Analysis Of Strong Female Characters In Mulan And Alice In Wonderland

The Disney studios are the source of our childhood. They produced films such as Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Dumbo, Treasure Planet and Dumbo, but the most iconic was the Disney Princess line. Modern cinema culture has had strong representations of princesses and female characters of similar stature, from the OG Cinderella through the recent Vanellope. Although each character is different, they share many similar characteristics: beautiful, delicate, and hopelessly in love. In action and fantasy films, many women play the role of the damsel. Their sole purpose is to aid the male character or become their obsession. The opposite is true. The rise of feminist ideas and equal gender rights has made strong female characters a staple of cinematic culture.

What comes to mind when one hears “Strong female character”? The answer is usually a strong female character with an aggressive or direct personality. A woman who can control her emotions and resists letting them dictate her. She is intelligent, independent, well-informed, and beautiful. This is the Hollywood stereotype for a “strong male character”. What about strong men characters? What characteristics are similar to their male counterparts? They can be direct and aggressive, but they also have a tendency to be straightforward. They are intelligent, confident and conventionally handsome. Hollywood sees a strong male character as a woman who displays masculine traits. In other words, it is a woman whose femininity is rejected and she adopts masculinity. This is true for Disney and all films. My thesis is that Bancroft and Cook use symbolism more effectively to drive plot and develop female protagonists than Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which defies stereotypical gender roles. This will be illustrated by comparing the representations of strong female protagonists in Mulan as well as Alice in Wonderland in terms of their gender roles, in particular within the aspect that is masculinity and feminine.

Everyone knows the story of Alice in Wonderland. A 19-year-old unpretentious individual faces an impending arranged marriage to Hammish, a soon-to be English Lord. Alice spots a familiar rabbit scampering about the residential estate garden. She falls down …. Alice discovers that she is in Underland, a surreal and magical world filled with talking animals. She realizes that she is truly the ‘right Alice and conquers a terrible jabberwocky.

Mulan is a story about a soldier’s girl. Mulan, her soldier’s daughter, decides to replace her father as a soldier in a new conflict. As the war draws near, Mulan assumes his role, though it is well-known that women were ineligible to war in China under the patriarchal Chinese regime. Mulan assumes the role of a man in order to join the army. Along with Mushu, she learns how fight, defeats the Hun invasion, saves China, and wards off Mushu.

Alice is the typical’strong, female character. This empowers her through her masculinity rather than her femininity. Alice is seen struggling with social conventions. Alice is often criticised for her imaginative, curious and creative mind. Alice’s imagination, or visions’ as she calls them, is an example. Hamish urges Alice not to let her visions get in the way of her imagination, and this is the first sign of Alice being oppressed. Hamish continued, ‘when doubt is present, stay silent’. This pivotal scene marks the beginning of Alice’s departure form what is considered normal. Hamish represents society’s unwillingness or repudiation to adjust the gender expectations that have been established in a male-dominated cultural culture.

Alice is able to express herself through Underland, but she must also conform to others’ expectations. “Everyone has told me who and what I should do since I fell down the rabbit hole. …

[T]his dream is mine, I’ll make it happen.” Alice’s contradictory feminist views suggest that women shouldn’t celebrate femininity as a source or strength. They should instead be focusing on the male superiority that can be found in masculinity. Burton’s modern adaptation puts Alice in traditional male roles like a knight-in-shining armor or a career in capitalist trading to prove her worth. Burton’s attempt rewrite the Disney story of the Disney princesses suggests that only female characters can be equal and powerful if they are able to shun femininity, and instead embrace masculine qualities.

This isn’t speculation. Madhatter announces that Alice is absolutely Alice when he meets Madhatter. You’re Alice! You’re absolutely Alice! He would be my friend anywhere. This suggests Alice will be transformed into a strong, maleish figure. This is foreshadowing what happens in the final battle, in which Alice defeats the jabberwocky.

Mulan, unlike Alice, doesn’t reject Mulan’s femininity or dismiss her masculinity. Mulan is portrayed as a typical young girl at the beginning. The film’s social hierarchy of genders is revealed in the first few scenes. Mulan is told how her manners, appearance and family will make her attractive to a husband. Mulan struggles to conform to society’s expectations. The song “Reflections” is Mulan’s reflection on the duality of her identity. Mulan displays signs of internal conflict because she lacks the qualities that women value: grace, delicacy, poise, refinement and quietness. Her family and society have asked her to assume a role as abject conservative feminism. She knows this is not who she is. This symbolizes Mulan’s transformation into the protagonist.

Mulan, also known as Ping, joins her father’s army and takes up the physical brute force over the feminine customs. Mulan, who is now a competent soldier, transforms into a helpless failure when she learns how to be masculine by singing ‘I’ll turn a man out if you’. This scene introduces General Li Shang. He is a strong, masculine character. Mulan, also known as Ping, has transformed herself physically into a man. This song marks the moment she starts to play the part of a man. The song reminds us that even though society has changed, women still feel less important than men. Shang illustrates this with the line, “did my parents send me daughters when they asked for boys?” ‘.

Mulan held clear consensus views about what was feminine and masculine, even though they were not in agreement. Mulan and Alice in Wonderland are different because Mulan challenges the idea of masculinity. Mulan does this while not once demeaning or rejecting femininity. Instead, she learned how to be strong while displaying both traits. This is shown throughout the film, with the exception of the scene in which the men dress differently. Mulan and her companions embrace their femininity to gain entrance to the temple.

Men who spend too much time on their screens trying to be masculine, such as sex, will soon fall in love with the feminine side of themselves. The best part is when Shang, who is the embodiment of masculinity and feminism, also embraces his feminine side. It’s easy to see that shang symbolize the ideal figure for a man.

Mulan is a strong woman character. She is a mix of masculine and feminine qualities, but she never loses herself. She wasn’t always feminine or always masculine. Mulan is not strong because of her warrior status. She is strong because she’s human. Because she refuses to conform to toxic masculinity, which is where Mulan becomes strong. She isn’t more aggressive than she is less emotional. She doesn’t become more agressive or less emotional. She is not a man.

Author

  • jacksonreynolds

    Jackson Reynolds is an educational blogger who specializes in writing about topics such as education, parenting, and technology. He has been writing for over 10 years, and has been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. Jackson lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and two children.