Karthik Final Paper

5/31/2018 Karthik Final Paper

1/13

Fictional Borders:

An al yz in g the Construc ti on an d De str uc tio n of Bo rd ers in Ava tar the La st Air bend er

I. IntroductionThe Fire Lord sits on one of his war balloons, smiling. His predecessors had wiped out

the Air Nomads, and he is about to literally torch the hope of the Earth Kingdom. The four

nations are almost under his control, and he will finally capture the Avatar and complete the war.

Avatar: The Last Airbenderis a Nickelodeon show created by Michael Dante DiMartino

and Bryan Konietzko. It describes a fantastical world divided into four nations along the classical

elements: the Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Air Nomads. Though the

creators may not have intended to teach a lesson on borders, they aretasked with creating

borders (including non-physical ones) in the minds of their charactershow they do that is

valuable to analyze.

Most of the recent works on border theory have used real boundaries to understand how

we artificially create borders. However, this paper aims to understand borders from a different

perspectivea TV show. What can a kids show teach us about how we artificially imagined

borders between ourselves, and how these borders are broken every day?

Using the transcripts ofAvatar, as well as other important works in the border discourse,

this paper argues that borders in the show are created not only by othering groups, but also

through violence. On the other hand, borders are broken by analyzing how interconnected we

really are, even across time, and how borders are regularly crossed and transcended through the

human element. In both cases, it connects the lessons ofAvatars world to the borders and border


2/13

theory in the real world. It concludes by describing how the fictional nature ofAvatarhelps us

take an outsiders perspective on our own borders.

II. BackgroundAvatartakes place in a world divided into nations representing the four elements: fire,

earth, water, and air. In each society, there are select members who can literally bend

physically manipulatetheir societys element. However, there is one person who can control all

four elements, as well as serve as the bridge to the spirit world: the Avatar. His/her role is to

keep the balance and peace between the four nations.

The hero, Aang, is this avatar and an air-bending twelve-year old boy. He was born over

one hundred years ago, but after learning that he was the avatar, rejected his responsibilities and

ran away into a storm. Aang remained frozen in suspended animation until he was found by

Katara and Sokka, who would become two of his closest friends in his journey. However, in the

time that he was missing, the rulers of the Fire Nation, Fire Lord Sozin and his heirs would

wage a war against the other three nations in an attempt to conquer the entire world.

Aang reappears as the Fire Nation approaches victory. They have already annihilated the

Air Nomads (Aangs home nation), and are moving to conquer the nations as well. The story is

Aangs journey to stop the Fire Lord, and bring back balance to the four nations.

III.

How are borders constructed and what purpose do they serve?

Education

Benedict Anderson uses the term imagined communities for groups that have no other

connection other than a collective narrative. He points in the rise of print capitalism and


3/13

propaganda as the catalyst for these imagined nations (Anderson: 1991). It is helpful to view the

four nations (the clearest border inAvatar) in terms of imagined communities. The nations are

themselves arbitrary constructsthough there are four nations centered around their element,

only a few in each nation actually have power to bend their element. Rather than using print

capitalism, I argue that governments create and reinforce the distinctions through its powers.

First, an important function of the governments is education. In the Fire Nation,

education is akin to indoctrination. At the start of every class, students recite the Fire Nation

oath: My life, I give to my country. With my hands, I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our

forefathers before him (#302). From just this statement, it is clear that schools set the Fire

Nation above all others. In addition, people are expected to fight for the Fire Lord, implying

that they should support his hundred-year war against the other nations.

The teacher continues with a pop quiz on the Great March of Civilization: What year

did Fire Lord Sozin battle the Air Nation Army? Aang, disguised as a student, replies: Is that a

trick question? The Air Nomads didn't have a formal military. Sozin defeated them by ambush

(#302). This exchange highlights how important word choice is. First, she calls the war a Great

March of Civilization, a term used to pretend the war is simply sharing their civilization. Next,

the teacher mentions an Air Nation, while Aang describes Air Nomads. These subtle breaks

with reality serve to justify the Fire Lords war, and in turn, solidify the concept of superiority to

other nations.

The audience may scoff at terminology like Great March of Civilizationthey are

probably surprised that the students take it unquestionably. However, it is important to draw a

parallel to the rhetoric of civilization in opposition with savagery in Europe during its time

of conquest (Shields: 2007, 45) Even today, American politicians justify wars and interventions


4/13

in the Middle East with spreading democracy and our values throughout the world. This is not

simply the rhetoric of the past.

