Chapter 3.11 The Western Air Temple

[wiiboy]

Now I was a bit disappointed with this episode. Although most of the episodes in Book 3 have been disappointing me lately. Still there are some things like about the episode. I am not much of a shipper, but I am glad that Toph is finally trying to make friends with Zuko. Also the Western Air Temple is really cool as well.

This is something I have posted on Distant Horizons awhile back, but I am curious to what you are will say. Do you think that when the Air Nomads built the temple, they needed the help of earthbenders to help attach it into the ground without any dangers of it slipping into the button of the canyon or do you think the airbenders manged to build it all of their own? Could regular men have build the temple?

Also how did the Fire Nation manged to find the airbenders at the temple if the temple was really cleverly hidden? Was the Western Temple really the first one attacked or was it the last one that some firebenders discovered on their voyage home to the mainland? How do you think the Fire Nations found the Western Air Temple?

[Liamane]

Hummmm, interesting questions. I honestly think that earthbenders, in fact, made the temple for the female Air Nomads. No doubt at the time, the two nations were close allies with one another. The location for the buildings were perfect. I mean, it's high in the air, virtually perfect for an airbender. Wheeee!! XDDD

From my understanding, the Western Air Temple was the first to be attacked, according to the official trading card game. From an article on Wikipedia, the TCG states that an airbender named "Afiko" betrayed the airbenders by revealing the location of the Western Air Temple. The article is as followed:

Afiko, an elder Airbender monk of the Southern Air Temple, grew jealous when his peers announced Aang's identity as the Avatar. Envious, he turned traitor and revealed the temple's location to the Fire Nation. They stormed the temple and slaughtered the other monks, but were too late to catch Aang, who had run away from home shortly before. Afiko was instrumental in engineering the genocide of his fellow Air Nomads, earning a place as Fire Lord Sozin's close adviser. He also seems to have aided Sozin in attacking the Earth Kingdom due to the fact that he is often shown blocking or dispersing Earthbending attacks and attacking Earthbenders. The traitorous monk died long before Aang's return, and the subsequent undermining of all Afiko's work. In the end, despite his loyalty and achievements towards the Fire Nation, history records indicate that Afiko met his demise in the War's fifth year, when Fire Lord Sozin had him executed as a traitor.

But getting back on topic, the episode was simply alright in my opinion. XDD Aang turned all emo again as he kept running away from his friends, and amazingly, he apparently forgot his kiss with Katara as he payed her no attention. Sheesh!! XDDD And Zuko, dear LAWD, Zuko was very... prick-like in this episode. XDDD It was just a bit odd to see our angsty prince acting differently as such. Katara looked demonic when she confronted Zuko at the end of the episode, but other than that, the artwork made up for some of the "wtf?" moments of this episode. XDDD

[wiiboy]

According to the sites I have been too, I heard that the trading card game isn't canon. Anyways, I completely forgot about Afiko, having someone betray the Air Nomads will most certainly help in locating the temples. Someone else also told me that the temples could have been built without Earthbenders. This person then mentioned other wonders more wonderful then the Western Air Temple.

[Beebs]

Well, the TCG isn't canon, so it doesn't exactly count, as I told you before. xDD Earthbenders making it seems very possible, but Liamane, what did you mean the earthebnders built it for the female airbenders? o.o?

[wiiboy]

Well remember, any Avatar could have built them as well. In order to find the answer this question, you have completely trace the history of the Air Nomads. I have a feeling that perhaps one of the earliest Avatars helped create the temples. I think Liamane might by, was that the male airbenders might have built their temples and the female airbenders had earthbenders build theirs.

Which could be possible as well, seeing how the male temples were nothing but towers. The female temples might require a little more assistance. Seeing how both the Eastern and the Western are a little bit more complex. On the canon thing, I guess one could always still assume that happened as a theory, so it really doesn't matter if it is canon or not.

[Beebs]

But if male airbenders could build them, why couldn't female airbenders build temples? o.o?

[wiiboy]

Well no body could probably build the Eastern or the Western temple by themselves. They are really advance temples, the female airbenders may have needed help from earthbenders and male airbenders as well to build them. I got what Liamane is saying, male airbenders could have created the Northern and Southern with good old fashion equipment and construction. The temples are quite plain and easy to build. It is possible that the male airbenders built them single handily.

