Wanna Conform to Gender Roles? No, Thank You.
The femininities and masculinities of Avatar: The Last Airbender
Tags: #femininity #masculinity #genderroles #avatarthelastairbender #cartoons #womeninmedia #stereotypesinmedia #Animation #Series
Consistently, cartoons have demonstrated the ways in which they fail to represent male and female characters in equal quantities. On average, we see two to three times as many men as we see women (e.g. Baker and Raney 2007, Hentges and Case 2013, Pila et al 2018, Zaheen et al. 2020). What is particularly concerning is the tendency to portray these characters in ways conforming to traditional gender roles (Thompson and Zerbinos 1995, Pila et al. 2018, cf. Connell 2005). Male characters, on one hand, conform to aggression, leadership, strength, dominance, bravery, and heroism. Women and girls, on the other hand, are characterised by their affection, compassion, submissiveness, sensitivity, kindness, peacefulness, helplessness, beauty, and passivity. Unsurprisingly, then, we see more men as lead characters and women degraded to supporting roles.
While it might be the case that characteristics are becoming more uniform (Thompson and Zerbinos 1997, Hentges and Case 2013), rather than being gender-neutrally coded, characters – regardless of gender – are more likely to adhere to masculine traits. For example, while there may be few instances of gender stereotyping for superhero cartoon characters, what is depicted as ‘heroic’ behaviour is generally coded in masculine terms such as assertiveness, independence, and athleticism (Baker and Raney 2007). To add to this, women are still more likely to be portrayed as emotional and superficial whereas men are more likely to be presented as tough.
Similarly, across popular children’s television networks, female characters do act in accordance with both feminine and more stereotypically masculine traits, but male characters do not display feminine behaviours (Hentges and Case 2013; Zaheen et al. 2020): characters regardless of gender may be intelligent, independent, ambitious, and competent. Yet, women are distinguished for engaging in domestic work, caring (for children), and being subtle, and men are still generally more likely to be depicted as strong, assertive, and leading. These differentiations reflect a general tendency to highlight ‘maleness’ as both the default and the superior trait. Therefore, this “sends the message that girls should aspire to stereotypically masculine behaviors and roles. However, the reverse does not hold true; boys are not encouraged to aspire to stereotypically feminine behaviors” (Hentges and Case 2013: 330).
Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008, thereafter referred to as ATLA), however, has become an excellent example for defying such traditional adherence. Indeed, the range of diversity has earned them the Peabody Award (2008) for its ‘multi-dimensional characters, unusually complicated personal relationships for a cartoon serial, and a healthy respect for the consequences of warfare’. Throughout the series, ATLA has portrayed its characters with both feminine and masculine traits regardless of gender.
Women in ATLA
At the beginning of the show, we are introduced first to Katara, a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe. Perhaps most interesting about her is that from the start she sets out to be the mother character who keeps Team Avatar together while also taking care of her friends. She is a kind character, one that sees the good in people. She is a healer by nature - first discovering her powers by accident then being trained by women in the Northern Water Tribe who specialize in healing. While we see her struggle along the way and experience her own set of weaknesses, she is determined to find solutions of her own accord. Therefore, Katara does indeed embody numerous traditionally feminine traits.
However, she is much more complex than the initial episodes make us believe: despite being entirely self-taught through trial and error and a select few scrolls found along the way, she demonstrates her talent, strength, and intelligence throughout the three books. Early on, she even becomes the first female waterbending master in the Northern Water Tribe. Furthermore, in the third act of their journey, Katara even learns how to bloodbend - essentially gaining the skill to turn her enemies into her personal puppets, unable to move of their own volition. To add to this, Katara is someone who also has a lot of unresolved rage against the Fire Nation and particularly the man who murdered her mother. It was thus unsurprising that when offered the opportunity to find her mothers’ killer by Zuko, she immediately jumped in to avenge her mothers’ death. As such, Katara further showcases traits typically more associated with masculinity.
Yet, despite her incredible powers to bend not only water but also people at her own will, despite having the opportunity to choose violence on multiple occasions, Katara is determined to find different solutions, namely less or non-violent ones. For example, instead of bloodbending Azula at their final encounter, she merely renders her helpless by chaining her to bars. Simply put, as a character, Katara demonstrates that strength is not tied to the amount of damage that you can do or the amount of blood you can spill (a notion certain [video game] writers should take note of) but to the ability to find alternatives despite your physical powers.
On the other end of the spectrum exists Toph. She often comes across as rude, aggressive, and even narcissistic. So much so that during the episode The Ember Island Players, Toph is played by a tall, buff, deep-voiced man; clearly a hyper-exaggeration of how she is perceived by others. At the same time, she is very independent and assertive. Her character likes to make fun of Team Avatar - or at the very least she finds joy in her friends' misery at times - and also of herself. She is an incredibly talented earthbender - with skills potentially greater than that of the Avatar. Indeed, Toph even ends up stretching the rules of earthbending by bending her way out of a metal cage previously thought to be the only prison earthbenders could not escape. Therefore, Toph seems to be indeed quite masculine coded.
