It's been a logn time since I've seriously talked about Avatar but I recently came to this revelation about why I don't like Mai and why I don't like Maiko.
Mai is completely dependent on Zuko.
There's something problematic about that, in it that Mai relinquishes opinion to be with him and needs him in order to feel emotion. Sure, she still complains when she is with him, but without him she's even more lost. There can only be one reason for why Mai takes Zuko back at the end when he's done absolutely nothing to earn her affection--she needs him more than he does her.
Even when she's bored at Chan's party and complains incessantly to Zuko about it, she's still excited to be with him. She's excited to go with him on palanquin rides, she's excited to eat fruit tarts with him the whole day long. Just as long as it's with her. Mai comes off as being completely selfish and unsympathetic to Zuko's conflict (as seen when she can't coax him with a kiss), but at the same time it's heart breaking because it's in that moment we see that Mai is wrong about Zuko's reciprocation of feelings. He is what makes her happy, and she's disappointed that he doesn't see her in that way.
Over the last few weeks I've come to see Zuko as a bit of an enabler for Mai, in a sense that he gives her reason to be happy, sad--anything other than bored. She couldn't give a toot about her parents, didn't give a rat's ass about her own BROTHER, but for Zuko she risked it all. Whereas many saw this as enlightening...I only saw it as troubling. Why is it that Mai is so moved to be with Zuko despite the fact he's done nothing but ignore her and distrust her? I don't care what's beyond the camera lens, what's laid out in front of us is an unhealthy relationship that does not reciprocate.
The more and more I think about the Maiko relationship, the more I am upset by the fact that women in Avatar are often treated as objects and are always subject to being subordinates to men. As spacecadet points out, even Azula is unable to escape it. Whereas this can be seen as a critique of our contemporary culture power struggles, the fact that Bryke endorse Maiko and Kataang lead me to wonder if they have some issues to work out in regard to objectification and women.
It troubles me also that Mai and Suki (though awesome) are only strong because they can fight...but is that what makes a woman strong? Why is it that they are defined in relation to their men? Who by the way, treat them terribly. We don't know enough about Suki for me to be too critical about her, but even still, it worries me that a woman who is supposed to be "kick ass" and independent is only ever defined as "that chick Sokka is with"...and Mai, is nothing more than a wedge between Zuko and every other woman he could be dating. *cough*Katara*cough*.
I think Mai needs to get some therapy for some serious issues of neglect she's had with her parents and I believe what's caused this dependency on someone, anyone she can find affection for. Zuko unknowingly enables her to depend on him for emotional stimulation, and that path can only lead to disaster. I mean I never really thought of it before, and I doubt anyone has...but if Zuko and Katara really did have an affair it would probably ruin Mai more than Aang. Aang is a pretty happy guy and he'd be upset for a bit...but I think he'd eventually let it go. But for Mai, sure she could combat her feelings with her sarcasm...but how many dry jokes can you tell before you have to face the truth?
So I hope that was some good meta for you all to chew on. I'm strategically avoiding an essay right now lol! |
Fine Arts and English @ Vic // U OF T SG campus. Mathematically illiterate. twenty. ♥s Adam Carson. AFI junkie. Loves them Gangsta Skater boys. Zutara Fanatic. Ryrissa is LOVE. ♥s Jesus and he loves me. Imdb Regular♥. Yahoo Answers KNOWS ALL. LJ addict.
