I’ll Make A Man Out Of You

    Who was your favorite Disney prince/princess growing up? Was it the girl with the tiny waist and long, luscious hair? Or the charming prince with a dashing smile and striking hairdo? See how generic these Disney descriptions are? Up until the mid to late 1990’s, any royal character would’ve fit this criteria of a Disney prince or princess. But then Aladdin was created, breaking the past universal image of a Disney princess; followed by Pocahontas, Mulan, and The Princess and The Frog.   


The most striking one of all was Mulan. In the first song of the movie, Honor To Us All, gender stereotypes are clearly woven into the lyrics themselves. “Boys will gladly go to war for you” and “A girl can bring her family Great honor in one way By striking a good match”. Although she was born into a royal family, thus making her a princess, she decides to go against gender stereotypes, refusing to live up to everyone’s expectations and get married off to a man. Not only does she go against stereotypes regarding marriage but SHE GOES TO FIGHT IN WAR! When I first watched this movie, I was dumbfounded because a woman, although illegal, volunteered herself to go to war. While training to fight, she didn’t fall short in terms of strength and agility which proved that women are just as capable a men. Mulan is adventurous and brave; some might argue that Ariel was brave too but that bravery was powered the love for a male love interest not bravery powered by the eagerness to prove something. 

    Despite the fact that Disney did a good job in creating a atypical princess, they created a double standard surrounding gender. In multiple cases, if a man is strong, that’s their only character trait, maybe handsomeness and cleverness if we’re being generous. For Mulan to an acceptable “strong female” character, she didn’t just have to demonstrate strength but also kindness, gentleness, thoughtfulness, and humility. 

    As Disney continues to create incredible movies, I can’t wait to see how they’ll interpret different cultural norms and stereotypes in the future!




Comments

  1. LilyFebruary 6, 2022 at 11:47 AM

    I think this movie is an excellent example of a character defying gender roles. I haven't watched Mulan, or many Disney movies at all, but I do know the stories. As I think back on them, it is striking how many of the princesses needed a male savior. Snow White and Rapunzel needed princes to save them, and although there isn't anything inherently wrong with this, the amount of situations like it in fairy tales and the overwhelming prevalence of romance in general seem to imply that romance, specially heteronormative romance, is a women's sole purpose. This is not surprising due to the time in which they were written, but it does make Mulan's story stand out, as it does not follow any of these norms.

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  2. Audrey BrokenshireFebruary 6, 2022 at 5:48 PM

    Mulan is my favorite disney movie as well and I agree that it is refreshing to see a character who isn’t following orthodox gender roles. Rather, Mulan is fighting for herself and her own family. It is undoubtedly uninspiring for the many young children who are being shown these movies that tell them that they don’t have to solve their own problem but that a strong man will fix them. I know, personally, that watching a princess asleep in a tower while a prince slays a dragon to save her, isn’t all that encouraging for an impressionable girl. Mulan is an excellent example of what we could do without the pressing weight of gender roles society creates.

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