Anna Roberts

Prof. Kati Lewis

ENGL-2700: Intro to Critical Theory

1 May 2017

Mulan: A Queer Theory Analysis

From a queer theory lens, the 1998 Disney film Mulan becomes a political

statement on the fluidity and Westernized performance of gender and sexuality. Queer

theory, a reaction to feminism explores the constructs of gender and sexuality without the

focus on a man/woman binary. The theory focuses on the greyness of spectrums; not

just in gender, but also in all facets of life. The major concentrations of queer theory are

the destabilization of norms and ideals, accepting that reality is only a fabrication, and the

performativity of gender. Mulan achieves these focuses by using various queer theory

concepts such as gender performativity, power that suppresses and defines sexuality, and

social constructs creating false binaries.

At the beginning of the film, the protagonist Mulan is in preparation to meet The

Matchmaker, a woman who will give her the stamp of approval of being wife material.

In order to qualify for this culturally important role, Mulan must meet certain standards.

These standards are the feminine ideals of her society, or how a woman is supposed to

behave. These ideals include being soft spoken or silent, having poise, being refined and

dignified, possessing calmness and respect, and reflecting before acting. It is obvious

from the beginning that Mulan does not inherently possess these qualities, nor seemingly,

do the other women who are meeting the Matchmaker. They must all take part in

studying and learning how to live up to the expectations placed upon their gender.
 Not only are there personality traits that Mulan is expected to adopt to fit the role

of a wife, but there is a specific look she must wear in order to be accepted. There is a

scene in the film during which Mulan is bathed, dressed, and has her makeup done in the

appropriate feminine fashion. She is quite literally dressing up in order to portray a

specific image. Through this act, she is participating in gender performance, an action

that queer theorist Judith Butler says is the compulsive need to portray what we are

supposed to be, say, and do in a culture (Shmoop), or what society believes we should in

order to fit a certain label.

By the end of her meeting with Mulan, the Matchmaker determines that she does

not make a suitable bride due to her outspoken nature and her lack of suitable qualities.

Her rejection shows that just because Mulan was born a woman, she does not possess

these seemingly

natural feminine

qualities. In order to

fit in, she has to

learn these

behaviors. It can be

argued that the other

women in that

society may habitually perform what is considered the norm, since this ideal is a

cultural expectation rather than inherently understood. This ties into Judith Butlers idea

of psychic mimesis, or the compulsive need to perform ones cultural expectations of

gender in order to be accepted.

 Mulans performance of these feminine traits supports this idea that they are not

inherent and-therefore they are not a naturally original occurrence, but are in fact a

mimesis. Mulan is dressing up and acting in a way that is expected of this social norm.

However, what she is performing is a copy of a copy, an idea of what this norm is. Butler

would argue that this performance is in favor of her idea that everything is a copy of a

copy, for which there is no original (Butler), including the cultural and social ideals that

forced upon Mulan by her community.

Throughout the entire movie, Mulan reinforces the concept of mimesis and the

idea of gender performance. When she decides to take her fathers place in becoming a

solider, she begins performing as a man. Her first step is to cut off her long hair in

order to appear as a man. Once she arrives at the solider camp and befriends her beloved

sidekick Mushu, she continues this performance. She chooses a manly name to suit her

alter ego (Ping), deepens her voice, tries to walk like a man, attempts to spit in order to

seem tough, etc. Essentially she does the opposite of everything she was taught to do in

order to seem feminine or womanly.

These simple acts of performance, Butler would argue, reflect the notion that we

are all performing drag, and that gender is not natural or inherent, but is performed. This

performance indicates that gender is a social construct, one that we simply make up in

order to fit our contemporary cultural expectations. There is even an entire song featured

in the film, which is dedicated to learning how to be a man. Thus, being a man, or a

woman, is in fact something that can be taught. According to this song, aptly named Ill

Make a Man Out of You, being a man includes being swift as the coursing river,

having the force of a great typhoon, having the strength of a raging fire, and being
mysterious as the dark side of the moon. (Mulan) These traits are repeated and drilled

into the psyche of the soldiers, and lacking these appropriate qualities could result in

punishment or even dismissal.

Performing drag, as Butler argues, is something everyone participates in, and is

one of the main themes of the movie. This performance is one of the catalysts for Mulans

success at the end. When Shan Yu, the antagonist of the film, kidnaps and attempts to

assassinate the Emperor of China, Mulan and her comrades put on dresses, makeup their

faces, and use feminine actions to distract Shan Yus henchmen. During this scene, the

song Ill Make a Man Out of You is playing in the background. This is done in order to

reinforce the idea that gender is a bodily performance, indicating once again that gender

roles are not static, but are rather fluid and changeable.

