Gender Analysis of The Disney Film Mulan (Essay Example)

As there has been a normalization of societal norms towards women, who, according to the United Nations, comprise fifty percent of the world's population, women's potential has been underscored. The animated film captures the complexity of gendered norms in society in the century, where women are considered weak and serve as a purpose of marriage. The Disney film produced during the Renaissance era, Mulan in 1998 by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, captures the audience's attention when it comes to overcoming women's stereotypes in society, but it's more than that. The animation is a story of a young girl, who was in a dive for marriage but had to join the army in place of her father. During an invasion of China, every family had to send one man for the fight. In worry about her father's safety, Fa Mulan cross-dresses as a disguise for a man and replaces her father in the war. At the end of the film, she comes out as a woman and a hero for her country. Although she is blamed for treason, she becomes one of the Disney characters who are portrayed in the film as heroes. In this paper, there is an analysis of the film from the gender and sex from the perspective of an outsider. In this way, the film not only narrates a strong heroine but also a woman breaking gendered norms portrayed to her, promoting different identities as she chooses to identify as a man, and a new sense of sexual identity is produced when the other protagonist, Li Shang, falls in love with Fa Mulan in her disguise as a man. There is evidence of gender markers such as tone of voice while she is at the camping site. 

She tends to use an inner soft voice but an outer loud and more manly voice 

It was able to convey kinship, modernization, and breaking native gender norms, but the film is largely based on gender biases and stereotypes. It is the normal male-dominant story, although one of them cross-dresses and identities as a man. Traditionally, Disney films feature a young poor girl who falls for a rich man as a hero. Mulan was an eye-opener in 1988 as it was the first Disney film to depict a transgendered female heroine as a hero (Brocklebank, 2000, 272). In Mulan, the cross-dresser rebels against social norms by creating her own narrative of reality while portraying her "male version". (Brocklebank, 2000, 273). The instances in which Mulan spilled drinks and failed the matchmaking test demonstrate her cultural inability to fit into her role as a responsible daughter. Women are given social roles within the community, and it is expected that everyone would have a similar experience. It is a form of gender bias that has become normalized when cis women are forced into the feminine role due to physical appearance. To find a suitor, they promote some transitive gender roles of womanhood in which the bride had to mold themselves to find a proper aspect. As Mulan was mentally prepared for her role, she had her own sense of identity and decided to explore her masculine side in the war.  

Mulan feels that she does not fit into the social constructs of womanhood or manhood, so she creates her own. This depicts queerness unintentionally, as Mulan feels that she does not fit in the constructs of womanhood or manhood. Although the film depicts fewer gender stereotypes, it has some gender biases when it comes to men's masculinity. In the film, Li Shang is forced to hide his emotions by heading to a battle, when he finds his father's dead body (Towbin 29). The film also shows how men respond to emotional situations in a more violent manner rather than using their voices (Towbin 28). This views the presence of toxic masculinity in the film and how it promotes a change in character and emotional well-being of the protagonists. 

Mulan's cross-dressing, her ability to fight, and changing her voice to fit her male role are examples of how clothing styles continue to be used within society to classify both genders equally. Mulan's role progression within the film supports patriarchal power (Limbach, 2014, 

115). However, even though it appears that the film uplifts some gender norms, it is evident that there are still some boundaries that are used to classify different genders. Dressing up as a woman is perceived as simply trying to elevate their social and hierarchical status (Altenburger, 2005 170).  

This paper also reveals some major aspects of gender biases present in society, such as a change in tone of voice. Although Mulan maintains her inner voice, she must change her public tone of voice to fit with her male disguise (Lan 2003, 233). There are prominent gender markers in a number of places in the film, such as clothes and hairstyles (Doyle 2021). A transgender individual can relate to Hua Mulan's female voice because it serves as a gendered aspect, and it describes how transgender communities must deal with accepting identity. The tone of voice also narrates how gender overshadows the voice and womanhood when Mulan is viewed as a man. 

Gender as a social aspect leads to embodiment and committing to a specific social role. (Doyle, 2021 43). As an example, Mulan had to disguise himself as a man to take on a more prominent military role which is meant for men in society. This signifies the hierarchy and power that is portrayed in real life such that there is a lack of equality within a society.  

It is evident from the movie Mulan that there is an undercurrent theme of self-identity crisis that is present in the movie despite Mulan's struggles to adapt to a society that does not acknowledge her value (Silva, 2021). In spite of her appreciation for the feminine aspect of her nature, she finds her masculine side to be more comfortable. Ultimately, this creates an environment where she is forced to perform formal roles in a binary way (Limbach 2013). There is a significant impact of having diverse characters and sexualities in Disney films. Creating a non-male, non-heterosexual character would shape young people whose identity does not comply with the social norms (Fan 2019). Breaking the barriers of gender inequalities at a young age is a positive way to educate young children on strong values within the society regardless of gender 

In conclusion, this paper aimed to portray the gender stereotypes present in the film Mulan. By analyzing all aspects of gender and relationships, the movie shows how men and women are depicted in terms of social norms and stereotypes. A closer look at Mulan reveals a 

depiction of non-binary beliefs, and Fa Shang's character provides a glimpse of sexual identity. Moreover, there is evidence that gender roles are shifting, which changes the view of the modern male and female narratives. This film captures both the positive and negative aspects of gender roles and bias as well as the well-known stereotypes. We can see what this means by the portrayal of queer people and the evolution of the normalized role of women from those seen as weak to those appreciated. In the film, Mulan is not presented as a male protagonist, but rather as a female heroine. The view of women in the film is different as it fully analyzes both toxic and healthy gender norms. As a Disney film, it is a core foundation for the younger generation but old gender roles have to be changed to create balanced and sustainable gender equality. 

References 

Bancroft, T., & Cook, B. (1998). Mulan. Buena Vista Pictures. 

Brocklebank, L. (2000). Disney’s “Mulan”—the “True” Deconstructed Heroine? Marvels & Tales, 14(2), 268–283. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41388562 

Li, J. (2018). Retelling the Story of a Woman Warrior in <em>Hua Mulan</em> (花木兰, 2009): Constructed Chineseness and the Female Voice1. Marvels & Tales, 32(2), 362–387. https://doi.org/10.13110/marvelstales.32.2.0362 

Limbach, G. (2013). “You the Man, Well, Sorta”: Gender Binaries and Liminality in Mulan. Diversity in Disney films: Critical essays on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability, 115128. 

Altenburger, R. (2005). Is It Clothes that Make the Man? Cross-Dressing, Gender, and Sex in Pre-Twentieth-Century Zhu Yingtai Lore. Asian Folklore Studies, 64(2), 165–205. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30030419 

Lan, F. (2003). The Female Individual and the Empire: A Historicist Approach to Mulan and Kingston’s Woman Warrior. Comparative Literature, 55(3), 229–245 Towbin, M. A., Haddock, S. A., Zimmerman, T. S., Lund, L. K., & Tanner, L. R. (2004). Images of gender, race, age, and sexual orientation in Disney featurelength animated films. Journal of feminist family therapy, 15(4), 19-44. Images of gender, race, age, and sexual orientation in Disney feature-length animated films (tandfonline.com)  

Silva, I. S. D. C. C. D. (2021). Make a feminist out of you: Disney´s potential to promote behavioral change in gender stereotyping (Doctoral dissertation). 

Fan, J. (2019). Queering Disney animated films using a critical literacy lens. Journal of LGBT Youth, 16(2), 119-133. 

Doyle, E. (2022). Gender and sex 2. Retrieved April 12, 2022, from https://avenue.cllmcmaster.ca/d2l/le/content/411479/viewContent/3506439/View.