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1. In ancient Chinese history, there were lots of heroes, but most of them were men. China was a patriarchal society where men's social status was higher than women's in the ancient time of China. Women couldn't join the army and were only allowed to do household chores. Hua Mulan felt she didn't fit into the stereotypical nature of being subservient and coy as a female. As a teenager Mulan struggled to find her own identity and also wanted to be accepted for the way she was. Mulan was more interested in learning sword fights and war stories rather than wearing pretty dresses.
2. Ancient China of Mulan was raging in constant wars, so the royal administration requested all the men to join the army. Mulan's father though very old, still wanted to protect his country. Mulan couldn't bear to see her aged father join the army with a limping leg, an injury he got from previous wars. She gave up her identity as a woman, cut her hair and joined the army as a boy. Long hair signify female beauty and grace but Mulan gave it all up to protect her father.
3. Not only was Mulan giving up her identity as a girl but she was risking her life by lying to those in power. Had her identity been revealed before she could show her worth at the battlefield, Mulan would have been sentenced to death for treason. Mulan who was already good in sword fights and martial arts did not falter or feared being amongst trained male soldiers. She managed to earn the respect and acknowledgement from her fellow soldiers and generals by being outstanding on the battlefield.
4. After her real identity was exposed, Mulan was only kicked out of the army and not sentenced to death because she saved Shang, the prince earlier. Her prowess on the battlefield in a way saved her own life. After that a series of incidents made Mulan return to save the emperor and combat against the Shan Yu, the celebrated villain, with the help of her allies.
5. Mulan was branded as the Savior of China and received the highest praise from the emperor, her allies, and the Chinese people as a whole. She returned home to her parents with Shan Yu's sword and a medallion from the emperor. She presented those items to her father in an extremely formal way, since she feared rejection from her family due to her previous acts of dishonor. To her surprise, her father enveloped her in a tight hug and told her that she is accepted and loved for who she is. This alleviated her insecurities that were present in the beginning of the story, in which she felt that she couldn't be her true-self due to societal and cultural standards. By finding and becoming her true self, she was able to complete her hero's journey.