- Ethos: Aang has a dream, to unify all the nations and bring peace to his world. In order to conquer his goal he has to become the avatar, master wielder of the four elements; water, fire, earth, and wind. His character travels the world and helps communities fight among the separating qualities and helps them unify as one. Throughout his journey, Aang is faced with many hardships and even problems with his friendships. To solve this Aang always finds the best solution to defeat his obstacle and tries to resolve the issue with the intention to benefit everyone from his resolution. He sets a good example for children and young adults by fixing his issues in the morally “correct way” and teaches them morals, empathy, and determination.
- Framing: ATLA is placed in a world of phenomena, filled with mystical creatures and different bending types, while respectively combining elements of Asian culture. The typical ideals of Buddhism are commonly used like vegetarianism and the story of the Bodhisattva and the Phenomenon of Tulka. Good, evil, and balance are common spiritual themes that are demonstrated in the avatar universe. “People aren’t good or evil, but are either in balance or out of balance.”- Michael Dante DiMartino. Each of the characters perfectly embodies this philosophy and shows that no one is purely evil or good, they are always an imbalanced mix of both worlds. The best part of the whole ATLA series is being able to experience how each character develops after looking back at their compelling backstories.
- Pathos: I remember my first experience watching avatar. I was amazed, by the colorful scenes showing the different types of bending to the beautiful mountainous scenery, everything was visually astonishing. The illustration combined with the soundtrack formed an immersive experience for me, it felt as if I was also going on a journey with Aang. I didn’t think that anything could be better than watching the show; when I read the ATLA comic book it hit me with a bit of nostalgia that was forgotten. Looking back on the plot and realized how it was such an amazing story and lesson that I was indirectly taught as a child and I know that it shaped me as a person.
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