The Earth Kingdoms Ba Sing Se (the capital city) employs similar tactics, but rather

than glorifying the war, using borders, it tries to prevent mention of it entirelyfor political

reasons. The capital city is literally surrounded by two walls, so in this case, the border is

constructed physically. It employs a cultural police, the Dai Li, not onlyto prevent mention of

the war inside the walls of the city, but also to prevent outsiders from informing the public of the

law. They literally use brainwashing to ensure people forget any recollection of the war (#214).

Brainwashing may sound extreme and archaic, but if we treat brainwashing as a violent,

forceful form of education, we can see parallels in the real world. For example, the Tiananmen

Square massacre in China has been effectively censored in the public discourse and the education

system through careful editing of history textbooks and censorship(Larson: 2014).

In the world ofAvatar, the Fire Nation is the imperial force, and it looks down at the

other nations. When Aang disguises himself as a student, the teacher immediately exclaims:

Clearlyyou'refrom the colonies. Your etiquette is terrible. In the homeland, we bowto our

elders. Like so. She later goes on to ask him what his name is, or whether he should just be

called Mannerless Colony Slob (#302).

This exchange cries of orientalist discourse. Edward Said famously coined the term

orientalism to describethe discourse of the civilized, superior occident over the savage,

inferior orient (Said: 1979). His work uncovers an important narrative: one in which citizens are

meant to approveand supportconquering the savage to make them civilwar is viewed as

a positive. Here, rhetoric like slob or mannerless reinforce the notion that the other nations

are inferior, and the Fire Nations war is meant to spread their brilliant civilization and values


5/13

almost a gift to the other nations. It is even more problematic that this rhetoric is taught in the

context of the classroom, since students are taught to accept the artificial border with the other

nations, all just to serve the interests of the Fire Lord.

From the perspective of the audience, the words slob or mannerless are plainly false

characterizations. However, similar discourse has been prevalent through history. Even the

prevalent discourse in 21stcentury America, includes similar mischaracterizations and binaries.

For example, notedpolitical scientist, Samuel Huntington in The Hispanic Challenge uses

phrases like lack of initiative or unwilling to assimilate in his criticism of Latinos

(Huntington: 2004). The minutemen on the US/Mexico border use phrases like war zone, or

hordes of immigrants (Walking the Line).Avatarhelps give us a perspective of where this

rhetoric stems fromour education or lack of it.

National Origin Narratives

An important episode to analyze is The Great Divide. Two opposing tribes need to

cross a dangerous canyon together, but refuse to go together. The leader of the Gin Wei says:

We'd rather be taken by the Fire Nation (he points accusingly o.c. at the Zhang) than travel with

those stinking thieves. The Zhang replies: We wouldn't travel with you pompous fools

anyway! (#111). This plays into Winichakuls concept of two-way identification: building

nations by inflating characteristics of one society, but negatively reinforcing the differences with

others (Winichakul: 1994). However, after Aang probes furtherthe two tribes are only fighting

because they have different takes on the same narrative that divided them 100 years ago. So, the

two-way identification only serves to promote the boundaries between two related groups. In

fact, after some thought, Aang retells a fabricated version of the story: he was there 100 years

ago, and their narratives were completely wrongthe two men involved were actually just


6/13

children playing a game. Immediately, the tribes accept the story, and resolve their differences

(#111).

Obviously, this is a childish and simplistic example, but it this teaches us about how

powerful national origin stories can seem, and how fragile the borders they create are. In a

parallel to the real world, Huntington argues that this country was founded on the values and

institutions of overwhelming white, British, and Protestantsettlers. He uses these terms to

exclude the values he imposes on Latinos. However, this story raises an important question: why

are origin narratives even important? They only exist to create borders between groups.

Violence

Finally, these stories have mainly focused on the creation of borders in the eyes of

Avatarsgeneral public. However, we also need to consider how borders are created for the main

characters. I argue that violence is the major cause of borders here.

Through a vision from Avatar Roku, Aang learns the story of how Fire Lord Sozin

betrayed his friend Roku to start the war. When explaining the vision to the rest of the group,

Toph exclaims Its like these people are born bad (#306). It is clear that the other members of

Team Avatar (except Aang) have all grown up in the world where the Fire Nation is just

considered evil. The actual intent of Aangs vision was, as he explains, to show that

firebenders (because Roku was a firebender) are not purely evil.

Katara is a very strong example here. Much of her drive throughout the show comes from

the fact that the Fire Nation killed her mother and all the waterbenders of her tribea violent act.

From what the audience understands, even before the war, the distinction between nations was

clear. However, Kataras enmity toward the Fire Nation is much more powerfulafter this event.

