“In a culture that is dominated by gender, in which gender is like a class system, giving power to men and withholding it from women, all aspects of a person’s life will be influenced by his or her gender” (Pronger 227). History has shown that gender biased cultures have been in existence since ancient times as far back as the biblical era. Even in current day, there are gender-biased cultures like Saudi Arabia and Iran. Woman in these cultures must be fully covered from head to toe when in public and are not all to drive. The movie Mulan is a perfect example of “gender being a class system giving the power to the men and withholding it from women” (Pronger 227). Mulan Fa, the main character in the movie, comes to her elderly fathers defense and refuses to let him go and fight in the Emporer's army. She takes matters into her own hands and cuts her hair and puts on her fathers armor to become a man and take his place in the battle. According to the glossary in the book Every Day Everywhere, “gender is society’s ideas of what it means to be male and/or female, of the appropriate roles for each sex to play” (703). Mulan, in the Walt Disney Film Mulan, faces gender discrimination, gender fulfillment myths, and sociocultural problems.
Mulan’s aged father gets ordered into battle against the Hun army. She argues the fact that he should not have to go into battle, and her father gets told by the Emperors advisor “You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue when in a mans presence!” (Mulan). This goes to show that females in the Chinese dynasty didn’t have the rights and the privileges that men had. However, this is and/or was not only in Asia in the fourth and fifth centuries, but as stated earlier one can see many different types of sexism and gender discrimination in the world today. It has been pointed out that “Gender, understood as a cultural phenomenon, is a mythic world that polarizes the sexes, giving them social psychic significance and status” (Palmer 228). This cultural phenomenon helps define Mulan’s social status in the Chinese culture. Most gender oriented or gender populated industries do not welcome the opposite sex, as well as society does not expect them to work in these industries. For example, when society pictures the construction industry, the image of a masculine male in a hard hat is more common than a woman. The same goes for salons. Whether it is a nail or hair, women are the image most of society sees working in this field and if a male is pictured working in a salon then he must be homosexual.
According to Brian Pronger, “There is an important distinction between sex and gender. Sex is a physical distinction that is drawn between male and female, whereas gender is a cultural distinction that divides power between men and women” (226). Mulan feels it is her obligation to fight in her fathers place, as he is old and had previously fought before. “Maybe I didn’t go for my father, maybe what I really wanted was to prove I could do things right, so that when I look in the mirror I’d see someone worthwhile” (Mulan). “The greatest wisdom appears to be foolish” (Cao 108). Mulan feeling inadequate and unable to fit the profile of the perfect wife and or mother foolishly assumes the role of a man and a “mans” job. Although Mulan didn’t realize it at first, her foolishness in taking her fathers place in the army led to great wisdom in the end. After she fights for her father in the battle, she realizes that the true reason she fought was to see herself as being someone worthwhile when she looks in the mirror. However, the Chinese culture did not allow for such an outrage as a woman taking on a man’s obligations. Men and women have a certain responsibility to uphold, for example, men traditionally have the rigorous and more physically demanding chores around the house as in; taking out the trash, mowing lawns, and working to provide for the family. Whereas women traditionally have less physically demanding tasks such as having dinner ready and on the table when the husband comes home, they are supposed to clean the house and do the gardening. Society feels that these are rules and everyone must follow in order to live on this planet. Moreover, people that do not keep to these careful outlines of what men and women are supposed to do are considered weird and often disowned by society. Men that follow women’s life rules are considered homosexual. As women that follow men’s life rules are seen as tomboys and are outlawed from most of society. Men and women must fulfill certain masculine and feminine “requirements” to fit in with everyone. Modern day China has even taken it to an extreme of murdering female children because a son is seen as someone who is able to be a better provider to his family as well as needing soldiers for their family. Cultures since the beginning of time have had the same attitude towards gender and sex; they are in favor of the masculine male. Pirate ships in the early and mid eighteenth century were said to be cursed if there was a female present or a females belongings on board.
Kate Millett states that “because of our social circumstances, male and female are really two cultures and their life experiences are utterly different” (221). Mulan feels that she should be able to do all the things males do and do them with pride and dignity. After she leaves and takes her fathers place in the army and her family realizes that she has left, Mulans mother says, “You must go after her. She could be killed” (Mulan). Her father, Fa Zhou, replies, “If I reveal her, she will be” (Mulan). This reaches deeper into the idea of biological determinism. It is almost as if there was a book created which states everything a female can do and everything a male can do. Society classifies males and females by what they do and don’t do. Cultures know what it means to be a male and female soley based on the gender aspect of either sex. To be a male you have to be masculine, and to be a female you have to be feminine, and there really is no way around it. Society has made up its mind and will follow the same pathetic rules on gender and sex for many years to come.
In conclusion, society has judged people by what sex they are. It takes the word “sex” and translates it into gender, which is a word with a far worse meaning. The word gender describes ordinary, everyday people and puts them into this class system which judges them on what they do and what they are “supposed” to do. Those who don’t follow these “rules” are outlawed and disowned and frowned upon, yet those who do are gods and goddesses. The movie “Mulan” summarizes all of the cultures beliefs and thoughts on gender myths and determination. Mulan breaks the law because she does not want to be stereotyped and known to be like every other woman. Society nowadays and even in the past are so unforgiving to the person who doesn’t follow the “law” of everyday ordinary life. Also, those who don’t fit the description of being the masculine/feminine are not welcome. The common idea of gender representation is not what society should be basing their views on. It should be based on men and women and their abilities or talents and not being judged by their masculinity or feminine qualities.
Work Cited
Cao, Guanlong. “Chopsticks.” Every Day, Everywhere: Global Perspectives on Popular Culture. Eds. Stuart Hirschberg and Terry Hirschberg. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005. 108-111.
Hirschberg, Stuart and Terry Hirschberg. “ Gender (Mis) Representation.” Every Day Everywhere: Global Perspectives on Popular Culture. Eds. Stuart Hirschberg and Terry Hirschberg. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005. 221-225.
Hirschberg, Stuart and Terry Hirschberg. “ Glossary.” Every Day Everywhere: Global Perspectives on Popular Culture. Eds. Stuart Hirschberg and Terry Hirschberg. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005. 701-707.
Mulan. Dir. Berry Cook, Walt Disney. 1998
Pronger, Brian. “Sexual Mythologies.” Every Day, Everywhere: Global Perspectives on Popular Culture. Eds. Stuart Hirschberg and Terry Hirschberg. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005. 226-237.
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