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Summer Besteman!
Professor Parker!
Wonderful World of Disney!
February 23, 2015
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Every kid grows up watching Disney Movies. They were a part of our lives as a kid and
will most likely be a part of our kids’ lives as well. Everyone grows up with their own assumptions on what men and women can and cannot do. The Disney movie Mulan reinforced the assumptions that we have about gender. Julia Fung says, “Disney’s Mulan reinforces a binary understanding of gender stereotypes that privilege men over women.” Mulan consistently portrays
throughout the entire movie that men are superior to women and this may be sending the wrong
message to young girls watching this movie. !
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The gender stereotypes 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, 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 girl, but she kindly declined. Mulan was
presented with the Emperor’s Imperial crest and the sword of Shan Yu for her heroic deeds and
risking her life. Young girls watching this scene may think that they have to do something drastic
and unlike the norm to be important and looked up to. Mulan saving the Emperor portrays to
young girls in our culture 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.!
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The gender stereotypes portrayed in Disney’s Mulan suggests that you must pretend to
be a man and portray characteristics of a man in order for women to be respected, which informs young girls in our culture that being a woman will not get them respect unless they act
and portray characteristics of a man. 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 doing this, she becomes a stronger,
and a 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.!
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The gender stereotypes portrayed in Disney’s Mulan suggests that becoming a wife is
the only way to bring honor to your family, which portrays to young girls in our culture that being
a 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 to be chosen as a possible bride. 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 sung are: !
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"A girl can bring her family Great honor in one way.
By striking a good match
And this could be the day.
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Men want girls with good taste, calm, obedient. !
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Who work fast-paced.
With good breeding and a tiny waste,
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 bring dishonor to your family and they will be disappointed in you. 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 grandmothers comment reiterates the idea that bringing home a man will
bring great happiness to the Fu family. Even though Mulan just got done saving 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, portrays to young girls that nothing else they do will be of any worth unless its giving themselves to a man.
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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 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 take the scroll. Mulan who was just trying to help, 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 says, “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 that women should not speak their minds. Young
girls watching this scene will think that they do not have a say when it comes to something im-
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portant in their life, and even if they do speak their mind or speak up, it won’t be heard or listened to. !
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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 portrays 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 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 knowledgeable when it comes to fighting. 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 portraying
to young girls in our society that men are strong, muscular, and a forceful gender, while women
are meant to be 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 therefore suggesting
that the home is their place in society.” 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
from Mulan, and they will believe that they are not worthy of male duties, therefore so they are
looked at as less.!
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Mulan may be sending the wrong message to young girls that are watching this, portray-
ing to them that men are of more importance and are respected and looked up to more than
women are. Disney’s Mulan is full of gender stereotypes that young girls will take to heart because they believe that everything they watch must be true. Disney must be careful with the
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messages that they send out to young girls, because it can and will affect how they look at
themselves in relationship to men and other women.