Chinese Films - Midterm Research Paper

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The tale of Mulan is a traditional Chinese ballad hailing from the Northern and Southern dynasties, because the tale of Mulan is so old traditional Chinese values can be easily observed. These values stem from Confucianism and can be witnessed in the film Hua Mulan. In the film, Mulan takes her sick father’s place in the Chinese Army by pretending to be a boy. This act of compassion and love for her father shows the influence of Confucianism through filial piety and respect for ancestors/parents. Zhōng (loyalty) is illustrated through Mulan’s fierce loyalty to not only her father, but also to all of China as well. Mulan’s loyalty (zhōng) is also shown in her love for China, by serving in the military she is not only saving her father, but also serving and doing her part for China. At the end of the movie after Mulan has risen through the ranks in the army and practically saved all of China, she is incredibly respectful and humble to the emperor when she meets him. She asks for no reward from the emperor and only wants to go home back to her father. This humbleness is reflected in the Confucius idea of rank and social order, social order and rank are explicitly stressed throughout the teachings of Confucius. Mulan still believes that she is not worthy compared to the emperor because of his rank and status in their culture.

Confucianism allowed for the emperors of Imperial China to maintain harmony by stressing the idea of order. Chinese culture has been saturated by Confucian principles and ideas for thousands of years, making it a staple in daily life. This is reflected in the films we have watched in class and how little actions can actually have a much bigger reason behind them.

Works Cited

Cohen, Paula Marantz. "Confucianism in China Today." The American Scholar:. 4 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2016.

Yuan, Fangyuan, and Meiru Liu. Anatomy of the Chinese Business Mind: An Insider's Perspective. Singapore: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.

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