Fire Nation Sexism?
I enjoy any Avatar content that comes my way, including Reckoning/Awakening of Roku. But presenting Sozin as sexist and trying to imply that it’s systemic didn’t really make sense? With any previously published material on the Fire Nation or even with the Roku books themselves?
Atla:
Azula is the favored heir for the THRONE. Has been from the time she was a TODDLER. She was trained in both combat and military strategy from childhood, just as much if not more so than her older brother. Not only was this the case when Ozai was Fire Lord, but even when Ozai was a Prince and the primary use for his children was to elevate his standing in Azulon’s eyes. Meaning Ozai did not see any detriment in winning his father over with a daughter rather than a son. So, Ozai doesn’t care about gender. Azulon, SOZIN’S SON, doesn’t care about gender. Despite Sozin’s comment in RoR, gender doesn’t appear to be a significant factor in line of succession.
Mai and Ty Lee clearly indicate that combat training for noble girls is not unique to Azula. In fact, considering how restricted Mai is portrayed and how she seems to have chosen to conform to the decorum expected of her station, it’s pretty clear that combative prowess is an EXPECTATION for noblewomen.
The Home Guard portrayed in “The Headband” is predominantly female. The guards at the Boiling Rock, the highest security prison in the Fire Nation, appears to have a roughly even mix of male and female. Admittedly, the deployed soldiers that are given faces/voices seem to be all male. Which could indicate a divide where men are generally stationed abroad while women are generally stationed domestically. But still generall not shy about women in the military and military-adjacent professions. (Obviously, military isn’t everything. But as the show is mostly focused on the war, that’s the majority of what we have to work with.)
Kyoshi:
Rangi and her mother exist. Hei Ran apparently even taught the Fire Lord himself, and as his former teacher is one of the few people in the world allowed to treat him like an equal, not to mention having been chosen to teach the Avatar twice over. Also, in Shadow, Hei Ran and Rangi’s main political rivals are female.
Yangchen:
At a time when each of the 3 more-monetarily minded nations could only interact and trade through one city each, the Fire Lord appointed appointed a woman named Chaisee to manage that city, and therefore the entirety of their immigration and international trade.
Avatar Legends “Era of Roku” information:
Yuyan archers were founded by a woman. One whom Sozin asked to pass on her archery training.
Technically Hundred Years War Era, but one of the pre-made campaigns centers around a female Fire Nation General.
Roku books:
Ta Min is able to go into a career in politics.
Dalisay is a scholar, apparently respected enough to tutor the princess.
Sozin himself, despite the occasional sexist narration, works almost exclusively with female specialists. A scholar with a rope dart, a mercenary, a politician.
Honestly, the vast majority of interesting Fire Nation characters we meet are female. All of them are clearly encouraged to excel (whether for their own benefit or the benefit of those who would use them). Many of them hold positions of power and respect. There is no particular indication of separate gender roles with the possible exception of where soldiers are stationed. So the handful of mental comments that Sozin makes don’t really mesh.
The Water Tribes were most definitely and explicitly sexist. The North more than the South, but the show clearly explored that as being part of both cultures. The Earth Kingdom doesn’t explicitly state anything about gender roles outside of beating them out of Sokka on Kyoshi Island, but it does appear to be implied as a patriarchal society (with the exception of Kyoshi Island itself. Though, considering Suki wasn’t confused by Sokka’s attitude and the island was so isolated, that attitude must have existed to some degree there as well).
The Fire Nation and Air Nomads don’t seem to have that. Ironic, considering the Air Nomads literally separated the temples by gender. But I’m pretty sure that’s mostly to ensure that children are raised by the Temple rather than a Family Unit, and what little we have about their daily lives shows no difference between the men and the women except for where their home base is.
Randy Ribay did contribute some interesting things to the Extended Avatarverse. But the tacked on sexism bit was not one of them.
