Toxic masculinity, women being silenced, and the pressure for young adults to live up to their parents’ expectations are all issues addressed in one of my favorite Disney movies, Mulan. The movie follows a conscientious girl, Mulan, who goes undercover as a man to fight in her frail father’s place and restore honor to her family. However, when you look closer, it’s the story of a girl being misrepresented and overlooked due to societal standards, a story that is very much relevant to today’s society.
“Quiet and demure. Graceful. Polite. Delicate.” At the beginning of the movie, Mulan is seen trying to remember these words to become the perfect woman and obtain a husband. She’s meant to look flawless and to speak only when someone calls on her, all traits that are still commonly valued in young girls in our society today, though not as harshly.
Even though Mulan was released in 1998, the judgment she faced is still common for girls today, particularly those who participate in activities that aren’t seen as “girly.” Girls are constantly judged for being too loud or coming off as too opinionated. There’s a kind of shame towards women who are overly passionate or try to obtain things the way a man typically would. Just look at the most powerful man, the President of the United States, as he tells women to quiet down and calls them names for being too outspoken.
One reason why Mulan is so empowering is the fact that she defied gender norms and grew into the fighter she was born to be. After a bad interaction with the Matchmaker, Mulan is told that she brings dishonor to her family. Feeling the pressure to make her family proud, especially her father, Mulan lets out her emotions in one of the greatest Disney songs of all time, “Reflection.” After she cries, she realizes she can still make her family proud by taking her sick father’s place in the war. In reality, she experienced an all-time low, right before she was about to rewrite history.
Although most of us don’t cut our hair with a sword and dress up as a man to enlist in the army, the message behind these scenes is relatable to anyone who feels pressure to make their parents proud. Going to college, earning a degree, and finding a successful job are all things that our parents and guardians want for us. The choices we face in college, like picking a major our families approve of instead of one we actually enjoy, or feeling torn between joining an extracurricular we’re passionate about versus what will look good on a resume, are real-life ways this pressure shows up. Sometimes our passions and personalities can differ from what our parents want from us, leading to more stress on students.
First-generation immigrant college students often face deeper stress to make their parents proud by getting a degree and a successful career. Mulan shows that even though not everyone’s battles are the same, the pressure to prove themselves to their family members can still exist. Mulan also proves that being emotional is healthy. Coming to college isn’t an easy event in someone’s life, and crying helps us express our feelings safely. Something is comforting in watching Mulan break down and then pick herself back up, like in the song “Reflection.”
Multiple songs from the Mulan soundtrack have been trending on social media, showcasing the powerful women within society today. One of the songs, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, is sung by Captain Li Shang during the soldiers’ training, where they’re all struggling, specifically Mulan. The song discusses how men must be tough, mysterious, and ready for the battle ahead. Throughout the song, everyone starts off failing, but then they begin to learn and grow strong. The irony is that while the song talks about how they need to be men, the one beating them in training is Mulan, a woman.
This song is used in so many edits showcasing incredible female athletes, as well as famous female politicians, scientists, actresses, businesswomen, singers, and other influential careers. Many of the most recent edits to this song are of the US Women’s Hockey Team that won gold at the 2026 Olympics. Out of the 12 gold medals won by the U.S., eight of them were from women athletes. Still, the President of the United States only called the men’s hockey team after they placed, congratulating them and inviting them to the White House. He jokingly mentioned how he’d also have to invite the women’s team, or else he’d get impeached. The underlying message of equality in Mulan can still be learned today, since female athletes are often overlooked if a man can play the same sport.
“One man may be the difference between victory and defeat.” This is spoken between the empire and the general before the draft is placed in Mulan. What they didn’t know was that the difference between victory and defeat wasn’t a man at all, it was a woman. Mulan’s storyline allows young girls to see her as a hero, not a princess waiting to be saved. This message is important, especially in today’s world, where countries are divided, and women all over the globe are being silenced. Women make up half the population, yet still face systemic inequality and threats to their rights. Mulan gives girls hope to do what they love and fight back against societal norms. She also showed us that she can get a hot man by being herself, and she didn’t need him to win the war; she did that on her own.
I want us to give credit to an animated movie with such a powerful message that transcends generations. I went to Magic Kingdom at Disney World a few weeks ago, and I was so excited to see Mulan come out on her float, but instead, I was left disappointed. Other than a three-second appearance on the castle projection, Mulan was left out of the show, but other princesses, such as Snow White and Aurora, had their own floats. I think that all young girls would benefit from seeing a fierce warrior who stayed true to her heart up on a float, so they, too, can look up to her.