Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’ is NOT depicting Katara and Aang’s mother/son relationship. Stop lying Zutarians.
Everyone in the ATLA fandom has heard this at some point: the image of Katara holding Aang’s corpse in “Crossroads of Destiny” is similar to Michelangelo’s famous sculpture ‘Pieta,” which depicts the Virgin Mary cradling Jesus’ corpse after his crucifixion.
For years, this has been used by Zutarians as quintessential proof that Katara was Aang’s mother, that their relationship was never meant to be romantic, and that Zuko and Katara were supposed to be together. This line of logic and comparison is inane and moronic. Before I get into the heart of what’s wrong with this argument, here are a few smaller issues that Zutarians don’t address (or ignore).
1. Arguing Katara was a mother to only Aang denies who Katara naturally is. Many aspects synonymous with motherhood were presented through Katara throughout the series, stemming from the loss of her own mother at such a young age. As a result, she acts like this towards everyone in the group. She does it with Aang, but also Sokka, Toph, and hell, even Zuko once he joins the group. There’s an entire episode built around Katara’s motherly nature called “The Runaway.” Initially played by Toph as an attack against Katara, it turns into one of the things she most admires about her, and Sokka also admits that when he thinks of their mother, all he sees is Katara. This alone should nip this argument in the bud, but I’ll continue with the next point.
2. Many still to this day argue that Aaron Ehasz (head writer of ATLA, and writer of “Crossroads”) was a secret Zutara shipper and threw in small hints to appease Zutarians, and Zutarians have since used this to go after Bryke. There’s some issues with this logic. Firstly, Ehasz has denied, twice I might add in documented interviews, this allegation, and acknowledged that there are fake stories surrounding him in regards to the show’s production saying he argued for Zuko and Katara. Secondly, “Crossroads” is the only episode in the series directed by co-creator Michael Dante Dimartino, you know, that same person that Zutarians say they hate because he made Kataang canon. Why would he, through such an “obvious” piece of imagery, portray Katara as Aang’s mother if he wanted Kataang? Why would he and Bryan keep Ehasz as head writer if they constantly fought and bickered and had different ideas on what direction the show should go in?
But even with all that, Zutarians are ignoring the true meaning of this imagery, and replacing it with their own half-brained interpretation. Yes, Mary is the mother of Jesus, and the way that Mary holds Jesus is eerily similar to the way Katara holds Aang. But this is not a depiction of a mother mourning the loss of her son, but rather the mourning of the world’s Savior.
Let’s start with what the word ‘Pieta,’ it comes from the Latin word ‘piety.’ When the Pieta first originated in 13th century Germany and later popularized by the Franciscans (of which Michelangelo belonged), it represented faithfulness and devotion. Scripture presents Mary as the most pious and holy figure, outside of Jesus, in all of the New Testament. It is why God chose her, a virgin, to be the mother of His son. From Mary’s birth (the Immaculate Conception), Mary was virtuous and steadfast in her faith, she was not bound by the affects of original sin committed by Adam and Eve, she was, by all accounts, perfect, or a better term, immaculate. Michelangelo depicts Mary in her 30′s because youthfulness has also been used to depict purity. “Do you not know that chaste women stay afresh much more than those who are not chaste? How much more in the case of the Virgin, who had never experienced the least lascivious desire that might change her body?”
Katara was always presented as the most hopeful and optimistic character in the show. In her opening narration in the pilot episode, she mentions “ Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven’t lost hope. I still believe that, somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world.” She never gave up while others did, and this hope continued after she found out that Aang was the Avatar (hence why her line changes to “But I believe, Aang can save the world.”). She never stopped believing in Aang bringing back balance, she never lost her faith, she was pious, even in the most desperate times. It’s one of the many reasons I admire Katara, her strength is derived from her hope. Now that is not to say Katara is a perfect comparison to Mary, Katara has shown her flaws and the ability to be corrupted (”The Southern Raiders” shows her blood bending, consumed by revenge, and almost murdering someone), while Mary is incorruptible. But Katara and Mary’s youth, optimism, faith, and piety is what is depicted in both ‘Pieta’ and “Crossroads of Destiny.”
So yes, Katara can represent the Virgin Mary, but not in the same sense of a mother mourning the loss of her son. Instead, it’s the comparison of these two faith-bound individuals seeing their world’s Savior be killed. And in that sense, Aang and Jesus also bear similarities.
Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ-figure, the path to God’s forgiveness and salvation. Through faith in Jesus, we are able to accept God’s love and grace.
John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
John 14:6 “Jesus answered ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.”
And of course, one of the most famous verses from all of the Gospels, John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Faith in Jesus brings us closer to God. Baptism washes away original sin. Through celebrating the Eucharist, we acknowledge and remember Christ’s sacrifice for us, that he gave us life for our salvation. Jesus was despised in his lifetime, the Pharisees sought to end his teachings, as they did not recognize him as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. During his Passion, Jesus was betrayed by a supposed ally (Judas), mocked and ridiculed (Crown of Thorns), tortured and imprisoned (being flogged), his death overseen by a reluctant participant (Pontius Pilate trying to spare Jesus’ life and washing his hands), and his eventual death (crucifixion) and resurrection (on the 3rd day).
Aang, but more specifically, the Avatar, is the closest thing we have in the series to a Messiah figure. He is the world’s Savior, the one who is meant to maintain balance between the 4 nations, as well as act as the bridge between the spirit world and the material world. The world awaited his return, and it was his destiny to stop the Fire Lord and restore balance caused by the sins of previous generations. During the show, Aang is betrayed by a supposed ally (Zuko, who we saw happy in Ba Sing Se), mocked and ridiculed (Ember Island Players, treated like a child, yelled at by the fisherman), tortured and imprisoned (Zhao in The Blue Spirit where he torments him over the loss of his people), his death overseen by a reluctant participant (Zuko siding with Azula, but feeling remorse over his decision throughout S3), and his eventual death (Azula’s lightning) and resurrection (Katara’s spirit water).
The comparison between the two pictures is not and was never meant to symbolize a mother mourning the loss of her son, but the mourning of the last hope for the world, and a call to salvation and faith. I only wish the Zutarians would be honest, instead of grasping at straws like they always do.
