Mulan: A Feminist Icon Or A Feminine Heroine?

Mulan is not feminist, she is profoundly feminine. I am, of course, talking about the Mulan I grew up with, the one from the classic 1998 Disney movie. (The 2020 live-action remake truly lives up to the feminist narrative.) The plot of the movie is not about women being equal to men, but quite the opposite. 

A clarification that should be made at the outset is that there are different ways of being feminine, and all of them are valid, respectable, and worthy. Femininity is not a stereotype, but a disposition of the spirit. I think it’s also counterproductive to present a rigid mold of what characteristics a woman must meet to be feminine. That makes those who don't meet them look for other models of affirmation in society, which makes them more prone to fall prey to gender ideology. 

The Ways of Femininity in Mulan

Mulan doesn't fit into the molds of femininity her culture wants to impose on her, and you don't have to either. Although it doesn't hurt if you do! In the movie, there is a mockery of the matchmaker, who wants all the young ladies to be the same, but not of the other girls who do feel comfortable with that more conventional way of being feminine. I feel sorry for the girls today who are made to feel inadequate; but, by the same token, in more traditional circles this can happen toward those who are more like Mulan. 

In reality, both paths, with all their ramifications, are very valuable and the healthiest thing is for each of us to cultivate the one we feel comfortable with, the one we feel fits us and through which we can express outwardly the treasures that have been placed within us. 

Mulan at Home

From the beginning of the film, we see positive, feminine qualities in Mulan. She is a dutiful girl, she tries to get her chores done, and doesn't complain about having to do them. Things don't go quite right for her, but there is no malice on her part. 

She doesn't mind her traditional lifestyle nor does she reject it outright; she strives to find her place but wants to bring honor to her family. She doesn't resent the "patriarchy," nor does she feel self-sufficient or superior to her parents or those who follow another path. 

Something at the core of femininity is the concept of nurturing. And this is something that our heroine shows throughout the film, with gestures as small as pouring her family’s tea to returning a doll to a little girl in the street who was being bothered by another child.

In fact, it is this spirit of nurturing that drives her to go to battle disguised as a man. She doesn't do it because she wants to be like men, or to run away from home, or because she finds it fun to fight; what moves her to do so is seeing her father's suffering, and wanting to take care of him.

At her lowest point in the movie, Mulan doubts her intentions, whether she has really done it altruistically or whether she wanted to prove that she was worth something. But in this same dialogue, Mushu reminds her of the truth at the bottom of her heart, telling her, "You risked your life to help people you love." The simple fact that it pains her that she might have been selfish, rather than not caring, reveals the sensitivity of her spirit.

The Differences Between Men and Women in Mulan

When Mulan is posing as a solider, we see a continuous display of the differences between men and women. In fact, this is one of the main sources of humor in the film – how different we are physically and psychologically, and how hard it is for a woman to play the role of a man. And not because they discriminate against her for being a woman, because they don't know she is, but by nature.

Although our protagonist does everything she can to be like her companions and not be discovered, we see that there are things in which it is simply impossible for a woman to be equal to a man. To compensate for her lack of physical strength compared to the men around her, Mulan has a different way of fighting – she must rely on her wits. One advantage of this is that it leads Mulan to come up with brilliant ideas that save the army and the emperor (and ultimately, her whole country). To be valuable to the troops, Mulan did not have to be like the men, but on the contrary, to find a different way.

Neither Mulan’s posing as a man nor later in the movie when, in order to save the city, Yao, Ling, and Chien Po disguise themselves as women, should be considered an ode to cross-dressing. Both are humorous devices that also serve to show how both Mulan and her fellow male soldiers have things to learn from the other sex. Precisely because we are complementary, we don't have everything in us, but we do well to collaborate. The army wouldn’t have achieved victory without Mulan, but it’s no less true that Mulan alone would not have achieved it either, even if her plan was brilliant.

Mulan's Men

In the movies made today where the heroine is a woman, the men around her are often portrayed as incapable fools. Not so in Mulan. Li Shang is a man of great worth and all his qualities are recognized. Mulan's father is a fair and just man. The emperor is wise and dignified. Even Mulan's companions, who might be the ones who most fulfill the first stereotype because of their almost hilarious masculinity, are respected: We see them as good men, brave, protective, and joking – but with jokes that are funny! They’re not ridiculed; they make us laugh with them, not at them.

A Girl Worth Fighting For

The most "feminist" moment in Mulan could be considered the song "A Girl Worth Fighting For," in which the men of the army dream of getting a good wife when they return from the war. Each man tells of the qualities he is looking for in his ideal woman. When it's Ping/Mulan's turn, she says, "How 'bout a girl who's got a brain... Who always speaks her mind?" But she is answered with a resounding NAH.

Three things should be commented here:

1. Those who sing this are the men in the troupe, not Li Shang, who is the real model of masculinity in the film and the one Mulan will ultimately stay with.

2. These men don't think intelligence and assertiveness can be valuable in a woman, but they will learn a lesson later, when they save China thanks to Mulan's ideas.

3. Are the things they ask for really so bad? Let's look at lines from the song:

• "I want her paler than the moon, with eyes that shine like stars."

• "My girl will marvel at my strength, adore my battle scars."

• "I couldn't care less what she'll wear or what she looks like; it all depends on what she cooks like."

• "My girl will think I have no faults, that I'm a major find.”

They’re looking for a beautiful woman who respects and admires them, who cares for them and has the spirit to take care of their home. It doesn't seem outrageous to me. All of this is part of the essence of femininity, and naturally it is what men long to find in a future wife.

Mulan Returns Home a New Woman

Another key aspect that is often overlooked is that, at the end of the film, Mulan returns to her home, to her family, to her life as a woman. She doesn’t want to be a man. She doesn't even accept the position offered to her by the emperor. She wants to go and take care of her own.

Yet, she comes back transformed. She has matured in her femininity. After the experiences she has lived through, our protagonist is now ready to fulfill her obligations and responsibilities as a woman – without losing her personality and her "spark"!

There is a clear evolution in her character from the beginning of the film, where we saw her with good intentions but she was a mess, to the end, where she carries herself with a newfound confidence, serenity, and dignity. It's not that there was something wrong with her at the beginning; it was the phase she was going through. But true femininity is a quality for women who have matured, not for girls. And this is often not due to age, but to growth.

And, of course, she gets her happy ending with Li Shang in the end. She doesn’t chase him, she just goes back home and wishes to bring honor to her family. It’s Li Shang, as a good masculine man, who goes after her when he realizes how valuable she is. So even her strict grandmother and her ancestors are proud of Mulan in the end! It’s the perfect balance between a traditional feminine destiny and some unique innovations.

Closing Thoughts

Mulan shows us that there is no single path of femininity, that we can be both brave and nurturing, and that it is by being ourselves that we can bring our best qualities to the table.

Support our cause and help women reclaim their femininity by subscribing today.