The 1998 Disney animated feature, Mulan is about a young girl who poses as a man and enlists in the army to protect her father. Gender is a theme that is touched on heavily in this film. The film as a whole works to challenge traditional notions of masculinity and femininity. In The Social Construction of Gender by Judith Lorber, gender is explored as a social construction rather than a biological trait. The film predominantly aligns with these ideas.
At the beginning of the film, Mulan is on her way to meet a matchmaker that will find her a husband. The song “Honor to us all ” focuses largely on Mulan’s appearance as something central to her femininity. While the matchmaker is getting Mulan ready, she sings:
“We’ll have you washed and dried, Primped and polished, Till you glow with pride. Trust my recipe for the instant bride. You’ll bring honor to us all. Wait and see, When we’re through boys will gladly go to war for you. With good fortune and a great hairdo, You’ll bring honor to us all.”
This illustrates the widely held notion that women are a symbol of honor for the family. Mulan’s slightly boyish tendencies, such as her clumsiness and messy hair are being concealed during this song. Women are rewarded for being good homemakers and there are sanctions for women who deviate from society’s expectations of them. Mulan internally rejects these expectations but does not act on them. This is an example of how many people will maintain the status quo by taking the path of least resistance. While Mulan may not agree with society’s expectation of how a woman ought to be, she begrudgingly follows along to protect her family’s honor.
When a messenger arrives at Mulan’s house to draft her father into the war, Mulan voices her concern over her father’s health. The messenger quickly dismisses her and tells her to “learn her place.” Femininity is often seen as passive and quiet. This messenger is trying to get Mulan to conform and be feminine because of her gender. The social script in the Northern Wei dynasty called for women to remain silent when men are speaking. Once again, traditional notions of femininity are established.
Motivated by protecting her father, Mulan decides to sneak off that night and take her father’s place in the army. Since women are not allowed to join the army, Mulan has to pose as a man. To do this she takes her father’s sword and cuts her hair so it reaches her chin. When looking at this haircut through today’s notions of gender, it would still be considered feminine. But most of the men in the film have this “ long bob” haircut. This is an example of how notions of masculinity and femininity change across time and space. Before Mulan enters the camp to enlist in the army, her guardian Mushu, coaches her on how to be a man. He emphasizes speaking in a deep voice, standing tall, and having a manly strut. This displays how masculinity is learned rather than inherent. This proves Judit Lorber’s argument that gender is performed. Mulan, like the other enlisters, is not a naturally skilled warrior. She had to work hard to develop her skill set. The song, “I’ll make a man out of you,” shows a montage of Mulan and her peers initially struggling with combat and strength training. However, as the song progresses the audience sees Mulan surpasses her fellow soldiers in strength-related tasks. The title itself implies that masculinity is learned and the visuals showed during the song symbolize dominance and aggression. Thus, it is solidified that one is not born a man but becomes a man through displaying dominance and strength.
Unfortunately, Mulan gets severely injured in battle and her gender identity is revealed when she is given medical care. Her life is spared by her commanding officer but is dishonorably discharged from the army. Because of this Mulan is the only one who witnesses the Huns rise and marches towards the imperial city. She then sets off to warn her fellow soldiers. The movie ends with Mulan receiving a high honor from the emperor.
By the end of the movie, the characters accept that gender is a social construct. While this is never said outright, it is evident when Mulan is treated with the same respect as a man. Her ability to reach the same level (and even surpass the level of) as her male counterparts reinforces the idea that human beings are more similar than alike. When asked about gender, Lorber writes, “[Similarly] Gender cannot be equated with biological and physiological differences between human females and males. The building blocks of gender are socially constructed statuses.”