In the past, many Korean adults dismissed "Star Wars" as kids’ stuff, thereby failing to learn valuable lessons from the monumental film. Similarly, we may assume that "Avatar: The Last Airbender," a 2024 American fantasy-adventure TV series developed by Albert Kim for Netflix, is not for adults. However, if we dismiss this show as children's entertainment, we will once again lose an opportunity to learn important lessons from it.
In the series, the world is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads. As is well known, water, earth, fire and air are the four basic elements of the universe, all of which are crucial for human survival. Therefore, these four elements are supposed to coexist peacefully.
Unfortunately, in the show, the four nations are at war. The Fire Nation is so belligerent that it has annihilated the Air Nomads using comets, and it is now attacking the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom to conquer them. Like fire itself, the people of the Fire Nation are ferocious and fiercely driven, and the Fire Lord is a ruthless tyrant. For them, fire is the element of power. As an imperialistic state, the Fire Nation pursues ultra-patriotism and absolute monarchy while colonizing other nations, using fire and lightning as weapons.
The series notes that for the Water Tribes, “Water is the element of change. Just as ice transforms to liquid, then into mist, the people of the Water Tribes transform adversity into growth.” The people of the Water Tribes also believe that water is the foundation of life. They can turn water into ice to use as a weapon. In a sense, they symbolize countries of oceanic civilization.
As for the Earth Kingdom, the TV show states, “Earth is the element of strength. The people of the Earth Kingdom are resilient and enduring.” The people of the Earth Kingdom also believe that earth is the foundation of life; indeed, all plants and flowers grow from the soil. They can turn earth into rocks to use as weapons. The Earth Kingdom serves as a metaphor for countries of continental civilization.
Referring to the Air Nomads, the series says, “Like the wind, the Air Nomads live freely of worldly possessions. They find peace through detachment and lightness.” Thus, the Air Nomads are religious and spiritual, pursuing peaceful, transcendental lives. For them, air is the foundation of life, though they can use it as a weapon if necessary.
In each country, a few people called “benders” can telekinetically control their respective element. The one who can master all four elements is known as the “Avatar.” In Hinduism, “avatara” means “the physical incarnation of a deity.” The Avatar is a savior who maintains the balance of the world and brings peace and harmony, protecting the world from outside threats and invasions.
The protagonist of the drama is 12-year-old Aang, who is the last Airbender and the next Avatar. Through his journey, Aang learns the bending skills of the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. As the Avatar, he valiantly confronts and fights the trigger-happy warriors of the Fire Nation to protect the rest of the world.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender" serves as a mirror to our contemporary world. For example, we also have countries that resemble the Fire Nation. They are so aggressive and imperialistic that they do not hesitate to invade and conquer other nations. The four nations in the show may also symbolize today’s countries of different religions or ideologies. Indeed, humans have always tried to antagonize and eliminate different beliefs.
These days, we are witnessing a global struggle between liberal democracy and people’s democracy, or between fascism and socialism. We tend to think that fascism and socialism are opposites. If pushed to the extreme, however, they ultimately manifest the same characteristics. Fascism pursues ultranationalism, demanding that people “subordinate their interests to the glory of the nation or race.” Socialism allows the government to control and manipulate the public at will. In modern socialist countries, the people also pursue ultranationalism and must subordinate their interests to the glory of the nation or their supreme leader.
The same dynamic applies to our own society. Divided into opposing factions, we criticize and condemn each other as fascists or socialists. Embarrassingly, however, we may ultimately be the same. Just as we need all four universal elements to survive, we also need different religions and ideologies. If we try to eliminate one another, we will all end up annihilated. Therefore, we need to embrace others and accept our differences.
It is noteworthy that the Korean national flag also illustrates the importance of harmony between the four elements of the universe: water, earth, fire and air. Likewise, we should all exist in peaceful harmony despite our differences. That is the only way for us to survive and thrive, avoiding inevitable annihilation.
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Kim Seong-kon
Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College. The views expressed here are the writer's own. -- Ed
khnews@heraldcorp.com
