Unpopular opinion: Fandom misapplies the Scapegoat/Golden Child dynamic with Zuko and Azula
I've said before that the way fandom assigns the Scapgoat/Golden Child roles to Zuko and Azula gets a little out of hand.
TL;DR for that post: fandom takes a few things Zuko says about Azula as gospel but ignores how Ozai actually interacts with Azula on the show.
I'm going to expand that point and say that it also ignores the way Zuko is actually treated on the show.
The way fandom would have it, Ozai did nothing but heap scorn on Zuko from the day he was born. But is that really so? The events of the show don't bear that out.
Make no mistake; Ozai absolutely abused his children. He challenged his own son to an Agni Kai just for talking out of turn, and Zuko bears his distinctive scar as a result. But I'm not so sure that Ozai's abuse of Zuko manifested as a constant barrage of vitriol. What he does in the show is create an atmosphere of unrelenting tension, where everyone's on pins and needles, waiting for the shoe to drop. It just so happens that the shoe always drops on Zuko. But there's a reason for that.
It's interesting to note that Ozai's rationale for burning Zuko was to teach him "respect," but in reality, what Zuko did "wrong" was undermine the image of the all-powerful sovereign that Ozai constantly seeks to project. His assessment of Zuko as a "miserable failure" has nothing to do with a general scorn for Zuko as a person, but seething rage at how Zuko's inability to meet his unrealistic expectations reflects poorly on the All-Powerful Ruler Of The World persona he invests so much of himself in.
But how is Zuko treated when he's not on Ozai's shit list for making him look bad in front of his followers?
I believe the two best places to look are: how he behaves during his banishment and how he's treated upon his return to the Fire Nation.
"Lieutenant! You'd better learn some respect—or I will teach it to you."—Zuko, "The Storm"
"This is humiliating! We're royalty! These people should be giving us whatever we want."—Zuko, "The Swamp"
"My name is Zuko. Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai. Prince of the Fire Nation, and heir to the throne."—Zuko, "Zuko Alone"
Good things that are happening for you! Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?—Zuko, "Lake Laogai"
Zuko talks about his status as prince, his throne, and his destiny to become Fire Lord almost as much as he talks about his honor. These are not the words or the attitude of someone who does not feel entitled to what he thinks he deserves.
That persistent and outspoken entitlement runs counter to the Scapegoat role fandom assigns to Zuko. That's not to say that Ozai never praised Azula while disparaging Zuko. The "lucky to be born" comment proves that he's done it at least once. But let's not make him out to be the Cinderella of the Fire Nation royal family, forced to sleep on ashes while Azula gets a clean, soft bed.
While I'm on the subject of entitlement, it's so perplexing to see fanfic and headcanons that characterize Azula as lording her royal status over everyone because she never draws attention to it on the show. In fact, she seems to go out of her way to avoid doing so. Even when she gives her speech to Long Feng about the divine right to rule, she's not talking about her title as princess but about that mysterious quality that separates great leaders and shapers of history from everybody else.
But I digress.
Zuko's entitlement through most of the show suggests that when he's not actively on Ozai's bad side, he gets and believes he deserves everything he wants. It's only when his actions threaten Ozai's persona of supreme power and authority that Ozai gets nasty with him.
Then there's how Zuko gets treated when he returns from exile.
"I am proud of you, Prince Zuko. I am proud because you and your sister conquered Ba Sing Se. I am proud because when your loyalty was tested by your treacherous uncle, you did the right thing and captured the traitor. And I am proudest of all of your most legendary accomplishment: you slayed the Avatar." —Ozai, "The Awakening"
"Prince Zuko, everyone's waiting for you. [...] The high admirals, the high generals, the war ministers, and the princess have all arrived. You're the only person missing. [...] The Fire Lord said he would not start until you arrived, sir." —Servant, "Nightmares and Dreamscapes"
When I got to the meeting, everyone welcomed me. My father had saved me a seat. He wanted me next to him. I was literally at his right hand.—Zuko, "Nightmares and Dreamscapes"
As much as fandom paints Zuko as the Un-Favorite compared to Azula, the show doesn't affirm that. In fact, after "proving himself," he seems to have gained more favor in Ozai's eyes than Azula (which, interestingly enough, doesn't seem to bother Azula at all). Until Zuko does a Heel-Face Turn and betrays the Fire Nation to join the Avatar, Azula takes a back seat to him in Ozai's esteem. Again, it's because Ozai's convinced that Zuko achieved something that makes him look more powerful in front of others. That's not to say he had it easy. Being the child of Fire Lord Ozai is a hardship in itself. However, based on what's going on for the first half of Book 3, it's kinda hard to see him as the underdog.
Of course, this post wouldn't be complete if I didn't include some kind of feminist or womanist analysis to the roles these characters inhabit with Ozai. Consider:
"Not all Golden Children [...] are Golden Children on the basis of what they do. [...] Some become Golden Children by dint of factors that often have cultural relevance, such as gender. In many cultures, tragically, boys are valued much more than girls from birth, and in this way, it is not atypical for an eldest son to be a Golden Child, and subsequent children, especially daughters, becoming Scapegoats or taking other unpleasant family roles [such as the Invisible Child*]. It doesn't matter what kind of person that son is or what he does. The son is golden by dint of his gender." (source)
Does this mean fandom has been misreading the Scapegoat/Golden Child dynamic the whole time? Is Zuko the Golden Child and Azula the Scapegoat? TBH, I'm not sure that's the right way of looking at it. I'm just saying that it's not so simple when you scratch the surface. These are not rigid categories that never change and have no overlap with each other or with other roles assigned within a toxic family. Fandom, I think, mistakes the Scapegoat, Golden Child, and Invisible Child for identities when a better way to see them is as functions.
Viewed through that lens, Zuko and Azula are assigned different roles that serve different functions at different points in time. So, yes, there are times when, in Ozai's eyes, Zuko is the Golden Child and Azula the Invisible Child. There are times when Zuko is the Scapegoat, and Azula becomes the Golden Child. It all depends on how well each of them is fulfilling Ozai's bottomless need for validation.
*Does this remind you of anyone?
"Narcissists [...] have such a tendency to view other people as conveniences or inconveniences, that when you're useful to a narcissist, they're all about you, but when you're not [...] the narcissist may find that child to be a headache, and they can sort of fade into the background for the narcissistic parent [...] The challenge of this is that the Invisible Child, like any child, will often spend time trying to get the notice of their parents. They'll do anything they can. They'll try to be the best possible kid. They'll try to be more than enough, whether that's getting grades or staying out of trouble or sometimes getting into trouble just so they can get the notice of their parents."
