李淼

Abstract ： The story of a girl named Hua Mulan is known to each and every family. Since thousands of years， Hua Mulan's image has been spread from mouth to mouth. It has been bringing forth the new through the old. It has been transcribed to movies， TV plays， songs and dramas for many times. In 1988， Hua Mulan's story was translated to the screen and made of the large-scale cartoon named MULAN， and got a high audience rating in global. This text which is based on the differences between Chinese Hua Mulan and American Hua Mulan on the analysis of image and the sense of worth tries to compare the different angle of views to model the same thing between China and America on the different cultural backgrounds. To use the angle of criticism of the cultural research and go a step further to think over the globalization， localization， cultural transformation and some more complex element can write home about the different languages of movie and unearth the different cultural characteristics under the screen and also propose some suggestions for the video spreading of our country by the different characterization of the Chinese personage which is created by China and America.

1. The image-building

In the description of Chinese old folklore， Hua Mulan is a young girl who is patient， laborious and brave. She propagated the teachings of loyalty and filial piety which is the traditional virtue in China. As the traditional ethic of China， the teachings of loyalty and filial piety always effects and guides the statements and actions of Chinese femininity. Hua Mulan possesses the typical female virtues； she is quick-witted and nimble-industrious and courageous， dignified and modest.

America obviously has misreading and remolding to the understanding of Chinese culture as its different cultural backgrounds. In the Disney's edition， Mulan has the sense of humor and bright character， she always pursues the freedom and is eager to express herself and prove self-worth， and becomes a typical American girl that she shrugs her shoulders when speaking and does everything as she likes， without so much pressure on her shoulders， but putting the personal value to the first place， struggling for her personal success constantly.

2. The female social status

China has the ingrained thought of feudal hierarchy， emphasizes the three cardinal guides and the five constant virtues as specified in the feudal ethical code， and thinks that women are inferior to men. In Chinese opinion， Hua Mulan has female dignified and virtuous， tough strength that women are no inferior to men， and moreover she possessed gentlewoman's demeanor and heroic spirit. She is a perfect daughter.

In the whole Chinese feudal society， women was treated as the appendant in the male society， their status was so low that they always needed to rely on men， they almost had no social position， they couldn't step into the men's territory， they was confined at home to finish their missions.

However in opinion of western feminism， the source that females are oppressed is patriarchy. If females want to achieve thoroughgoing liberation， they must destroy the society of patriarchy which has existed thousands of years. Males and females should be treated equally； females should rely on their indefatigable efforts to achieve the liberation and development. After Mulan standing alone with the new image， she rapidly devoted herself to be more exhaustive and independent to express herself. She contained abundant independent spirit and temperament and the strong awareness of equal tights that males and females should be complementary and interdependent.

3. The sense of worth

The moral thoughts are different between China and the west. It mainly reflects that Chinese mord thoughts is based on nationalism， however the western moral thoughts is based on individualism. In Chinese traditional opinion， the national consciousness that the responsibility of defending the country falls on all the people is ingrained. In Chinese definition， one's existence relies on family， society and nation， and nobody can exist independently. However， led by thought of liberalism in America， they advocates freedom and democracy， everyone was treated as individuality rather than a member of a family or other social groups.

Chinese culture represented by the Confucianists advocates the thought of familism. Mencius put forward the relationship that the emperor is the emperor， the minister is the minister， the father is the father and the son is the son， means one ethics is in family and the other ethics is in society. The thought of familism requests the social rules of ethics of which the mainly core is loyalty and filial piety， everyone should treat their seniors with filial piety， be loyal to country and community. Chinese Hua Mulan just reflects this principle. Mulan not only went out to battle instead of her old father， but also led the army to fight for Wen Tai， even sacrificed her love for nation. Under the huge foundation of thoughts and theories that family groups make up the social foundation of country， individuality can sacrifice everything for family and nation.

However American cultural pattern favors individualism that everyone is the one and only， and is essential different with others. Most of the Americans consider that individualism is independent plus self-reliance plus self-advancement. Although the film MULAN used the frame of Chinese classical story，， its intention and the sense of worth it expressed are not the Chinese traditional thought of the Confucianists that treating father with filial piety and being loyal to nation as the past any more， but completely turned to the personal heroism which owing to one's efforts to succeed under the western ideology and value orientation.

The conclusion： As an uncommon girl appeared in the society of patriarchal clan system which thinks innocence is the virtue for women under the Chinese traditional cultural background. Hua Mulan's story was spread widely. This passage compares the different image and value of Hua Mulan between China and the west. With the global economic integration and the increasing of cultural communication of all the countries， as the method of culture spreading， films contain a country and nation's bright cultural distinguishing feature.

The films push on the cultural transmission； they all present the highest compliments to this heroine with the most cordiale emotion. As the economic globalization and cultural globalization， we should gaze at the cultural transmission with new sights. There is a proverb： there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes. We cannot demand that each film can model the film-video image in our minds， but just because of the predecessors' keeping exploring； Hua Mulan can be presented to the screen to emerge the immortal vitality by keeping innovating.

（作者單位：哈爾濱師范大學）