The Chinese Heroine Mulan in Disney's Animated Film: An Oriental and Feminist Perspective

• In Event: Confronting Stereotypes in Media

Abstract

The textual analysis method is used in this study in order to find the hidden meaning of the movie Mulan. This reseach discovers that although the film uses traditional Chinese scenes and music, and many details in this production reflect Chinese values, but most of them are Disneyesque, and basically make the movie just like cultural fast food; it has an oriental surface, but no essential spirit of the Chinese cluture. From a feminist perspective, the film also demonstrates that Mulan finally changed that society's concept of men and women. Her success is because of her insight, not because she is a man or a woman.

Author

• Chin-Chung Chao, Bowling Green State University