Who Is This Girl I See?

As I prepare to embark on my own Asian adventure, I wondered…Is there anything factual about the adventure of our favorite Chinese Disney Heroine, Mulan? Thanks to my DVD and Wikipedia, I was able to do some research and bring you the following. I hope you enjoy. Even if you don’t, well..deal with it.

PLOT

This retelling of the old Chinese folktale is about the story of a young Chinese maiden who learns that her weakened and lame father is to be called up into the army in order to fight the invading Huns. Knowing that he would never survive the rigours of war in his state, she decides to disguise herself and join in his place. Unknown to her, her ancestors are aware of this and to prevent it, they order a tiny disgraced dragon, Mushu to join her in order to force her to abandon her plan. He agrees, but when he meets Mulan, he learns that she cannot be dissuaded and so decides to help her in the perilous times ahead.

THE FACTS

The story can be traced back to The Ballad of Mulan. The earliest accounts of the legend state that she lived during the Northern Wei dynasty. However another version reports that Mulan was requested as a concubine by Emperor Yang of Sui China (400-600A.D). Concubines were found in large numbers in the Emperor’s palace, especially in the Forbidden City. It should be noted that the soldiers in the final scene sneak into the Forbidden City, posing as Royal Concubines. In the original legend, Mulan is never discovered as being male until after returning home. Much like her film counterpart, she gets offered a place in th Emperor’s council, but she rejects it (it seems unlikely that a ruling emperor would select a woman for his council during these times.) Our main villain, Shan Yu, was identified as a leader of the Huns. China fought the “original” Shunyu and the Huns largely around the turn of the first Century. Ironically, Mulan’s horse is named Atilla (likely after Atilla the Hun, leader of the Huns before or after this story is set, depending on which timeline you choose.) Yet with action at the Great Wall, in Beijing, and the Forbidden City, the story likely takes place during the 15th Century Ming Dynasty. Despite these inconsistencies, there are many details that are curiously present, including the Hun’s use of the curve-ended composite bow and the detailing of the Forbidden City (gargoyles representing each chamber’s authority).

CONCLUSION

So despite no one really knowing when this story takes place or who some of these main characters are, the plot itself largely follows the original ballad, and there are many cultural phenomenon prominent in this film that should not be ignored. The ideas of family, honor, and tradition are still strong in Chinese society, even today. While not necessarily a documentary, Mulan can provide a larger picture of China and its people. And lets face it, it’s Disney.

This entry can also be found over at This Blog Not Yet Rated.

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Madame Butterfly

Hello Blog buddies,

So, pretty much, I’m going to be writing in here more often than any place else, so get bookmarking. This blog will likely be the best read of your life (I can hope.)

So without further adieu, here goes:

This weekend was pretty intense.

Friday:
In Robert’s Fellows, we discussed the history of China and what to expect when we get there! I’m so excited, in case you didn’t know. Jordan came by to visit and he went shopping with me for a super secret surprise gift. I got back to SV in time to work at the Front Desk. I feel really bad for Danielle. I can’t imagine working 8pm-2am every single weekend. I soldiered through, thanks to some 90’s Trivial Pursuit.

Saturday:
Got up at the crack of dawn to drive down to EMU to check out the MORHA Business Meeting. It was nice to see some people again, and I facilitated a couple of committees. One was on homeless college students. It was really depressing, but I can say that I thought it was eye opening to a lot of people. Score. After that, I grabbed dinner with Renee and a couple of her friends, and got back to SVSU. Jordan came over, we went to experience Danny’s new house, and then we went Mixxing. I feel as though Saturday is definitely the night to go to the Mixx.

Sunday:
Woke up and took Jordan to his car before heading with the RFs to see Madame Butterfly at the Midland Center for the Arts. All I can say is..Wow. If you’ve never been to an Opera before, I highly recommend it. You might not think you like opera, but give it a chance. I teared up a couple of times, I’ll admit.

Long story Short, this girl, Butterfly falls in love with and marries and American soldier. He goes back to America, but says he will come back for her. Flash forward 3 years, and Butterfly has given birth to the soldier’s son, and she has completely Americanized herself while waiting for his return. He eventually comes back, but has married an American. Knowing that her life will never be comeplete without him, Butterfly kills herself. Great show.

After that, I got back to SVSU to catch the tail end of the URA Banquet. I was awarded the “Housing/Residential Life Staff Member of the Year” Award. I was shocked, and am very thankful for the wonderful honor.
There was FINALLY a new Desperate Housewives on tonight. ABSURD is all that I can say.

Speaking of ABSURD things, NRHH was out of control tonight, and I can honestly say that I was very disappointed in some people, their actions, and decisions. As a group, we seem to have trouble making common sense, grown-up decisions. Not that I point blame anywhere, but I think we will get our act together for next year. On that note, I was also elected Vice President of Membership and Chapter Events. I’ll be doing it Fall Semester and Mary will do it Winter Semester.

So, that was a lot.

P.S., if you’ve never seen/heard any of Madame Butterfly, here’s an amazing YouTube video for you to check out.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ofaoLKPz7c]

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