Comparing China's Traditional Influences On Mulan And Disney

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Recommended: An analysis of the ballad of mulan

China’s Traditional Influences on Mulan “The Ballad of Mulan” and Disney’s Mulan may have their differences, but both display traditional chinese values while also delivering an exciting story. In this essay, I will compare how both stories honor Chinese traditions including Confucianism, ancestral worship, and filial piety. While Mulan shows many references to ancestral worship, “The Ballad of Mulan” does not mention anything relating to ancestors. Throughout Mulan, Mulan’s ancestors are included in many scenes, especially before she begins her journey to join the army. A dragon, Mushu, is sent to watch over Mulan by her ancestors so that she does not bring dishonor on her family. In “The Ballad of Mulan”, there is no mention of ancestors or worshipping them. …show more content…

In Mulan, there are several Confucian beliefs and ideas. Confucianism has a set of roles everyone is told to follow (children respect parents, parents love children in return, etc.) which is shown throughout Mulan. In Confucianism, women are taught to be obedient and to act as perfect as possible which is shown in the scene where Mulan is sent to the MatchMaker to show how she can act as a “proper lady”. Considering that women were thought to be less important than men, Mulan had to go undercover as a man to be able to fight in place of her father. Also, bringing honor to your family was a big part of confucianism and Mulan’s biggest priority was to not dishonor her family. In “The Ballad of Mulan”, Confucian beliefs are shown by how loyal Mulan is to her family. When the emperor is giving out promotions, she only asks for a horse so that she can go back to her home and see her

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