A Dutiful Daughter In Ancient China

Even with the many different variations of the tale of Mulan, many people know know of it, and how heroic Mulan was in taking the place of her elderly father in a Chinese war. However, many people do not take into account that the proper role of a daughter in ancient China was also a very prominent theme in the story. As there are also many different variations, each tale of Mulan portrays Mulan differently on whether she was a proper daughter or not. These characteristics of a proper daughter are derived from Confucian philosophies, which was very prominent in ancient China, and states that dutifulness and perfect filiality “make” a proper daughter. Although the characteristics that made a proper daughter in ancient China were dutifulness

An example of this can be seen on page 2, when the old woman who had adopted Mulan said to her, “You can avenge your village...you can be remembered by the Han people for your dutifulness.” This statement shows how the Chinese people appreciated a girl who was dutiful; so as Mulan’s parents wanted her to avenge them for the terrible treatment they had received from the emperor, and Mulan was being dutiful in becoming a warrior to overthrow the emperor, she was seen as a proper daughter. Also, on page 20, Mulan stated, “From the words on my back, and how they were fulfilled, the villagers would make a legend about my perfect filiality.” This further supports how because Mulan was being perfectly filial by doing what her parents had wanted her to do, Mulan was seen as a proper daughter. In fact, Mulan was so perfectly filial, that she could even have legends written after her, even as a woman, as a result of her being a proper daughter. So, as Mulan was dutiful and perfectly filial, fulfilling the characteristics of a proper daughter in Confucian philosophies, Mulan is seen as a proper daughter and a hero in “White