Mulan Hero Cycle Essay

598 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The journey of a hero

“Get ready Mulan, your serpentine salvation is at hand! For I have been sent by your ancestors to guide you through your masquerade!” Mulan's serpentine salvation is Mushu, the real hero in Disney's film Mulan, and can be seen through his actions in the story that relate to the characteristics of the hero cycle. Mushu receives the call, goes through apotheosis and finally travels down the road of trials, proving himself a hero to the Fa families ancestors. But how exactly does he do it?
When Mushu receives the call, it is from the Fa family’s First Ancestor. Out of all the dragons at the family’s crypt, the ancestor chose to wake up Mushu, even if it was only to ring the gong. But in ancient China, the gong had a large importance in their culture. Gongs were a symbol of wealth and status and could only be sounded with the assistance of supernatural powers. Gongs brought strength and good luck to those who touched them, which is certainly what Mushu did. When the First Ancestor asked Mushu about his responsibilities, Mushu replied with “I ring the gong”. Finally, the collapse of the stone dragon meant that someone had to replace its work. Since Mushu’s sacred gong broke the dragon’s ear off, Mushu was Mulan’s true hero and it was destiny that the dragon broke. The force of the gong was strong enough to only break off the dragon’s ear, so why would it have reduced the entire dragon to dust, unless the dragon was meant to be destroyed for Mushu to take its place?
Mushu enters the stage of apotheosis, just like most heroes do when following the hero cycle. His ego is disintegrated in an expansion of consciousness; Mushu starts doubting himself and even reveals to Mulan that he is a “fraud” and that the ancestors never truly sent him....

... middle of paper ...

...ero and the army members praised her. Just like when Shan-Yu was killed. Mushu gets the canon for Mulan and shoots it after Mulan pins Shan-Yu’s cape to the rooftop. After Mushu defeats Shan-Yu, he has achieved what he had set out to do, which is save Mulan and bring honour to past, present and future Fa families.
So is Mushu really the hero in the movie? I think yes because the story follows the traits of the hero cycle but with Mushu at the head; he receives the call, goes through an apotheosis and completes his journey with the road of trials in which he proves himself to be a real hero.

Works Cited

Palmer, G.D. "History of the Chinese Gong | EHow." EHow. Demand Media, 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. .
"Quotes." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. .

Show More
Related

  • Gilgamesh and Odysseus: Perfect Heros

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...heir journeys or overcome their limitations had it not been for the gods. Of all of the requirements of heroism, being influenced by the gods is the most important. Only through the aid of the gods can a character defeat his shortcomings and truly understand what a hero is. The character must become overconfident and prideful, then, and only then, can the gods step in and break their faults. Finally, the hero either comes to realize how wrong he was or he dies in ignorance.

    Read More

  • Explaining the Three Stages in "The Hero's Journey"

    1745 Words  | 4 Pages

    During the course of this World Literature class, several stories have been covered that accurately describe Joseph Campbell's mono-myth, or basic pattern found in narratives from every corner of the world. The Hero's Journey in it's entirety has seventeen stages or steps, but if boiled down can be described in three; the departure, the initiation, and the return (Monomyth Cycle). Each stage has several steps, but the cycle describes the hero starting in his initial state, encountering something to change him, and this his return as a changed person. To further explain this concept, there are a few stories covered in this class that can be used.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Mulan

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    When the emperor sent out a request to send the men in China to war, Mulan was scared. Her father was one of the many men summoned to fight....

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Hero's Journey Othello

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    The embarkation of the hero’s journey is more than a call, it is taking control of your life and discovering the hero who dwells inside you. Each hero who enters the journey is tested to the very end of the cycle, where the hero must choose rebirth or death. Othello is man of many fortunes, but he does not have what it takes to complete the Hero’s Journey.

    Read More

  • White Tigers vs. Mulan

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first element that it similar among the two legends is the concept of sacrifice. In the memoir, the reason for Fa Mu Lan’s success is due to tremendous sacrifice by herself and others. One of the most prominent examples of immolation is when a rabbit sacrifices it’s own life in order to give Mu Lan food and to make sure she will survive a cold night in the mountains. The incident was written as follows in the book: “A white rabbit hopped beside me...I ate it, knowing the rabbit had sacrificed itself for me” (Kingston 26). The sacrifice of the rabbit was an act of selflessness that taught Mu Lan about benevolence and allowed her to live long enough to act on this lesson. Furthermore, in the movie, Mulan sacrifice’s her safety, rather than having something sacrifice itself for her like the Mu Lan in White Tigers. During the scene where Mulan was attempting to save the emperor from the Huns, she has a

    Read More

  • Explaining the Hero’s Journey

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, he talks about the “Monomyth,” otherwise better known as, the “Hero’s Journey”. This is the major theme throughout this book as well as the majority of Joseph Campbell’s studies. Campbell’s idea of the hero’s journey can be seen in many books, movies, television series, etc. That is an idea I will discuss at a later date. For this paper I would like to discuss and explain the hero’s journey, as well as give my opinions on the idea. This is a very interesting and eye opening idea that Campbell has presented us with and has made The Hero With A Thousand Faces one of the most important books of the past one hundred years.

