Sure, some people don't need to drink poison to know it's bad. But Zuko isn't one of those people.
LOL! That so sums up the character, I love it.
Hubby and I are still arguing over whether that makes Zuko weaker or stronger.
I think I'd go with neither--I mean, that it's not so much about weaker or stronger but learning style. Or maybe what he's learning. Like I said in the post, I think the problem with Zuko turning in that ep was that he always would have held onto a dream that was a fantasy. Even if he never betrayed the GAang--which he probably wouldn't because of the honor thing--there would always be a part of him that felt like he'd failed to regain his honor and that would define him. It was only by going back to the Fire Nation and seeing his father again that he really got it and understood what he wanted and why he couldn't get it.
One of the cool things about the show, I guess, is the way all the characters are so clear with their own issues and ways of learning. Zuko definitely seems to be the poison-drinker kind of learner. He's all about the senses and seems to need to experience things to really learn. As a comment above I think points out, his story is really all internal, but it's always played externally through his interactions with people. So that even when he's alone in WAT he has to imagine interacting with other people to try to figure out what to do.
Which is different from, say, Aang, who has his own things that he's uncomfortable with. Zuko always wants to try things with fire (even if things keep blowing up in his face), Aang would rather deflect or jump over things, Toph must face everything head on. And they all keep getting put in positions that challenge the way they do things. Zuko's all about that focus throughout the series, but he's focusing on completely the wrong thing that makes him conflicted and explosive. Aang would rather just be happy and avoid trouble and be friends...and instead he's forced to be the Avatar at the time the Avatar has to stand and fight.
And I love the three boys together, being so different. Like the way that Zuko and Aang seem to kind of fit well together, like they'd have been good friends if they met under different circumstances as kids, where as Sokka is also awesome but has more trouble with Aang. (And less with Zuko.) It's Katara who has the most conflict with Zuko. I just love how every relationship has something there!
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Date: 2008-07-08 04:04 pm (UTC)LOL! That so sums up the character, I love it.
Hubby and I are still arguing over whether that makes Zuko weaker or stronger.
I think I'd go with neither--I mean, that it's not so much about weaker or stronger but learning style. Or maybe what he's learning. Like I said in the post, I think the problem with Zuko turning in that ep was that he always would have held onto a dream that was a fantasy. Even if he never betrayed the GAang--which he probably wouldn't because of the honor thing--there would always be a part of him that felt like he'd failed to regain his honor and that would define him. It was only by going back to the Fire Nation and seeing his father again that he really got it and understood what he wanted and why he couldn't get it.
One of the cool things about the show, I guess, is the way all the characters are so clear with their own issues and ways of learning. Zuko definitely seems to be the poison-drinker kind of learner. He's all about the senses and seems to need to experience things to really learn. As a comment above I think points out, his story is really all internal, but it's always played externally through his interactions with people. So that even when he's alone in WAT he has to imagine interacting with other people to try to figure out what to do.
Which is different from, say, Aang, who has his own things that he's uncomfortable with. Zuko always wants to try things with fire (even if things keep blowing up in his face), Aang would rather deflect or jump over things, Toph must face everything head on. And they all keep getting put in positions that challenge the way they do things. Zuko's all about that focus throughout the series, but he's focusing on completely the wrong thing that makes him conflicted and explosive. Aang would rather just be happy and avoid trouble and be friends...and instead he's forced to be the Avatar at the time the Avatar has to stand and fight.
And I love the three boys together, being so different. Like the way that Zuko and Aang seem to kind of fit well together, like they'd have been good friends if they met under different circumstances as kids, where as Sokka is also awesome but has more trouble with Aang. (And less with Zuko.) It's Katara who has the most conflict with Zuko. I just love how every relationship has something there!