In one episode, Zuko confronts Sokka about why Katara hates him. Without thinking, Sokka


7/13

replies: Katara doesn't hate anyone. Except maybe some people in the Fire Nation. He

immediately corrects himself: Fire Nation people who are so bad, who have never been good

(#316). He is specifically referring to those who killed their mother. The Freudian slip is

problematic, as it reinforces the binary of good vs evil. Even though he corrected himself, it

is important to see how engrained the border has become in their minds. Later, Katara even

tracks down the soldier that killed her mother, and comes inches within killing him in revenge

(#316). The violence of war has created an artificial hatred of an entire nationa border.

In a parallel, analyzing the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Richard

Lee Turits explains how the intellectual elite tried to portray ethnic Haitians as blacker, and

Dominicans white, but that racism on both sides was not rampant until the violence actually

started (Turits: 2002, 629).

IV. How are these borders broken?

Temporally: Looking back in time

Turits argues that to deconstruct the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic,

we should look back at a time in which the frontier was a place of mixing of ethnic Haitians and

Dominicans.Avatarconstantly looks back in time to help us see a time before borders were clear

cut.

For example, the wartime Fire Nation prevents any form of self-expression. However,

Aang, while disguised as a student, invites all of his classmates to a dance party, showing off

Fire Nation dance moves from 100 years ago (#302). The other children slowly, but eventually

join in. Using his experience, Aang is able to break this knowledge barrier.


8/13

Similarly, throughout the show, we are only told of four nations, but no mention of a

(secretly ongoing) ancient society, the Sun Warriors. While the Fire Nation teaches

firebending driven by anger, these people (along with the original masters of firebending, the

dragons), teach Aang and Zuko that fire is really energy, and life (#313). This is another

knowledge barrierinformation lost to history. It is only broken when the two reclaim the true

nature of firebending.

Zuko also notices how his modern Fire Nation seems to have taken architecture from

the Sun Warriors (#313). This is an interesting to parallel to Maria Rosa Menocals Ornament of

the World, which shows how Andaluca is a testament to how Muslim rule shaped the

architecture and knowledge of Spain (Menocal: 2002). While we may popularize certain origin

narratives, this is a testament to how influences on our history are deeper than that.

The Human Element

As characters cross over borders (often physically), they notice that people do not fit in

the nice categories we place them inthere is no strictly good and evilas the violently created

borders may have us assume. Instead, the human elementanalyzing and understanding other

individualshelps us get beyond these binaries.

First, Zuko is a complicated character. He is the main antagonist of the entire first season,

but after lessons on destiny and righteousness from his uncle, Iroh, he has a major shift in

season twohe stops his hunt for the Avatar, and joins his uncle in starting a tea shop. However,

in the moment of the truth at the end of the second season, he strikes down his uncle, and returns

to the Fire Nation. Iroh correctly analyzes him: Evil and good are always at war inside you,

Zuko. It is your nature, your legacy. But there is a bright sideyou alone can cleanse the sins of

our family, andrestore balance to the world (#306). Finally, without needing the advice of his


9/13

uncle, he finally joins the Avatar in the fight against his father. Zukos story almost makes him

the hero of the series, and forces us to reconsider whether evil people are just evil. Instead,

everything has good and bad.

On the flipside, the other nations are usually portrayed as good. However, even within

them, there is a battle between good and evil as well. For example, the Water Tribes are

generally considered good and peaceful. However, Hama, a master waterbender, uses her skill

in bloodbendingliterally controlling other beings through the water in their bloodto abduct

citizens of the Fire Nation. She crafted the technique after decades of torture and imprisonment

in the Fire Nation to escape her imprisonment. The anger and insanity with which she left drives

to abduct these people (#318).

Similarly, the Earth Kingdom has Long Feng, the corrupt leader of the Dai Li (the

cultural police who brainwashed people). He explains to the Avatar that he prevents mention of

the war to avoid troubling the Earth King, who was an idol to his people (# 214). However, his

real intention is to keep political control over the King and the Kingdom. So in general, the

binaries of good and evil do not hold up very well.

An interesting real world parallel to this is found in Frantz FanonsWretched of the

Earth. He is a psychologist who treats both native Algerians, and their French colonizers.

Though we usually see the colonizers as evil, the fact that many of them end up with such

severe psychological trauma that they need psychiatric help, humanizes them.

Finally, the human element includes finding commonalities. For example, before Team

Avatar is aware of Zukos conversion to their side, Katara hates Zuko. As they are in jail

together, Katara screams at him: Youre a terrible person you knowSpreading war and

violence and hatred is in your bloodThe Fire Nation took my motheraway from me.


10/13

However, Zuko honestly responds: Im sorry. Thats something we have in common (#220).

Here, finding commonalities, and being able to empathize deconstructs the borders that were

created by violence.

