Mulan Hero Cycle Essay

“Get ready Mulan, your serpentine salvation is at hand! For I have been sent by your ancestors to guide you through your masquerade!” Mulan's serpentine salvation is Mushu, the real hero in Disney's film Mulan, and can be seen through his actions in the story that relate to the characteristics of the hero cycle. Mushu receives the call, goes through apotheosis and finally travels down the road of trials, proving himself a hero to the Fa families ancestors. But how exactly does he do it?

When Mushu receives the call, it is from the Fa family’s First Ancestor. Out of all the dragons at the family’s crypt, the ancestor chose to wake up Mushu, even if it was only to ring the gong. But in ancient China, the gong had a large importance in their culture. Gongs were a symbol of wealth and status and could only be sounded with the assistance of supernatural powers. Gongs brought strength and good luck to those who touched them, which is certainly what Mushu did. When the First Ancestor asked Mushu about his responsibilities, Mushu replied with “I ring the gong”. Finally, the collapse of the stone dragon meant that someone had to replace its work. Since Mushu’s sacred gong broke the dragon’s ear off, Mushu was Mulan’s true hero and it was destiny that the dragon broke. The force of the gong was strong enough to only break off the dragon’s ear, so why would it have reduced the entire dragon to dust, unless the dragon was meant to be destroyed for Mushu to take its place?

Mushu enters the stage of apotheosis, just like most heroes do when following the hero cycle. His ego is disintegrated in an expansion of consciousness; Mushu starts doubting himself and even reveals to Mulan that he is a “fraud” and that the ancestors never truly sent him....

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...ero and the army members praised her. Just like when Shan-Yu was killed. Mushu gets the canon for Mulan and shoots it after Mulan pins Shan-Yu’s cape to the rooftop. After Mushu defeats Shan-Yu, he has achieved what he had set out to do, which is save Mulan and bring honour to past, present and future Fa families.

So is Mushu really the hero in the movie? I think yes because the story follows the traits of the hero cycle but with Mushu at the head; he receives the call, goes through an apotheosis and completes his journey with the road of trials in which he proves himself to be a real hero.

Works Cited

Palmer, G.D. "History of the Chinese Gong | EHow." EHow. Demand Media, 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. .

"Quotes." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. .