Mulan was scolded for speaking up for what she thought was the right thing to
do. Even while Chi Fu was scolding her, he was not speaking to Mulan, but rather to her father.
Chi Fu sends out a message directly to young girls that suggests women are not worth speaking
to and they should not speak their minds. Young girls watching this scene will think that they do
not have a say when it comes to something important in their life, and even if they do speak their
mind or speak up, it won’t be heard or listened to.
The gender stereotypes portrayed in Disney’s Mulan suggests that all men must serve
their country to defeat the Huns and save the Emperor, which reveals to young girls in our society that fighting is only fit for a man, and women should be at home because they are not worthy
of such a manly duty. Only men were allowed to fight in the war to defeat the Huns and save the
Emperor. Men are looked at as stronger and more knowledgable when it comes to combat. As the
men are going through training, Captain Li Shang sings, “Let’s get down to business, to defeat
the Huns. Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?” These lyrics are sending a message to young girls in our society that men are stronger, more muscular, and a more forceful gender, while women are meant to stay at home. William Duongs says, “We are thus reminded that
men are expected to embody traits of strength, independence, and power. Women, on the other
hand, are left behind with the family at home, relegating them to the domestic sphere, and there-
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fore suggesting that the home is their place in society” (Duong 1). Young girls may get the message that women are not fit for fighting, and only men can perform such duties. While watching
Mulan, young girls may also get the idea that they are not able to fight, and if they want to do
something, certain gender stereotypes will stop them from doing so, portraying that they are not
good enough and men are looked at as higher than them. Women must stay home is the message
that young girls will take away from Mulan, and they will believe that they are not worthy of
male duties, therefore they will not strive to their full potential.
Mulan may be sending the wrong message to young girls that are watching, encouraging
them to believe that men are of more importance and are respected and looked up to more than
women are. Disney’s Mulan is full of gender roles that young girls will take to heart. Girls constantly being pressure to act and behave a certain way can push them and shape them into someone they don’t want to be, but are acting this way just to get attention and be noticed. Kids soak
up ideas they see, so pay attention to what you are placing in front of their eyes. The gender roles
that Mulan is suggesting to young girls can and will affect how they look at themselves in relation to men and other women, which in hand affects what and who they strive to be like.
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Works Cited
Duong, William. "Mulan and Gender Roles." Rhetoric and Pop Culture. 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
Fung, Juliane. "Feminist and Queer Analysis of Disney's Mulan." Feminist and Queer Analysis of Disney's Mulan. Web. 25 Feb. 2015