'How can they tell if I am male or female?' With this last line of 'The Ballad of Mulan' the (anonymous) author raises the gender question already in the 6th century.
In this essay, I would like to analyse The Representation of Gender in Walt Disney’s 'Mulan', using the structure of the movie to focus on The Protagonist Fa Mulan, the Treatment of Women and the Depiction of Men. Additionally, the inquiry concerning the Meaning of Song Texts in Disney’s 'Mulan' appears useful as these always play an important role in conveying movie themes.
In order to establish a connection to the seminar on which this paper is based, I will illustrate how the movie is a good example for Judith Butler’s theory of Gender as Performance. Last but not least, I would like to show the Influence of Disney’s 'Mulan' on Society because fairy tales and movies '[…] do influence the manner in which children conceive the world and their places in it […]'.
Drawing the 'Conclusion', I will try a careful approach to find out if Disney’s 'Mulan' might even be considered as a feminist movie. (...)
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Short Summary of Disney’s “Mulan”
3 The Representation of Gender
3.1 The Protagonist Fa Mulan
3.2 Treatment of Women
3.3 Depiction of Men
3.4 Meaning of Song Texts presented in Disney’s “Mulan”
4 Gender as Performance
5 “Mulan’s” Influence on Society
6 Conclusion: Disney’s “Mulan” – A feminist movie?
7 Appendix
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the representation of gender roles in the Disney motion picture "Mulan" through the lens of feminist film theory and Judith Butler's concept of gender performativity. The primary research objective is to determine whether the film challenges or reinforces traditional patriarchal gender norms and to assess its potential as a feminist text by analyzing character portrayals, narrative structure, song lyrics, and social influence.
- The subversion of traditional feminine and masculine archetypes in animated film.
- The application of Judith Butler’s "Gender as Performance" to the protagonist's transition.
- An analytical breakdown of key musical numbers as vehicles for ideological messaging.
- The sociopolitical impact of Disney fairy tales on children's identity formation and societal gender expectations.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 The Protagonist Fa Mulan
“The heroes are male because that has been the unconsidered choice, the norm, the American selfhood. Woman is the exception; man is the default setting […]”. Fa Mulan is such an exception. She is the heroine of Disney’s motion picture film “Mulan”. As noted in “Understanding Disney” “[…] the hero succeeds […] because of what they do […]” and “[…] heroines require nothing beyond what they are born with […]”. Considering this distinction, Mulan deviates even twice from “the norm” of fairy tales: not only is she the heroine of the story but also does she achieve this by her actions. The way towards being a heroine in a patriarchal society, however, was a major challenge for the protagonist. At the beginning of the movie, Fa Mulan is forced into the stereotypical feminine gender role but cannot fulfil it properly. Consequently she suffers from self-reproaches and the humiliation of being criticized in public.
The first appearance of the protagonist is the young girl sitting on her bed and writing characters of a ‘perfect woman’ on her forearm. For the meeting with the local matchmaker, she tries to memorize the following qualities: a woman has to be “quiet and demure, graceful, polite, delicate, refined, poised, punctual.”
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the core research question and the methodological framework, grounding the analysis in Judith Butler’s gender theory and the influence of media on social norms.
2 Short Summary of Disney’s “Mulan”: A concise overview of the film's narrative, detailing Mulan’s departure from domestic life to assume a male disguise in the Imperial army.
3 The Representation of Gender: A multi-faceted analysis focusing on the character arc of Fa Mulan, the societal treatment of women, the portrayal of men, and the ideological content of the film's songs.
4 Gender as Performance: This section investigates how Mulan’s transition between roles serves as an example of gender performativity, illustrating that gender identity is a constructed rather than a natural state.
5 “Mulan’s” Influence on Society: An examination of how animated films affect the identity formation of children and the potential for "Mulan" to challenge existing gender constraints in the animation industry.
6 Conclusion: Disney’s “Mulan” – A feminist movie?: A synthesis of the findings, evaluating whether the film’s ambivalent portrayal of gender can truly be classified as feminist in light of its status as a mainstream children’s product.
7 Appendix: Contains the full lyrics of the film’s central musical pieces, which serve as primary source data for the analysis.
Keywords
Gender Theory, Judith Butler, Mulan, Walt Disney, Gender Performance, Feminism, Patriarchal Society, Gender Roles, Animated Films, Self-definition, Media Influence, Identity Formation, Traditional Norms, Film Analysis, Subversion
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on analyzing how gender roles are represented and challenged in the Disney film "Mulan," specifically examining character development and societal messages through a feminist theoretical framework.
What central themes are discussed?
Central themes include the subversion of patriarchal standards, the performative nature of gender, the influence of mass media on children's identity, and the progression of female heroines in Disney movies.
What is the main research question?
The research asks whether Disney’s "Mulan" can be considered a feminist film, given its ambivalent portrayal of gender roles within a traditionally patriarchal narrative structure.
What methodology is used to analyze the film?
The study employs a structural analysis of the film’s narrative, character arcs, and lyrics, explicitly utilizing Judith Butler’s theory of "Gender as Performance" and feminist fairy tale critiques.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body covers the protagonist's struggle with social expectations, the contrast between the treatment of men and women, the functional role of song lyrics, and the societal implications of these representations.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The key concepts include Gender Theory, Gender Performance, Mulan, Feminism, Patriarchal Society, and Disney's representation of gender roles.
How does the author interpret Mulan's "male" disguise?
The author views Mulan’s disguise not merely as a plot point, but as a deliberate performance that highlights the artificiality of gender norms and demonstrates that gender is a constructed behavior.
Does the author conclude that "Mulan" is a feminist movie?
The author concludes that while the film contains significant feminist tendencies and shows progress compared to earlier Disney heroines, it remains limited by its commercial nature as a product for children.
- Quote paper
- Sonja Blum (Author), 2007, The Representation of Gender in Walt Disney's "Mulan", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/92028
