Mulan's story is a Confucian tale of a virtuous woman, as Mulan fulfilled her filial piety not only by venerating her father, but by making the ultimate sacrifice, and taking his place in the army.
Mulan's filial piety is emphasised as she reasons that her father ought to be at home enjoying his old age, and remarks that she is grateful for being taught martial arts, as it allows her to serve the two “perfect goals” of serving the country and fulfilling her filial duty.
It is a story about staying true to oneself and finding independence. Yet, in the ballad and many historical retellings, what prompts Mulan to leave is filial piety. It is a story about a daughter sacrificing and risking death in order to save her father – her family.
As a woman brought up in a Confucian family, Mulan is demanded not to interfere men's business; therefore, she knows that she is strictly forbidden to join the army.
In more general terms, filial piety means to be good to one's parents; to take care of one's parents; to engage in good conduct, not just towards parents but also outside the home so as to bring a good name to one's parents and ancestors; to show love, respect, and support; to display courtesy; to ensure male heirs; to ...
[Tzu Chi Primary School] Jing Si Devotion: The Meaning of Filial Piety
What is an example of filial piety in China?
Since Chinese women became part of their husband's family through marriage, filial conduct for a woman meant faithfully serving her in-laws, in particular her mother-in-law, and giving birth to a son. By fulfilling these duties, she also gained prestige for her own family.
Inherent in Confucianism is the value of filial piety, which demands respect and obligation to aging parents, honoring the family name, and an emphasis on group harmony rather than individual identity.
Mulan's father tried to get out of his chair to stop her, but because of his age, he was unable to do so. Mulan greeted his father goodbye and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "I love you, Father," and "Take care of yourself." Mulan's decision, despite her bravery, demonstrates her patriotism for her homeland.
Under the idea that boys are preferred to daughters in ancient China, Mulan can join the army for her father and eventually become a heroine. Disney incorporated this idea of equality between men and women into the film, fully showing the equality of the people and strong national consciousness.
Filial piety is the virtue of paying respect to your parents and ancestors through familial servitude, and this is yet another common thread throughout both movies. In fact, this is the central driving force behind the story, as Mulan only enlists in the army to save her father.
Mulan teaches a whole generation of girls to keep dreaming and striving even when times are hard. She teaches us to conquer obstacles head on and achieve exactly what we want to even through trial and error and learning from our mistakes.
Acts of filial piety include obeying one's parent's wishes, taking care of them when they are old, and working hard to provide them with material comforts, such as food, money, or pampering.
To my delight, the live-action remake places filial piety at the forefront of Mulan's story, making it just as important of a value as bravery, loyalty and all the other virtues that make Mulan a heroine worth looking up to.
What does Mulan decide to do to protect her father?
Mulan is a Disney musical movie centered about a Chinese girl named Mulan who disguises as a man to serve in the army in order to protect her frail father from dying in war. As a male soldier named “Ping,” she goes through army training and learns to fight for her country against the opposing Huns.
Mulan tried to follow family tradition to honor her family but her way of showing honor was far different than what her family asked of her. She knew her value and she used her talents and passions to keep her family safe and eventually bring them honor.
Every Chinese girl will still end up having a soft spot for Mulan thanks to its brilliant final touch: the emperor gifting Mulan a new sword, on which “Devotion to Family” (孝) is added alongside “Loyal, Brave, True”.
At the beginning of Niki Caro's remake of Mulan, Mulan's father Zhou (Tzi Ma) tells her that she must “hide [her] gift away.” He means Mulan's chi, her life force, which is particularly strong but which, in Chinese society, is only useful to warriors—and thus to men.
Filial piety not only specifies norms within the family, it also provides the social and ethical foundations for maintaining social order, and thus a stable society. It has provided the moral underpinning for Chinese patterns of parent–child relations and socialization for millennia.
The general meaning of filial piety is the concept of respect, obedience, and service for one's parents and the care of one's family. Ideally, filial piety results in mutual deference and benevolence between family members.
Confucius emphasized social and family hierarchy, including filial piety (i.e., the relationship between parents and the child) and other relationships within a family. In Confucianism, there are five human relationships: ruler-minister, father-son, husband-wife, elder-younger, friend-friend.
Filial piety is a Confucian concept derived from Chinese culture, which advocates a set of moral norms, values, and practices of respect and caring for one's parents.
Filial piety will make children gain a sense of belonging, identity, and value in the family. For example, in a family, people are more willing to honor their elders, and those who pay for their elders are often more popular, especially after the 1940s in China.
Filial piety has become a core value and consensus in Chinese society and even the entire Asia. At present, the aging society in China results a predicament for the caring for elderly which is based on filial piety (FU, 2020. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, v.
