Princesses can define many different types of people and personalities. Bratty, messy toddlers are often called princesses because of their desire for everything. At the same time, regal, elegant daughters of noble birth are easily called princesses; some even consider a submissive, slim-bodied teenager a princess. Yet, even though so many people can be considered a princess, Mulan, on the other hand, cannot. Mulan does not fit any definition of a princess, as she is not noble, passive, or bratty. Because her father, Fa Zhou, was just a distinguished military figure, not royal or an emperor, Mulan has no royal heritage, nor does she marry a prince that would allow her to be considered a real princess. Mulan’s life does not even follow the typical princess …show more content…
Take Cinderella, for example. She represents the paragon of a princess, both real and animated. Her luxurious blue gown, large blue eyes with tiny feet and a slim waist creates a delicate image. And while Cinderella is thoughtful and hardworking, most people remember her for her glass slippers and fairy godmother (Orenstein). On the other hand, Mulan’s brave actions in protecting her country do not represent the typical portrayal of a weak and composed princess. Specifically, when meeting with the matchmaker, Mulan disliked dressing up, powdering her face, and acting prim and proper; instead, Mulan wore armor and carried a sword. (Coats) This brave character falls nowhere into the delicate image of a princess that Disney uses with countless other princesses such as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Ariel. Princesses are not determined by their actions, but rather represented by their beauty and image; thus, because Mulan is not the most proper or girly, she does not relate with the dainty image of real Disney
Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and many other Disney movies all have one thing in common, they feature a female lead who needs a male figure to save them. However, things started to change after the release of Mulan in 1988. Movies that were only representing female leads as weak and always needed to rely on someone, started to feature females who showed off their more masculine side. Mulan was one of the first animated films that had started to dive into that, not to mention it was based on a true story, making it even more powerful. In the article “Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Pixar/Disney”, authors Ken Gillam and Shannon R. Wooden explore Pixar movies show male characters who were not afraid to show their emotions
Mulan goes through being rescued when she fights Shan-Yu on top of the roof of the Emperor’s palace and Mushu helps Mulan pin Shan-Yu down and blow him up with fireworks. Mulan‘s ego decreases when Mushu successfully tries to help her get rid of Shan-Yu. She considers herself a hero now and does not want Mushu to think she cannot fight her own battles. Mulan in the end disregards her ego in order for her to not die on the roof. Mulan crosses the final threshold when she returns to her home with the gifts from the Emperor hoping her family will forgive her for leaving the family to go fight in the war. Her father accepts Mulan’s new power and wisdom and told her that, “The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter.” Mulan’s return to the past is pleasant and safe knowing that nothing can change her family’s love and affection for her. In addition, Mulan enters into the final step in the hero’s journey: the freedom to live. Mulan shows her freedom to live when she invites her soul mate, Li-Shang for dinner. This event marks the end of Mulan dwelling on the past and makes her excited, but not concerned about what the future
...sh and adore. However, next time, do not let yourself be so easily grabbed by the catchy musical numbers and seemingly revolutionary story that is told. Yes, Mulan is an unorthodox heroine who changes all the rules, but she does so by conforming to a flawed system and affecting change from the inside, under the guise of a man. In lieu of doing it as a woman, it is not as girl power filled as many of us would like to believe. She, for the most part, affects all of this change as a man. Once she’s discovered, all her hard work in the training and the relationships she’s forged are all tossed to the wind and she’s quickly relegated back to her place as a lowly woman. However, despite its flawed execution in being a girl power story, it embodies a quintessential feel-good, be true to your heart film that will leave you wanting to affect change in the world around you.
Men throughout the movie control Princess Jasmine. Her dad has managed Princess Jasmine her whole life, as she has been stuck in the palace because he does not think she will be safe outside the walls. Her father, the Sultan, does not want her to get married to a prince because the law says so, but because as a female, Jasmine will be incapable of taking care of herself as a full functioning adult and must need a lake in her life to providing for her. An example of this is when her father says, “I am not going to be around forever. I just want to make sure you are taken care of, provided for.” Princess Jasmine, herself also says, “I’ve never done a thing on my own.” She has not been given the freedom and independence to make her decisions. There was always a male, as in her father to decide for her. Another example of this is demonstrated when she sneaks out to the marketplace and gets caught for giving away an apple without buying it. Instead of Princess Jasmine being punished for her mistake, she is shown being protected by the male, Aladdin, who is then depicted as the hero, who saved the female, as she is the damsel in distress. In another scene, there is a conversation happening between the Sultan, Aladdin (pretending to be a Prince), and Jafar in which the Sultan says, “Jasmine will like this one” and Aladdin responds with, “I hope she does.” Aladdin then continues to say, “I will win your daughter,” thus objectifying the female as a “prize to be won.” The males around her are trying to make decisions for the woman, once again showing she is incapable of making her decision and using her judgment. The only females shown through the animation are Jasmine and the belly dancers, depicting Middle Eastern women as all being kept women by men for the use of
In “Escape from Wonderland” by Deborah Ross, the writer explains how the fictional characters are admired. Although they seem to be sending a bigger message to young girls. The writer talks about drawing a line between fantasy and reality. In the end Ross’s objective is to show how some Disney characters break the femininity and imagination tradition. Which can have an effect in children and how they value their own ability to have unique visions. By comparing Alice in Wonderland (1951), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991) to heroines like Arabella from The female Quixote. “Charlotte Lennox’s (The Female Quixote illustrates both these conservative and progressive plot patterns, for it both draws upon and criticizes earlier romances, which themselves often both celebrate and punished female imagination and expressiveness. Therefore, like Disney’s movies today, which also use material from romance and fairy-tale tradition”, (pg. 473, Escape from Wonderland). Young women may not only begin to fantasize about a grandeur life more exciting than reality but to be disappointed with society in the workplace and relationships. For example, Meredith from Brave she is a princess that wishes to have a different life than what her mother has planned for her. She refuses to get married and have the duties of a princess. She wants to have adventures and be
William Shakespeare once said, “[My] honor is my life; both grow in one; take honor from me, and my life is done.” The idea is touched upon in both the book Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston as well as Disney’s Mulan were family honor is more important than anything else. Mulan was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film Mulan retold the story of a woman warrior who took her father’s place in battle and became a savior of China.The movie uses many elements from the original story told in the chapter “White Tigers,” but adds many modern twists in order to make the story more appealing for a newer generation. In both stories of Fa Mu Lan the elements of sacrifice, silence and voice, cultural practices of ancestor worship and filial piety, and Chinese stereotypes are present.
