So, what have I today? As anda can see, I'll be analyzing the song "Reflection" from Disney's Mulan. I made a lyric video for it about a week yang lalu and realized just how deep the song is! However, in this analysis, I'll also be taking a look at the extended version of the song. It shows a different side of mulan that...well, you'll see soon enough.
Alright then! Let's take a listen to Reflection!
Movie Version
I will never pass for a perfect bride
atau a perfect daughter
Can it be
I'm not meant to play this part?
From this, we can see that mulan knows that she can't be what society expects her to be - that perfect porselen doll. It's just not going to happen, and as a result, she pertanyaan herself. If she's not that perfect bride atau daughter, then what is she? Who is she supposed to be?
Now I see
That if I were truly to be myself
I would break my family's heart
This excerpt here makes me think of Elsa. And Hercules. All of these characters want to just be themselves and fit in, but it's not that easy. For Mulan, she wants to be herself, but not if it means disappointing her family. She truly loves and respects them and is willing to try to be what society expects of her in order to maintain a good family image. As we've discussed, though, she can't do this, thus bringing us to the chorus:
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know?
For some reason, I never really understood what mulan meant oleh this, and here I am right now feeling like a complete dunce. xD
Whenever mulan sees her reflection, she sees what she's trying to be - the "perfect porselen doll". anda know this oleh now. But she knows that's not who she is. She wants to be her true self while at the same time making her family proud. Of course, she feels that she can't be herself without giving the Fa family a bad name.
Who I am, though I've tried
When will my reflection show
Who I am
Inside?
(That last line is repeated, oleh the way. ;D)
This basically re-establishes what she's already been saying. She hides her true self to try and fit society's expectations, yada yada. She awaits the day, if indeed there is a day, when she can be herself and not worry about dishonoring the family.
I'll bet (not really) you're thinking, "Wow, that's it? Short song." Indeed. It's a gorgeous song, but rather short. We'll now take a look at the extended version of the song. Why was the song trimmed? Let's find out!
Extended Version
It's not me, though I've tried
When will my reflection show
Who I am
Inside?
The looking-into-the-mirrors bit should look familiar, as does this excerpt entirely. The only real way this contrasts with the sebelumnya excerpt I showed is that instead of her admitting to hiding herself, here, it's lebih directly related to what just happened in the movie *cough cough Matchmaker cough*.
The selanjutnya excerpt is where the contrast comes in.
How I pray
That a time will come, I can free myself
From their expectations
anda know how the movie version mainly focuses on her wanting to please her family? I mean, yeah, she does want to be accepted as herself, but only if she can do so in an "honorable" way.
That gets thrown off a bit here. This suggests that she wants to be devoid from society's expectations altogether in order to live the life she wants. Let's continue on to see where I'm going with this.
On that day
I'll discover someway to be myself
And to make my family proud
Wait, haven't we gone over this already? Yep, we sure have! No need to talk this over again. It's the next stanza we want to take a look at.
They want a docile lamb
No one knows who I am
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?
Alright, let's see. She's saying that society is basically like this: We don't know who anda are, and frankly, we don't care. But we expect anda to be perfect. Got that? For someone they hardly know, society's putting a huge weight on Mulan's shoulders, and she's not happy about this. From that last line, she doesn't seem too satisfied with being "forced to hide" herself.
This is the part that makes this extended version of the song seem questionable in respect to what we actually saw in the movie. It makes mulan seem a bit lebih selfish. Sure, she brings up wanting to make her family proud, but the extended song primarily focuses on how she feels with these expectations. She's had it. She just wants to come right out and be herself without the tension of fitting into the role of the "docile lamb".
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am
Inside?
This excerpt makes my point much lebih clear. What makes the extended version and movie version similar is the fact that mulan obviously wants to be herself. However, in the movie version, she seems mostly disappointed that her efforts to fit in don't work, and she hopes that she'll be able to make her family proud someday. Here, though, mulan seems pahit about the fact that society has set these expectations on her. She's sick and tired of pretending to be someone she's not.
