Mulan - The Brave Female Warrior

Mulan is the name of a fictional character from the Chinese poem "Hua Mulan" and was adapted into a film by Disney in 1998. The story takes place during the Huns' invasion of China.

The character of Mulan is different from any other Disney characters. She is brave and takes control of her destiny. She believes in honor and pleasing her family. When the army comes along to enlist, her father is told to go, since they have no son, despite the fact that he is old. This forces her to take her father's place in the army and dresses up as a boy, bringing along her pet dragon, Mushu, and her lucky cricket, Cri-kee.



She goes to the army camp under the name "Ping". The captain, Li Shang wants to send him home, but "Ping" proves that he is strong by climbing a pole and getting an arrow, while having weights on and is allowed to stay.

They go out into war, and are found by the Huns, thanks to Mushu's clumsiness. Mulan cleverly shoots into the icy mountain top, and the Huns are buried. During the battle, she saves Shang but gets injured herself and is found out to be a girl. Shang lets her go with the condition that she cannot fight with the troops.

Later in the story, she finds out that the Huns are back and goes off to warn the army. She goes to the Forbidden City and saves the emperor from the Huns by using her wit and the help of her friends. She goes home and is honored as a hero, for saving all of China.

Article Source:  David L. Felts