Disney princesses are fun for all ages, but their target audience is young children and “as children grow and develop, they can be easily influenced by what they see and hear”. Therefore, what they see and hear in Disney movies leaves an impression on them. The first princess, Snow White, was created in a time where each gender and race had a specific role in society. Recently, many believe that Disney has come a long way in regards to gender and race since Snow White, as several multi-cultural protagonists have been introduced subsequently, and gender roles do not appear to be as stereotypical as they once were. However, many of the apparent innocent messages about race and gender in these movies, can be exposed as otherwise. Despite their mask of progression, Disney princesses still have the potential to corrupt the minds of young children through sexism and racism.
England, D. E., Descartes, L., & Collier-meek, M. (2011). Proquest. “Gender role portrayal and the disney princesses”. Sex Roles, 64(7-8), 555-567.
She proved to the people of China that if a woman's dream included being in the army than that could happen, and she had the ability to thrive. Revolutionarily proving that gender roles and stereotypes are nonsense and do not define you. Mulan was the first Disney princess that did not need a man to be her salvation. Even Mulan when she struggled, she never backed down. She brought out the best in others, during her training and when she got stronger everyone else got stronger, people fed off of her bravery and strength, which improved the state of the entire army. Mulan started at the bottom when she first got the to army, however as she became her best self, others did
In the Disney film Mulan, the character for Mulan plays an important part to support the example of a woman not satisfied with her state of being and subordinated position in society and therefore, takes action to show others her true capabilities and qualities. This prototype is scarcely depicted in today’s cartoons and films so that children rarely identify with this image. “Mulan” helps to promote this role model of an intelligent woman and could be the first step in breaking gender constraints. In addition, it might teach children that they have to find their own state of happiness rather than trying desperately to fulfill society’s expectations.
Imagine being a princess, but not the regular type of princess you might think of, not a
Mulan is set in ancient China a time when women did not have a voice in the government or in their home. Women during this time were expected to clean, cook, and only do things their husbands approved of. The most important day in a woman’s life would be the day she had to see the matchmaker and impress her. In China it was tradition that a woman go to matchmaker for marriage. In the movie it shows that this has become...
Disney and old fairytales threaten gender politics and ideal women roles by giving certain stereotypes for domestic and personality traits. Fairytales that have turned into Disney productions have sculpted domestic roles for women that consist of cooking, cleaning and caring for the children. Disney has also created these princesses with personalities that are shy, passive, and vulnerable. The cause of these stereotypes are making individuals obliterate their own identities and becoming clones from the mold that was prepared for
For instance, the first Disney princess Snow White is represented in a vastly different way to the more resent Disney princesses like Rapunzel which show the evolution of our society and feminism through the evolution of the Disney Princesses. Around 1940, Disney’s first princess was the 14-year-old Snow White. Her personality was considered somewhat simple and the concept of the film very one dimensional in the views of some feminists today. Snow White was the perfect embodiment of Westerns society concept of what a woman should be; well presented, kind and complacent. However, for the feminists at the time Snow White was not a perfect image of woman…later on Belle from beauty and the beast represented an evolution in personality by being unhappy with the prospect of marriage, this is significant as she is the first Disney princesses who doesn't want to marry, not because she loves another man but because she wished for more to her life than being a simple house
The movie Mulan tells the story of the legendary Chinese woman warrior, Fa Mulan. In the Disney movie, Mulan is the only child of a disabled veteran. When the Huns invade from the north, the Chinese Emperor sets a conscription saying that every family must provide a son to be a soldier in the Chinese army. Fearing for her father’s life, as he is the only man in the house, Mulan runs away and joins the army in his place, even though it is against the law for her to do so. She almost fails in her mission, but with renewed efforts, she manages to become one of the best soldiers in the company. Later in the film, Mulan saves the company from the Huns by cleverly shooting a cannon into the mountains and creating an avalanche. However she is stabbed