Mulan was displayed weaving with the noises of weaving equipment while facing the doorway, as mentioned in the first half of the poem. The poem suggests that a daughter’s natural function is to remain at home and do chores like weaving, which Mulan is undertaking. Mulan tells people that nobody is on her mind or thoughts when she sighs, indicating that daughters are supposed to be pure. The audience gets the impression that a daughter’s duty is not to participate in the battlefield but rather to assist her father in this scenario (“The Ballad of Mulan,” n.d.). This duty was motivated by Confucianism’s notion of filial piety. Filial piety, or the mindset of obedience, dedication, and compassion for one’s parents and senior family members, is a profoundly effective and essential Confucian practice in social ethics, referring to the foundation of individual moral deeds and social unity.
Mulan’s readiness and eagerness to participate in the army to replace her father can be sensed in the concluding lines of the first section of the poem, as she has no elder brother. Mulan’s anxiety and desire to take her father’s position are unlikely to be related to Confucian thought (“The Ballad of Mulan,” n.d.). Confucianism acknowledges her care and affection for her father. However, it does not accept her ambition to serve in his place. Filial piety is built on reciprocity and revolves around the connection between the parent and the child. Mulan owes it to her father to look after and protect him, just as he has done for her. In the poem, she also expresses her desire to own a saddle and a horse, both used in conflicts.
Reference
The ballad of Mulan. (n.d.). Web.