However, only looking at her in this way would ignore the various expressions of femininity Toph embodies. First, she comes from a sheltered background and is generally well mannered. We see this in the ways she interacts with Uncle Iroh. Second, Toph is also animal-friendly, which is unsurprising given that her powers came from badger-moles. Last, she is a very vulnerable character and can be uncomfortable in her own skin at times. For example, when she and Katara are getting their makeup done, a group of young women make fun of her, it is Katara that reminds Toph that she looks beautiful regardless of what others are saying.
Additionally, Toph was brought up in a conservative household that made her believe that her blindness - and probably the fact that she is a 'little girl' - somehow made her helpless. Yet, what is particularly interesting is that her disability does not define her: people seem to generally forget that she is blind most of the time, and for what she lacks in eyesight she makes up for with earthbending and feeling her surroundings to ‘see’. Therefore, while she may appear helpless to some, she consistently demonstrates that what is considered a disability is only a disadvantage if society makes it one.
Similar to Toph, Azula is very independent and assertive, but she is best defined by her obsession with power. She is a firebender prodigy and can generate lightning, a rare subskill. In fact, she is such a strong firebender that her power displays as a blue flame, something no other firebender in the show can create. She is cunning and intelligent, allowing her father, the Fire Lord, to believe that Zuko killed the Avatar, setting her brother up for greater dishonour when it is revealed Aang is still alive. Azula is perhaps even more masculine coded than any other female character in the show; she is aggressive, short-tempered, and competent - without many feminine coded characteristics to soften her - creating a truly vicious villain for the show.
Azula continuously demonstrates more masculine than feminine traits, but she is never treated as less than a girl for any of it. She is a princess throughout most of the series; she is shown being pampered by her maidservants and having her hair done. Azula has, and can use, more feminine traits when the situation calls for it. She can be soft spoken and understanding. Every time she asks Zuko to join her, she calls on her most feminine traits, appearing more reserved and sympathetic, until she gets what she wants. When ‘Team Azula’ is sent to Ember Island and spends time at the beach, Azula socializes with other teenagers and shows a desire to flirt, along with a jealousy towards Ty Lee for the attention she gets. Although in the end, she and her friends wreak havoc on the party, destroying everything, Azula is allowed breathing room to be more than the power-hungry villain she is most of the time.
She is a master manipulator, but she is also loyal. She is obviously surprised and hurt by the betrayal when Mai and Ty Lee help Zuko, Suki and Sokka escape the Fire Nation prison. Consistently the women in Azula’s life, her mother, Lo and Li, Mai and Ty Lee, have left her. She has been raised with the idea that the only way to control others is through fear, but despite her father’s example, she knows deep down that this is not true. We can see this in the imagined conversation she has with her mother before her coronation. Although Azula is slipping into paranoia, she recognizes that if she could overcome her fears and trust in others, she would be able to succeed.
To sum up, so far we have seen that the ATLA women, like in other cartoons, have adapted masculine traits. Yet, they have also remained within the realm of femininities in their own right. But does the opposite apply to the male ATLA characters? Do the ATLA men go beyond masculinity?
Men it ATLA
The true protagonist of the show is Aang. He is quite a fascinating male lead because he is actually very feminine coded. As a parallel to Toph, and perhaps the strongest proof of the show's atypical characterisation, Aang is portrayed by a woman in The Ember Island Players episode. He is gentle, kind, and good. He shows empathy and patience. He acts with consideration to other's feelings. He has a lot of compassion for all living and breathing creatures. Throughout the story he seeks to find non-violent solutions to end the Hundred Year War and bring down the Fire Lord without having to kill him. If male characters show these characteristics, they are more often either associated with subordinate roles or queer characters, and rarely the protagonist.
Still, this is not the only side we see of the Avatar, as he does indeed also conform to more masculine traits. From the start it is clear that he is incredibly powerful and learns quicker than most other benders; as such he is naturally talented to soak up and use new techniques. He has difficulties balancing his emotions. We also often see him in situations where he becomes hot headed or even frustrated. When he looses his temper or gets angry - for example, when he finds out about the genocide of his people or loses his animal friend Appa - he involuntarily enters the Avatar state and can only be calmed down by his friends.
Linked to this is his admiration for - and sometimes obsession over - Katara. Indeed, a major story arc throughout the show is his inability to let go of his feelings for her for 'the greater good'. As such, on one hand, his feelings are in the way of being completely in control of his body and power. Yet, on the other hand, his connection to Katara is what helps him stay grounded when he loses his temper. As a result, we see Aang conflicted about the best possible solution for both his future and the future of the world. Yet, in the end, Aang understands that sometimes, you have to let go of your feelings to make room to think.
