Carolina Navarro

Ms. O’Keefe

A.P. Literature & Composition

May 18, 2018

Mulan​: The Feminist

Many Disney movies have similar tropes that often make endings predictable and cliche. Despite this, Disney has

tried to challenge old stereotypes and create movies that reflect something new about society. ​Frozen​ is often praised for

challenging regular Disney habits of how a princess needs a man to be happy. By having two female leads and in the end

having the power of sisterly love win, ​Frozen​ has warmed the hearts of many people. However, ​Mulan​ is one of the first

feminist movies for kids to watch created by Disney. It both challenges and conforms to past ideas that Disney has

incorporated before to not only make it appealing for kids, but to parents as well.

There are many common tropes that Disney uses that are shown in the movie ​Mulan​. In the movie, Mulan follows

with the common trope of declaring who she wants to be in a song. She does so with the song ​True To Your Heart​. She

states who she wants to be which is commonly seen in other Disney films. Mulan also has a heroic sacrifice to serve in the

war in the place of her father as a man. This sets the tone for the rest of the movie as she trains for the war against the

Hans. While training, the men are portrayed as violent, insensitive and unemotional. The song​ I Will Make A Man Out Of

You​ expresses the various expectations that men are held to in order to be considered “men”. This can also be seen when

Li Shang’s father is killed. Li Shang does not express emotions and instead fights for vengeance. These traits are very

stereotypical and are often portrayed by the media in the same way which sends a negative message to children about men

and who they are supposed to be. These overall show how Disney conforms to the tropes often used in multiple Disney

movies.

Through​ Mulan​, Disney is also able to challenge commonly used tropes. By having Mulan not be a princess, it

shows how a regular girl can become a hero. Although she is banished from the troops when they find out she is a woman,

she proves to be worthy of fighting alongside men. The anger the men hold towards Mulan when they find out she is a

woman suggests that she threatens their masculinity. Mulan proves this by saying, “You said you trusted Ping, why is

Mulan any different?”. This serves as a verbal confirmation to children and overall shows that both men and women are

equal. Mulan is not only courageous but smart as well which shows a lot about her characterization. Her problem solving
skills and ability save all of China sends a positive message for children to follow. Along with this, Mulan is very

independent and does not need a man to be happy. Mulan does in fact find a man who she likes; however, that is not her

ultimate goal. Mulan desires to help her father as well as bring honor to her family which is something not seen in many

other Disney movies. Mulan has loving parents that are not dead and only want the best for Mulan. With this, Mulan

shows young girls the power they have and the value they hold more than just marrying a man. Although many people

told Mulan “she’s a woman, she’ll never be worth anything” (Chi-Fu), she proves them wrong and saves China. Mulan’s

ending serves as an inspiration for children. It establishes the idea that there will be obstacles along the way to success;

however, overcoming those obstacles is what makes you successful.

To conclude, Mulan both conforms to and challenges tropes that have been established through many Disney

movies. Although there are many common tropes seen in ​Mulan​, it also challenges the way women are portrayed in

movies. Mulan is an independent, smart, woman who saves China just to make her father happy which challenges

common Disney movies that often use princesses that are trapped and need saving. She is a minority and a regular village

woman trying to bring honor to her family that does not need a man to be happy. With this, a feminist movie was created

that suggested a modification in the American society in which gender roles changed to be geared more towards equality.

Mulan serves as an inspiration for many children and sets a positive example for young girls to aspire to.

Works Cited
Mulan​. Directed by Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook, Walt Disney Pictures, 1998.