Transcending Borders: concepts that are relevant across borders

An important concept is friendship. Aang frequently alludes to friends in the other

nations before the war. He used to visit his friend Bumi in the Earth Kingdom, and Kuzon in the

Fire Nation. Team Avatar itself is a team of benders of allthe elements, and a non-bender.

Similarly the clandestine Order of the White Lotus contains masters from each of the nations,

including a non-bending master swordsman (#319). While from a political standpoint, borders

may be important, from the viewpoint of relationships, borders become completely unimportant.

The arts also transcend the borders of both time and space. For example, Sokka lies to

master swordsman Piandao that he is of the Fire Nation so that he would teach him. Upon

learning that Sokka is of the Water Tribe, Piandao proceeds to duel him. However, Piandao

reveals he knew Sokka was Water Tribe all along, noting: The way of the sword doesn't belong

to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all (#304). While most of the show

revolves around the hard borders of the nation, this is a clear example of knowledge that

transcends the borders.

A theme throughout the show is interconnectedness. The swamp benders explain: We all

have the same roots, and we are all branches of the same tree (#204). In the show, they are

referencing spiritual connections between beings, but it is still useful to understand this as a

metaphor. We literally dohave the same rootswe all have a common ancestor in the first

human being, and are simply branches from that ancestor. So, we are part of one

interconnected, metaphorical familysomething that transcends four divided nations.


11/13

V. Conclusionwhy is a TV show important?Clearly, we do not live in a world divided into only four nations, we do not have

benders who can physically manipulate the elements, and we do not have sky bison that fly

with their tailsthe entire story is fiction. However, author Neil Gaiman, giving a lecture on the

importance of fiction, argues truth is not in what happens but what it tells us about who we are.

Fiction is the lie that tells the truth(Gaiman: 2014).

Many of the academic, non-fiction, works on borders present a narrative of a border,

and propose solutions. However, non-fiction does not imply trutheach work instead presents a

biased way to frame a certain problem. On the other hand, deconstructing borders is not likely

the intent ofAvatar, but the fiction subtly asks one to think about these themesa lie that gets

to truthso provides a similar contribution to border discourse as non-fiction.

As this paper has shown, it constantly presents pairs of constructing and deconstructing

borders: Education and narratives can create borders, but acquiring knowledge from various

sources including the past allows us to bypass them. Violence creates a border of a binary good

vs. evil, but seeing the human elementthe good (and the bad)on both sides complicates the

situation.

Overall, taking an outsiders perspective on the borders ofAvatarhelps us take a step

back to how borders are created and destroyed in our own world. It is often hard to see how the

history we learn in schools is biased, or how national narratives exclude other peoplebecause

we are a part of that system. However, by comparing scenes from the TV show to our own

world, we learn to be critical of concepts like education, and violence. On the other hand, we can

derive knowledge on deconstructing borders from the show. From the ever inspirational and wise

Uncle Iroh: Understanding otherswill help you become whole.


12/13

Works Cited

Anderson, Benedict R. O'G.Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of

Nationalism. London: Verso, 1991. Print.

DiMartino, Michael D., and Bryan Konietzko.Avatar the Last Airbender. Nickelodeon. New York,

New York, 21 Feb. 2005. Television.

Fanon, Frantz, and Richard Philcox.

-Paul Sartre , Homi K. Bhabha. Nueva York (Estados Unidos):

Grove, 2004. Print.

Gaiman, Neil. "Neil Gaiman: Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming."

Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 08 June 2014.

.

Huntington, Samuel P. "The Hispanic Challenge."Foreign Policy. N.p., 1 Mar. 2004. Web. 9 June

2014. .

Larson, Christina. "Un-Remembering the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing." Bloomberg

Business Week. Bloomberg, 04 June 2014. Web. 09 June 2014.

.

Menocal, Maria Rosa. The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a

Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain. Boston: Back Bay / Little, Brown, 2002. Print.

Said, Edward W. Introduction. Orientalism. New York: Vintage, 1979. N. pag. Print.

Shields, David S. "Civilization." Keywords for American Cultural Studies. New York: New York UP,

2007. N. pag. Print.


13/13

Turits, R. L. "A World Destroyed, A Nation Imposed: The 1937 Haitian Massacre in the Dominican

Republic."Hispanic American Historical Review82.3 (2002): 589-636. Web.

.

Walking the Line. Dir. Jeremy Levine and Landon V. Soest. 2005. DVD.

Winichakul, Thongchai. Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-body of a Nation. Honolulu: U of Hawaii,

1994. Print.

Karthik Final Paper

Documents

Transcript of Karthik Final Paper