Prologue -- Heroic lineage: military women and lady knights-errant in premodern China -- From a courageous maiden in legend to a virtuous icon in history -- The white tiger mythology: a woman warrior's autobiography -- One heroine, many characters: Mulan in American picture books -- Of animation and Mulan's international fame -- Epilogue
Summary
Mulan, the warrior maiden who performed heroic deeds in battle while dressed as a male soldier, has had many incarnations from her first appearance as a heroine in an ancient Chinese folk ballad. Mulan's story was retold for centuries, extolling the filial virtue of the young woman who placed her father's honor and well-being above her own. With the publication of Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior in the late 1970s, Mulan first became familiar to American audiences who were fascinated with the extraordinary Asian American character. Mulan's story was recast yet again i
