ATLA Book One:Water
Chapter Six: Imprisoned
In which Sokka gathers
some nuts, Aang plays with a butterfly, and Haru appears without a moustache.
This is the show’s first big Katara-centric episode, and
once again there are no main antagonists (although a delightful turn from
George Takei, who is given some great lines) save for Zuko’s wordless cameo at
the end. This speaks to the nature of the show in these early episodes: at this
point in the show, the presence of Zuko or Zhao would necessitate an
Aang-centric episode. But instead we get a story that pushes Katara’s hero’s
journey forward, as she gets to be the protagonist of an episode instead of
being the story’s narrator. And the episode focuses on the trait foregrounded
in her credits narration for the opening episode: her hope, which this episode pits
against the damage of the hundred year war.
The episode gains this this focus through her connection to
Haru, a link first made through their shared identities as benders. Katara is
keen to meet Haru after to meet Haru because he’s an earthbender, just as she
was thrilled to discover Aang is an airbender: having grown up without knowing
any other waterbenders, she is thrilled to meet any other people who can, on
some level, understand her gift. Throughout the episode, emphasis is repeatedly
placed on the importance of bending to a bender’s identity, with this
importance being particularly marked in Katara’s characterisation.
Katara’s experience as a bender has parallels to those of
both Aang and Haru: like Aang, she is the last bender from her culture, though
Aang grew up without benders only to have that culture torn from him, whereas
Katara was always the only waterbender in her tribe after all the others were
captured and imprisoned by the fire nation. And like Haru, she struggled to
learn her element, but she struggled because there was no one to teach her,
whereas Haru struggled because it is taboo to learn in his fire Nation occupied
village, and being an earthbender could result in his imprisonment. Aang has
been left with the pressure of being the sole representative of his element’s
culture and history, Haru has to practice in secret, and Katara cannot truly
learn without travelling across the world. Each of these children provide an
example from the Earth, Air, and Water Nations of the effect the Fire Nation’s
war has had on the rest of the world: None of them are able to explore this
crucial part of their identity and culture in a normal, healthy way.
Katara and Haru also connect over their lost parents, in a
discussion that demonstrates how families have been torn apart by the Fire
Nation’s war. Of particular interest is the moment Haru compares Katara to his
father, a comparison that is fascinating in light of the contrast between
Katara’s idealism and the pragmatism of Haru’s father in the prison camps.
Haru’s explanation of how bending keeps him connected to his father further
emphasises the importance of bending to the identity of benders, and also leads
to a highlighting of Katara missing her mother. For the first time the show draws
attention to Katara’s necklace, beautifully seeding a well-structured subplot
that is paid off wonderfully at the end of the season.
And so Katara persuades Haru to live up to her ideals,
getting him to do the right thing, and to embrace his identity as a bender,
both things she is learning to do, by helping the trapped man. This results in
Haru getting captured, but this spirit she inspires in Haru is crucial to the
Episode’s resolution.
Aang and Sokka’s willingness to help Katara shines through
in the face of Haru’s capture, as both boys agree to help her get to the rig
almost without question. Sokka’s pragmatism rubs against Katara’s idealism,
just as it will do to Aang in future episodes, a fact demonstrated by Aang
instantly agreeing to get everyone off the rig while Sokka protests and tries
to persuade Katara to run away. But both boys ultimately unwaveringly support
Katara, as they will do whenever she finds a cause worth fighting for. We also
see Sokka’s tactical abilities comes into use for the first time, as he comes
up with the plan to use the coal and the ventilation shafts: the group
interactions of the main cast are taking on a more defined shape.
And it’s just as well she has their support: the
hopelessness the Fire Nation has inspired in the occupied Earth Kingdom towns
is written all over the two main settings of the story. We’ve seen evidence of
the damage the war has done before now in the show: the depleted Southern Water
Tribe and the massacre at the Southern Air Temple are both examples of what the
fire nation has done to the world over the course of the war. However, the
settings in this episode provide examples of what the material damage being
done to the Earth Kingdom in the show’s present.
In the village, we see guards bleeding Haru’s mother, the
owner of a small shop, dry, and we see the total compliance she engages in in
the hopes that her son won’t be taken from her, and her family won’t be further
torn apart. We see her hide the identity of her son, admonishing him for trying
to practice the one thing that keeps him connected to his missing father, and
shooing the three strangers who threaten to disturb the fragile equilibrium she
is maintaining. The language she uses when discussing bending is particularly
telling:
“Earthbending is forbidden. It's caused nothing but misery
for this village! He must never use his abilities.”
Haru’s Earthbending is not just forbidden to keep him safe
from Fire nation troops, but is stigmatised as a cause of “misery” by his
community. They are so scared of the Fire Nation that they have become
suspicious of anything that could be used to fight back. Finally, we see an old
man selling out the boy saved him, perhaps because of the stigma that has
developed towards bending, perhaps because he was hoping the guards would
reward, perhaps because he was being threatened. Either way, the old man
becomes a prime example of a member of an invaded place scrabbling around for
the favour of their invaders by ratting out good people.
But the damage of the Fire nation’s war machine is truly
revealed when we head over to the rig. Katara meets Haru’s father, and he seems
kind, humourous, and a natural leader – watch the other prisoners head towards
him. But the man whose former fighting talk was likened to Katara’s by Haru is,
judging by his promise to “speak to the guards”, on good terms with the jailors.
Prisoners and former freedom fighters have been reduced to trying to keep their
heads down and not make trouble, showing their oppressors reverence and fear in
the hopes this behaviour will keep them safe, and help them wait out the war. When
Katara makes her first rallying call for a jailbreak, informing the prisoners
of the Avatar’s return, the thing she describes as her source of hope in the
very first title sequence, she is met with downward glances, and an entire prison yard carrying on with their business.
Similarly, they stare blankly at the coal she gives them as a chance to break
free and fight back: when they are offered a chance to take on their
oppressors, they seem too scared to take it.
But Katara’s hope wins through thanks to Haru embracing the
message Katara taught him earlier in the episode, accepting his identity as an earthbender,
and doing the right thing by fighting back. It is telling that Haru is the
person to take the coal: he is the person on the rig least affected by the
warden’s oppression, having only just arrived, and Katara’s words are fresh in
his ears. And Haru’s courage finally pushes his father back into action, and
rebellion against the war being waged on his home, his family, and his
personhood.
And so the Earthbenders break free. Katara goes up against
an oppressive war machine that has driven a group of people to despairing
compliance with its commands, fighting it with just her ideals, friends, and
uncrushable hope. And she wins against the war machine, with her hope rubbing
off on this group of hopeless prisoners and enabling them to free themselves. Katara
may not be an all-powerful waterbending master yet, but she’s definitely
already a hero.
End of Part Five.
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