Post by Impextoo on Jun 20, 2005 10:54:40 GMT -5
Katara is painfully idealistic. It's not a bad thing to hope for a better world, but sometimes she puts that ahead of more immediate concerns. She grew up in a harsh environment, having lost both of her parents to the war (her father gone off to fight and her mother dead in a raid), and had a rather dead-end life before Aang came. It's only natural that she'd want something better than what was around her. I think her poor judgment is due in part to the desire for something better.
At the same time, she's being forced to grow up, more so than in the South Pole. She had to take on the motherly reponsiblities and help in the leadership of the tribe. She was a child doing a job that would be a burdensome for an adult. I'm pretty sure she saw Aang as an answer to her prayers, that he would get her out. She's unbelievably mature for her age, given her circumstances.
I think perhaps we, as the fans, tend to view her as older than her 14 years and lament her decisions when they don't measure up. She is a child, and certain license should be given to her occasion displays of temper and exasperation. She's still learning and maturing. Her worldview, previously confined to life at the South Pole, is growing with each episode. She learned that you couldn't trust everyone fighting the Fire Nation or good-looking boys (as exemplified with her crush on Jet).
Finally, let's not forget she is the only main female character in the show. Being surrounded by Aang and Sokka all the time would test anybody's nerves. I know that some of us (myself included) watch Katara and yell, "What are you doing?! Stop being so stupid!" But at the same time, I sit and do that to a lot of my friends because we're girls and we do some pretty irrational stuff sometime. Girls are a lot more emotional and perhaps more illogical in their decisions (come on, think about it--a guy with feelings? who'd actually admit it? puh-lease!).
She's a 14 year old girl in the company of her older, sexist brother, a ten ton flying bison, a flying lemur, a 12 year old Airbender who just so happens to be the Avatar and last hope of the world, and of course, let's not forget the entire Fire Nation that's after them.
I think she's doing just fine.
^_^
At the same time, she's being forced to grow up, more so than in the South Pole. She had to take on the motherly reponsiblities and help in the leadership of the tribe. She was a child doing a job that would be a burdensome for an adult. I'm pretty sure she saw Aang as an answer to her prayers, that he would get her out. She's unbelievably mature for her age, given her circumstances.
I think perhaps we, as the fans, tend to view her as older than her 14 years and lament her decisions when they don't measure up. She is a child, and certain license should be given to her occasion displays of temper and exasperation. She's still learning and maturing. Her worldview, previously confined to life at the South Pole, is growing with each episode. She learned that you couldn't trust everyone fighting the Fire Nation or good-looking boys (as exemplified with her crush on Jet).
Finally, let's not forget she is the only main female character in the show. Being surrounded by Aang and Sokka all the time would test anybody's nerves. I know that some of us (myself included) watch Katara and yell, "What are you doing?! Stop being so stupid!" But at the same time, I sit and do that to a lot of my friends because we're girls and we do some pretty irrational stuff sometime. Girls are a lot more emotional and perhaps more illogical in their decisions (come on, think about it--a guy with feelings? who'd actually admit it? puh-lease!).
She's a 14 year old girl in the company of her older, sexist brother, a ten ton flying bison, a flying lemur, a 12 year old Airbender who just so happens to be the Avatar and last hope of the world, and of course, let's not forget the entire Fire Nation that's after them.
I think she's doing just fine.
^_^