Mulan's Journey

 

The support phase under Victoria Lynn Schmidtt’s template of the heroine's journey is the first step towards the protagonist finding and embracing her true self. In the 1998 Disney movie “Mulan” this step occurs after the main character, Mulan, is exposed for being a woman in the army. Upon this discovery, she gets kicked out of the military, despite having single-handedly saved the entire army from an enemy attack. This discovery not only brings shame to her but dishonors her family as well. At this point in the film, Mulan is truly at her lowest, the only characters still standing by her are her horse, a small dragon named Mushu, and a “lucky” cricket.

In order to console a crying Mulan, it is at this point that Mushu confesses something to her. He had lied to her about being sent by the ancestors, and rather, had gone with her because he had been disgraced, and needed a way to get his job back. The cricket also chimes in, confessing that he is not in fact a lucky cricket. The characters revealing their true selves, for all of their shortcomings is a crucial part of this phase of the hero’s journey. It helps Mulan see that she should put the truest version of herself forward, she even realizes that the real reason that she joined the army was not for her father, rather It was to prove she could “do things right”. She realizes that she could never have filled the traditional role of a woman, and wanted to achieve success through masculine roles instead.

Although she reaches this conclusion, she still feels as though she cannot do anything about it now. Her failure in the army disconnects her from the masculine front she had been putting up this entire time. She believes that although her calling is different, she now must return to her home, and live in a traditional gendered manner. In that sense, the Support phase is not truly complete yet, as she has not embraced that she is a female. That only occurs when she discovers that some of the Huns, the movie's villains, are still alive and plan on attacking again. She is forced to decide whether to act or not, and she decides that she must help, but now must do it as a woman.

When she does try and help, however, she is not listened to by her former commander. Although she points out that she is still the same person and he trusted her when she presented as a male, she is still ignored. It is only when the Huns finally do attack, that she is believed. At this point in the story, Mulan is clearly still experiencing anger over her female identity and the way she is treated because of it. She is only able to overcome that anger when she finally gets respect as a woman, not a woman hiding in the identity of a man. And that moment comes very soon after, as the Huns attack, and capture the emperor. Seeing that she was right, Mulan's close friends from the army look to her for a plan to rescue the emperor and show that they accept her for who she is. This acceptance finally allows Mulan to embrace her identity as a woman and is what concludes the Support phase. Mulan’s support phase in her journey is not only about embracing her female identity. Rather, it is about her learning that it is possible for her to not adhere to the normal gender roles, while still presenting as a woman. Although getting the respect of others as a woman is an uphill battle, she is able to do it in the end.