    Read More

  • Ray Huang’s book 1587: A Year of No Significance

    384 Words  | 1 Pages

    Chapter 1: The Wan-Li Emperor, begins by explaining the major premise of the work: The concept of looking at a single year in the history of the leadership of China and evaluating the implications for understanding other aspects of history, including the decline of the Ming Dynasty. In this initial chapter, Huang provides an anecdotal history of some of the events that occurred, and includes within it a discussion of the set up of the leadership, the repercussions that occurred in the event of certain actions, including the prospects of an audience with the emperor. Huang reviews these issues as he considers that actions taken by the Wan-li emperor, who was only twenty-four in 1587 and who had been a veteran of ceremonial proceedings, and considers his history as an element of understanding the progression of leadership.

    Read More

  • Heros Journey Essay

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over the course of history the definition of what makes a hero has made many changes. Beowulf, Superman, and firefighters are all examples of heroes, but they are very different when broken down. Today’s society defines a hero by his values, his strength, and his journey.

    Read More

  • Capstone Essay

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beginning as early as the Shang dynasty, we have found evidence of the Chinese honoring and paying respect to their ancestors. The process of divination used turtle carapace or ox scapula in order to find out if their ancestors wanted certain rituals or sacrifices done. Evidence of honoring the deceased has also been found in tombs during the Shang dynasty. Lady Fu Hao’s tomb is a prime example of this, since hundreds of artifacts were buried with her, obviously denoting respect for the dead or that t...

    Read More

  • Gilgamesh: A Mythical Hero

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the beginning of time, mythology has appeared to be one key method of understanding life’s confusions and battles. Within these myths lies a hero. From myth to myth and story to story, heroes experience what may be called a struggle or a journey, which lays down their plot line. Bearing tremendous strength, talent, and significant admiration, a hero holds what is precious to their audience, heroism. Over time however, no matter the hero, the hero’s role remains indistinguishable and identical to the position of every other hero.

    Read More

  • Hero Archetypes Essay

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    For my first archetype, I'm choosing hero because it's one of my favorite archetypes. Therefore, it makes it easy for me to list examples of it, and there's plenty of films and television shows that display this archetype. So it will be fun and easy to put it down on paper. As history has shown everybody loves a hero. From legends to Bible passages to comic book series, a hero tends to be the pinnacle and center of the story. People root for the hero.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Heroism In Macbeth

    1471 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is a hero? For the most part the answer to that question is entirely subjective, what someone must do in order to be labeled a hero or, for the matter, a villain is almost entirely up to each and every individual reader. In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the speaker introduces the protagonist of the play as a loyal and valiant warrior, typical traits of a hero, but it quickly becomes clear to any reader that Macbeth, the protagonist, is not in any sense of the word a hero. That insufficient heroism can be credited to a prophecy given by three witches that had a similar effect on both Macbeth and Banquo. The only clear hero of the play is Macduff, a man with a strong sense of loyalty to the country he swore to serve.

    Read More

  • Essay About Chinese New Year

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Chinese New Year is the most significant holiday for the Chinese people, as it is a time for honoring ancestors and reuniting family members together. The Chinese New Year originated centuries ago from the fear of the great beast Nián (年).This terrible monster resembled a huge ox with the head of a lion. Every year, on New Year’s Eve, this creature would come out and devour the terrified Chinese villagers. Numerous homes and animals were destroyed. Eventually, a wise old man counseled the villagers and instructed them on how to get rid of the horrible Nián. He told the people to hang red paper cutouts on their doors because the monster was scared of the color red. Also, the man advised the villagers to light torches and firecrackers, as Nián was frightened of fire and loud noises. The Chinese followed the wise man’s directions and finally conquered the great beast. After Nián’s defeat, the Chinese called this date “the passing of Nián”, known as Guònián (过年). This symbolizes the celebration of the coming New Year. In addition, in keeping the monster away for a year, the Chinese say Gōngxǐ fācái (恭喜发财), which means “congratulations” This represents congratulating each other for making it safely to another New Year.

    Read More

  • Sociology In Mulan

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mulan tells that the story of brave Mulan. Mulan did not want her elderly father to fight in the war, so she disguised as a man and joined in her father 's army. Finally, Mulan defeated the Huns and Shan Yu (leader of the Huns) with her partners in barracks. This Disney film portrays the conflict perspective, feminism, and symbolic interaction perspective.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Feminism In The Movie Mulan

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mulan pushes gender inequality by reinforcing masculine and feminine stereotypes through the songs that it presents throughout the movie. The roles of what it means to be a man is simply laid out within the influential song, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” This song occurred when the fresh new soldiers appeared to be very weak and unfit, so Captain Shang sang of how they must become strong like real men should be. Captain Shang asks the question, “did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?” (Mulan), implying that women are unfit for the conditions of

    Read More

More about Mulan Hero Cycle Essay

Open Document