UPHOLDING THE FAMILY HONOR

Upholding the family honor has overly emphasized in the movie, for instance, Fa Zhou, Mulan’s father, is steadfast about serving and protecting his country, even if this means he will die.

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There is even a song in the film entitled “Honor to us all”. In the lyrics “A man by bearing arms and a girl by bearing sons” reflected that men's duty is to serve and protect their country; whereas, girls are responsible for their family and taking care of their children. Girls are prohibited from joining the army; it's against the law if women enlist. That is why Mulan had to dress like a man. Dunn (2019) said the value of the traditional family says that the man is the hero and the women are relegated to second place. The only way that a girl brings family honor is striking a good match. However, men select a pride to depend on her appearance with characters such as, a good taste, calm, obedient, who work fast-paced. Mulan is an intelligent, determined, and brave girl, and she may never be the perfect bride under the traditional rules. But she saved China and brought honor to her family. At the end of the film, The Emperor gave her his medallion and Shan Yu's sword as gifts to honor the Fa family. And the father said that the great gift and honor is having Mulan for a daughter.

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Mulan broke tradition and joined the army is not only for saving her father’s life, but also to prove herself that she has worth and value and is more than just a wife. Mulan turns out to be a heroine. She has proven herself (Chen, Selvi, and Vika, 2010) to be a strong and courageous woman, just like any man.