Zuko, despite his initial differences in Book One, is very similar to Aang. He is helpful, caring and kind. He joins Katara on her mission to find her mother’s killer, but supports her decision not to take revenge. While living in Ba Sing Se, he helps his uncle run a tea shop and even risks his discovery using firebending to light candles in a square to please a girl while on a date. Azula is often able to manipulate him into achieving her desired outcome because Zuko is gullible and wants his father’s love and respect, twisting himself into knots trying to be something he is not.
This is the major cause of his inability to balance his emotions. He is hurt and angry at being banished; Zuko would like to be the aggressive, violent, ambitious leader that his father expects him to be. From childhood, he has seen these traits in his sister, had the difference between the two of them paraded in front of their grandfather, and always came in second place. He betrays Katara for the chance to return home and restore his ‘honour’, disappointing his uncle in the process. Whenever he does something that can be seen as altruistic, or even just mostly for the good of others - including his enemies, Zuko has physical and mental meltdowns. For example, after he helps Team Avatar as the Blue Spirit, his body shuts down for several days. Trying to balance the expectations set by his father, while staying true to his own conscience, results in conflict in his emotions to an extreme extent.
Zuko’s struggle between the masculine trait expectations of his father and sister and the calmer and more feminine coded example of his uncle and mother is one of the reasons ATLA does character so well. He is banished for being insolent and publicly speaking out against one of his father’s generals and his sister often tormented him as children for not being as strong in firebending - but ATLA walks a fine line; Zuko is not criticized for being too feminine coded, only for being not as masculine coded as his sister. The line the creators walk is thin, but they manage it well, without relying on the easy solution of turning feminine coded traits explicitly into negatives.
Iroh is the perfect example of this. He is the definition of healthy masculinity. He is a leader, independent and stands up for his own beliefs. But he mostly talks about tea, does not fight unless it is the only option, and talks about his feelings perhaps more than any other Fire Nation character. When he is mugged in Ba Sing Se, he does not attack the mugger with firebending. Instead, he offers advice on his stance and then proceeds to talk to the man, offering tea and listening. He plays music for a crying child and when the same child reaches out to grab his beard, he does not get angry; he simply smiles and goes on his way.
Despite his reluctance to rely on physical strengths, Iroh is a strong firebender. He was a general in the Hundred Year War, and known as the ‘Dragon of the West’, due to his ability to breathe fire, a high level technique. He is courageous and displays self-restraint, both masculine coded traits, and he is disappointed in some of Zuko’s decisions and can be a little resentful. We would have added more examples, but Iroh is just too chill to show unhealthy examples of masculinity. There is a reason the fandom often says: Be the person Uncle Iroh would want you to be.
Iroh’s character benefits greatly from the wise old man archetype. He embodies most of the core traits: kindness, in possession of worldly knowledge, and offering guidance. But the archetype is still masculine coded - it is in the name. This allows more room for feminine coded traits - loyalty, affection, understanding, compassion - without limiting Iroh’s character as another version of the stereotypical queer or supporting male role. Iroh, as a counterpoint to Azula, is mainly feminine coded and is not made ‘less than a man’ because of his empathy or nurturing character.
Conclusion
Throughout the show, femininity is not shown as inferior to masculinity, instead the two coexist within the same personalities. The range of characterisation and diversity of solutions to conflict are showcasing a contemporary, left, and feminist understanding of gender. Katara and Aang both demonstrate that non-violence is a viable long term path to systemic problems, something that other forms of media either overlook or incorporate unsuccessfully. In contrast, Azula who uses fear, ultimately fails in the end, adhering to more traditional violent conflict resolutions. Zuko and his relationships with Team Avatar and Uncle Iroh shows us that kindness and forgiveness are not weaknesses. Toph proves that even if others perceive you as weak and helpless because you are a girl or/and disabled, it does not mean you are weak or helpless. Uncle Iroh’s wise sayings motivate us to not just be better people, but to put ourselves in other’s shoes and look at the whole picture.
ATLA does a lot of things very well, but they still have a ways to go when it comes to incorporating characters that are outside the gender binary. One could argue that Toph’s joy at being portrayed as a man could lean towards a nonbinary expression. Smellerbee (a member of the Freedom Fighters) is another example of a character who does not conform to gender roles due to her adrongynous appearance. However, two possible non-binary/gender non-conforming characters does not a shining example make. While we see diversity in femininity and masculinity, cartoons still have a long way to go to be truly representative of society.
Regardless, rather than adhering to hegemonic ideals of femininity and masculinity, ATLA exhibits diverse gender expressions for both their female and male characters. As opposed to other cartoons, it is not just women who adapt more traditionally masculine traits while further showcasing more feminine ideals, but men who also show a wide range of feminine characteristics while still adhering to various forms of masculinity. Collectively, the characters in ATLA have shown complexity beyond traditional feminine-masculine dichotomies and ultimately emphasise how multiple femininities and masculinities coexist alongside one another.
Sources
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Image Credit
Nickelodeon [@Nickelodeon] (2020). "The day is here, Avatar: The Last Airbender is now on @netflix" 15 May, https://twitter.com/Nickelodeon/status/1261295546146394113?s=20