Gender roles, as a performance is a consistent theme throughout the movie, with

Mulan obligated to keep up her appearance as a man in order to stay with the army. This

performance is also essential for her to keep her life; being exposed as a woman

pretending to be a man would result in execution. This theme in particular, the fear for

ones life if their true self is exposed, directly reflects the struggles of the LGBTQ+

community. For example, when Mulans parents realize she posed as a man and ran away

to join the army, Mulans mother pleads to her father, You must go after her, she could

be killed! Mulans father replies, If she is discovered, she will be. (Mulan) This dread

and anxiety of being discovered with the result of violence or even death if you are,

dictates a pattern of behavior and caution throughout the LGBTQ+ community. This fear

ties into Butlers notions of coming out of the closet. Butler states that when come out
of the closet, we are just being put into a new closet, or a new set of culturally enforced

expectations and ideals. One of the downsides of coming out Butler says, is the

possibility of violence, and never being free of expectations.

Philosopher Michel Foucault would argue that this fear stems from the power and

dominance that is placed over sex and sexuality. He states, Power is everywhere . . .

because it comes from everywhere.(Foucault). The power Foucault talks about could be

applied to the governmental traditions which Mulan is subjected to, and how her life

hangs in the balance of that powers hold on her sex; the fear of acting outside the

constituted gender norms (Nicholls), or what Butler states are specific corporeal acts.

That power can also be applied to the family values and cultural expectations that are

placed upon Mulan. The ghostly ancestors who observe Mulan becoming Ping and

running away, state that their traditional values will disintegrate (Mulan) as a result of

her actions.

People who are

queer are constantly

fighting that power and

are trying to shake the

rules and regulations

enforced on their life

due to the binaries that

are created in order to administer that control. Queer theory looks at these binaries and

asks us to question those structures in order to understand they are cultural fabrications.

The movie Mulan achieves this goal of deconstruction by showing that gender is indeed
performative, and we have individual power to overcome these regulations, though

society says otherwise.

Another queer theme that is prevalent in Mulan is the concept of homosocial

bonding. The men at the military camp Mulan is sent to are depicted to rely upon forming

platonic bonds with each other. These homosocial bonds, at times, transgress into

homoeroticism. One example of this is the lake scene in which Ping and her fellow

soldiers bathe together. Looking at this scene through a queer theory lens is crucial to the

understanding of sexuality placed on a spectrum. These men participate in a homoerotic

moment, but they might still identify as heterosexual. There are no bounds or definitions

for sexuality, though society tries hard to create and reinforce the notion of constraints.

One of the main homoerotic examples throughout the film is the relationship

between Mulan and Li Shang, the military captain and the eventual love interest of Mulan

in the film. During the movie, it becomes evident that Mulan and Li Shang have a

connection, especially when she is posing as Ping. One could argue that Li Shang falls in

love with Mulan while she is Ping, indicating that Li Shang is homosexual, or at least,

bisexual. The queerness of their relationship is important because, once again, it shows

that sexuality is a spectrum. The message that is sent throughout formation of this

relationship implies that social ideals of how to perform sexuality are non-existent and is

separate from ones gender.

There are other instances throughout the movie that suggest a queerness of the

characters, including the song Reflection. Sung by Mulan after the Matchmaker rejects

her, the song encompasses the unsettledness she feels by being forced to portray someone
who she is not. Since the movies release in 1998, this song became almost equivalent to

an anthem for many in the LGBTQ+ community. During the scene Mulan expresses how

she feels as though she does not fit into the expectation of who she should be. Essentially,

using queer theory terminology, she is expressing that she feels grey on a black and

white spectrum. This is the very essence of queer theory the realization that binaries

are non-existent and do not define everyone; everything is on a continuum.

The movie Mulan demonstrates specific concepts from queer theory throughout

the protagonists progression of self-discovery. Lessons of gender performance, power

determining sexuality, and the breaking down of binaries to reinforce the gender and

sexuality spectrums are portrayed throughout the film. From a queer theory lens, this

seemingly simple childrens movie tackles important and often overlooked issues, turning

it into a political commentary, and perhaps even a lesson on gender and sexuality.
 Works Cited

6 Nerdy Chicks. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

Berman, Rachel. "A Careful Analysis of How Every Line from "Reflection" Speaks to our

Soul." Oh My Disney. N.p., 15 Apr. 2016. Web. 01 May 2017.

Butler, Judith. Imitation and Gender Insubordination. N.p.: n.p., 1991. 307-18. Print.

Foucault, Michel. The history of sexuality. Harmondsworth: Penguin , 1992. Print.

Mulan. Walt Disney Films, 1998. Film.

Nicholls, Molly. "GRIN - Disney's "Mulan". Feminist Ideology in Animation." GRIN. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Queer Theory Buzzwords." Shmoop. Shmoop University, 11 Nov.

2008. Web. 01 May 2017.