Gender Roles In The Movie Mulan

Within one’s mind, countless thoughts are made which will influence the decisions we make and the actions that follow suit. For a woman, perceptions and inequality between the genders cause them to question their strength and self-esteem, which would affect the outlook they have on themselves and the actions they take. As they assume that they should be inferior to men and should act according to the social standards given by the society. However this should not be the case as I believe that women and men should be valued and judged by their individual traits rather than by their genders. Misperception towards women is created when only a part of their traits and qualities are taken into the consideration of the public. Therefore, in order to break this social barrier created by the community’s misperception on women, as a society we must accept and consider all the unique qualities that an individual possess.

From the very start of the movie it was established that Mulan is not the typically chinese woman as she is fierce, brave and bold. This is the complete opposite to what was required from an Chinese woman back then as they should “demonstrate a sense of dignity and refinement. Act poised and be silent [obedient]” (Matchmaker). In addition to all that, women back then were required to be married off like properties to rich and high status families in order to bring honor to their families, as they cannot have their own properties and thus making them dependent on men. With these patriarchal ideology in their minds, women are raised to act and think a certain way which ultimately affects how they present themselves in front of