So, let's quickly compare and contrast the two. :D
Both Versions:
- mulan wants to be herself
- mulan wants to make her family proud
Extended Version:
- Emphasis on wanting personal freedom from society's wishes
- pahit about these aforementioned wishes
- pahit about hiding herself
Final Cut:
- Mostly just emphasis on her desire to be herself; no detectable bitterness
And there anda have it! I hope anda enjoyed membaca this, as I had a ton of fun menulis it. :) anda may want to check out my link song analysis of "If anda Can Dream" from a while back.
I'll bet that anda either a) are going to listen to the extended song right now atau b) already have, haha. :D
Well, that about wraps things up! Thanks so much for reading! Adios!
*sigh* I hate goodbyes. D':
A MUCH better villain, wouldn't you agree?
Mkay. I know my prettiest princess daftar is kind of full of unpopular opinions. XD I find them all pretty, but some lebih so than others. I'm going to put the I find the prettiest up for each princess.
13. Snow White
She is cute, honestly. Yes, I do realize that she is only fourteen, and isn't supposed to look mature. I just really dislike her lips, her eye shape, and eye color. I do like her hair. I think her warna have nice contrast, but I can't seem to get past the face shape and her other facial features.
Please note: I am not a Snow White atau Classic Era hater....
continue reading...
Prettiest shot, oleh faaaar.
13. Snow White
She is cute, honestly. Yes, I do realize that she is only fourteen, and isn't supposed to look mature. I just really dislike her lips, her eye shape, and eye color. I do like her hair. I think her warna have nice contrast, but I can't seem to get past the face shape and her other facial features.
Please note: I am not a Snow White atau Classic Era hater....
Icon made by sweetie-94 to wish you a Happy New Year
This is part 1 of Fanpop’s favorit and this is favorit DP Film now this isn’t my opinion at all if it was anda guys would all know if it was me. No Frozen was ranked because it wasn’t out all over the world yet. This artikel will also be followed up oleh follow up poling in which anda guys share your thoughts on the ranking. So where it says, People said It won’t be in bold just to let anda know that’s where I put in your guys’ opinions which will have your thoughts but will be in my words*. Now on with the first ranking.
Eleventh: brave with 145 points
I was...
continue reading...
Eleventh: brave with 145 points
Brave with 145 points
I was...
Princesses in peasant clothes hanging out.
Team 1989?
7th Place
7) Bejewelled Princess Dress
This dress is over-the-top! She is not the type of princess who would appreciate being decorated like a natal pohon and then find that she cannot walk without feeling the heaviness of weight pulling her down. It doesn't suit her at all.
6) Makeover glittery and patterned dress
This is better than the last one but still over-the top. This time it's the emas patterns on the skirt. There's too many patterns. The korset part is more. subtle with a singular pattern on the side. I like that. But the shiny blue sleeves are distracting. Too shiny. Her headband is...
continue reading...
This dress is over-the-top! She is not the type of princess who would appreciate being decorated like a natal pohon and then find that she cannot walk without feeling the heaviness of weight pulling her down. It doesn't suit her at all.
6) Makeover glittery and patterned dress
This is better than the last one but still over-the top. This time it's the emas patterns on the skirt. There's too many patterns. The korset part is more. subtle with a singular pattern on the side. I like that. But the shiny blue sleeves are distracting. Too shiny. Her headband is...
We've come to the big one. I hear Belle called a Mary Sue a lot, lebih than any other princess aside from maybe Rapunzel.
Unique traits without contacts atau hair dye- No. She has brown hair and brown eyes.
An odd name- No. 'Belle' isn't that odd of a name.
Looks constantly komentar on- God yes. The town literally sings an entire song about it (along with how odd she is). It's literally in the judul of the movie, along with her name. 1.
Multiple characters falling for her- Yep. Beast and Gaston, plus the whole town calling her beautiful. 1.
Gets into the relationships she wants- No. Her relationship...
continue reading...
Unique traits without contacts atau hair dye- No. She has brown hair and brown eyes.
An odd name- No. 'Belle' isn't that odd of a name.
Looks constantly komentar on- God yes. The town literally sings an entire song about it (along with how odd she is). It's literally in the judul of the movie, along with her name. 1.
Multiple characters falling for her- Yep. Beast and Gaston, plus the whole town calling her beautiful. 1.
Gets into the relationships she wants- No. Her relationship...
