Disney's Mulan

I am kind of driven in two opposing directions when it comes to this movie. I love it because it does give the sense that Mulan defies her stereotypical roles yet she doesn't. Okay, if you remember watching the part where she is trying so hard to fit in and be lady-like to find a suitor because her family tells her to. This illustrates my point when she gives in. Yet again the whole movie she spends trying to fit into a male dominated place, that I am convinced she makes a positive impact on young girls. In the beginning she is awkward because she hasn't found her place but in the end she seems centered yet is still this girly-girl who is just important now. For some of the movie she is sort of conforming and being this helpless woman who does what she is told. For this blog though, I am leaning more towards the side of me that says this movie breaks down the gender roles. There are many examples but I have many examples to counter my own arguments. I will begin with the way Mulan is very defiant throughout the beginning. It is not on purpose most of the time but she just has better things to fill her mind with, than the normal things her society expects of her. Next is how Mulan makes this very brave decision to take her fathers place in the army because she knows he would not fare well in it. She is no better qualified than her father according to her society yet she still is willing to take the risk. It shows her love and dedication to her family and also this is her way of defying her parents wishes because they want her to stay an marry a rich man. By pretending to be a man in the army she is doing much more than fooling people. This was something that could get her killed. I can't agree that she completely holds an image of independence but for young girls her actions must mean something. The last piece of evidence for my argument is that she spends this entire movie kicking butt! She is able to beat her own trainer Shang when she is learning to fight. She is able to defeat the Huns. Saves Shang a few times too. And all of this is done almost all by herself (might I add) and she is even given the respect of even the emperor. That is saying something! I know that watching that movie and thinking of Mulan I do not get the same image in my head of the other princesses that need help to be saved. She is definitely one that can hold her own and stand up for what she believes is right and I think that is important in breaking down those gender roles that the Youtube video says it portrays. As we discussed in class too the video does not include the opposites that these movies portray too. In this one the balance of the men who are all looking for one girl who looks a certain way is taken down by the role of Mulan when she does those things that no one expects of her. I think this is what makes her role so important and influential to others.

Presentation Week: Influenced by The Wide Sargasso Sea

Before I get angry readers here I would like to say that every presentation had its charms and I was actually interested in all of them. Yet there is always just that one book that gets your attention and you want to know as much as you can about it. The presentation on a book that interested me the most had to be "The Wide Sargasso Sea". I loved reading Jane Eyre in class, it was my favorite novel we read. Yet I always had that unfilled space in my mind about what really happened to Bertha Mason in the story and her past. I firmly believe in the saying that there are two sides to one story and knowing that Jane could not provide this information to us in some way really frustrated me. This is currently on my wish-list for Amazon and I plan on getting it as soon as I am done with all my Christmas shopping. I am angered/ amazed/ and feel slightly "rubbed the wrong way" with the fact that so little was mentioned about the Bertha Mason character in the first place. I think it would have added to the readers understanding of Mr. Rochester and how he really should be portrayed. From the book I kind of had a sense that Mr. Rochester was not so innocent as he might have seemed and that the reason he was hiding Bertha was to maintain that status he always hoped while not feeling guilty about it. I am glad that in this book the author does portray him that way because I felt all along that is what he deserved. And another part that was my frustration that Bertha was almost never recognized as being normal in her society. She did follow the rules in the beginning but the prediction that she was going to be crazy followed her and it gave readers the impression that she was crazy from the start. Almost like there was no need to pay her any attention because she was already crazy, she just didn't show it yet. I did not particularly like that because as I said, there is always another side of the story. I think this book would clarify my thoughts about Bertha and how things were for her at this time. Of course no one knows exactly how Charlotte Bronte meant to portray her but I don't think she meant harm by placing her as that crazy attic lady. I am so sorry I do not remember the presenter's name (Kristi maybe?)[I'm sorry!] but I enjoyed the presentation as well knowing that the author had as much background similarities as Bertha also known as(Antoinette).Knowing only what I saw in the presentation I would think that the author of The Wide Sargasso Sea was kind of irritated with Bronte. And wanted to do some justice for the Bertha Mason character and judging by the presentation it must have been a great point of view story. I think that the book had to be just as intriguing as Jane Eyre was and I think I can finally fill in that space that always wanted to know more about her.