"you the man! well, sort of."

Katherine Bartnett criticizes the characterization of Disney's female heroine Mulan in her essay, "Destructive and Constructive Characterizations of Women in Disney's Mulan." One of Bartnett's main arguments is that Mulan depends on the dragon Mushu's assistance in everything that she accomplishes. She argues that Mushu's actions enable Mulan to enter the army, choose her "male" name, give their group the chance to fight a battle, light the canon that deterred the Huns, and destroy the enemy in one of the final scenes. Bartnett says, "When Mulan thinks independently and acts upon her ideas, that action is followed by or paired with some intervention by Mushu, thus making Mushu a necessary element for Mulan's success" (188). She questions Disney for not allowing Mulan to accomplish any of these tasks without the help of a male character. She does, however, praise Mulan for her creativity and ability to develop solutions to immediate situations. Mulan takes on the role of a leader in scenes such as where she and the men sneak into the palace. Bartnett emphacizes that the plotline of the movie begins because of Mulan's love and concern for her father and her decisions are based around this man. Bartnett would have liked to see Mulan's actions and abilities more set apart from a dependence on and a need to please men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puMcKsXoWjc&feature=related

During this scene from the movie Mulan, Mulan starts an avalanche to over-take the Hun army. Bartnett critiqued this scene for allowing Mushu to light the canon with his breath instead of Mulan being able to light it with her own effort. However, I interpretated this scene as an example of Mulan's quick thinking- Not Mushu or any of the men in the army thought of a solution bigger than fighting the Huns with swords. Mulan saved their small army from the attack, and then (in this part of the scene in the YouTube clip) Mulan saved their Captain from the avalanche of snow. Although it's pretty unrealistic- her horse is running on top of the rushing snow and she lifts this man with one arm- the Captain would have died without her help. Mushu was a part of this scene as well, but he couldn't save anyone from the avalanche (except the cricket). Mushu is just a side-kick to the main character, he is always present in the scenes to move along the plot and to add comedic relief. I don't think Mulan is dependent on the men any more than the men are dependent on her!