The reason the female airbenders probably couldn't build their temples was because of the difficultly of building them. They may have needed help by earthbenders and male airbenders. Not to mention the Avatar if one was present at that time. The Air Nomads never had a big population, so building something basically upside down or something as manifest as the Eastern temple. May have required helped.

[Beebs]

I understand that help was probably needed, but both Katara and Toph are super powerful and they're female, so why would that make a difference? o.o?

[Liamane]

admin said:

Well, the TCG isn't canon, so it doesn't exactly count, as I told you before. xDD Earthbenders making it seems very possible, but Liamane, what did you mean the earthebnders built it for the female airbenders? o.o?

XDDD I'm not saying it's real, it's just my opinion or theory or whatever. XDD I mean, I wouldn't doubt that female airbenders could make the temples, but I find my little theory sexier. XDDD

[wiiboy]

Well the temples belong to the female airbenders, so of course they are going to help out building it. But due to different challenges, no one group of people could build it by themselves. That is why the male airbenders and other earthbenders were probably needed to be called. Unless of course my theory is correct and the Avatar built all of the temple. I have a feeling that Avatar Yangchen might tell us at the very end of the show. I heard she was supposed to be in the show somewhere near the very end. Which makes sense, since Aang needs to restore the Air Nomads.

@liamane, do you mean your theory maybe a little bit sexist, and not sexier?

[Liamane]

XDDD No, I use the term "sexy" to define something that's awesome or cool. XDD

[Beebs]

Well, you theory did sound a little sexist though, oddly enough. xDD I still don't think the whole thing about North & South being male and East & West being female is entirely true. First of all, when did they ever say this in the show? I understand wiki says it, but I don't recall it actually being mentioned during the program, so I wouldn't think it's completely canon as of yet. Also, Aang said the monks taught them not to live the way the people of Ba Sing Se did, so wouldn't the discrimination of sexes be just as bad as rich/poor. And lastly, they were going to send Aang to the Eastern Air Temple before he ran away. Unless he's gender confused, this makes no sense. xDD

[wiiboy]

There was something other then Wikipedia that said this. But right now I am too lazy to search. However Aang was still a child, and the Air Nomads would have needed to meet in order to get married or have children. Like any other civilization, they probably left the young to the females to look after. I am too lazy right now, but I might do a search for this on Distant Horizon and AvatarSpirit.

[Beebs]

But if they got married, where was it the went, if each temple is gender discriminative specific?

[wiiboy]

Well remember that if they are discriminatingly against females or males for that matter. Then it is different then that of the Northern Water Tribe. Remember it will only seem "sexist" you know because you never lived in that culture. It's perfectly normal for them to live this way.

[Beebs]

Really? Then why is it Katara got so upset that she couldn't be taught bending if it was so normal in the world? And you still can't come up with an answer to the question I asked in my last post.

[wiiboy]

Well that post was a little one sided. Yes Katara got angry, but that doesn't mean what is normal in the world is equality. You have to look at it from the Northern Tribe's point of view. That is what everyday life is like in an originated society. Meaning woman in the tribe will think their way of life is normal.

Katara got angry about not being able to bend was for starters she was the only waterbender in the Southern Tribe and was allowed to practice her bending. Second was because she grew up in a dying tribe where "gender discrimination" didn't exist. Remember you only see it as discrimination, but if you were lived and raised in this society. Then you will think it was normal.

[Beebs]

It doesn't matter if they're unaware of it, it would still be discrimination. What I was saying is that a group that lived so progressively, such as the air nomads, with no separation of rich or poor, why would they still separate by gender? It seems a little contradicting. And you've still yet to give me a reason why Aang was being sent to a what's said to be a female air temple and where married/couple air nomads live, if each temple is designed for a specific gender. I just don't think it's the case.

[wiiboy]

It's all on how you look at it. From an outsider's prospective it's discriminations against genders. But if you mention that word to them, they will probably not even know what your talking about.

The Air Nomads probably had the Eastern and Western temples reserved for the females and the males, but they probably didn't discriminate as you say although they probably never heard of the word. One reason might be is that they believed men (or women) will be temped to have intercourse and they wanted everyone to be pure until the day it was time to wed. Aang was still young so there might have been a better chance of him not be temped to loose his virginity. Not the best answer, I realize. Post on other Avatar forums like AvatarSpirit or Distant Horizon if you want a better answer.

Discrimination is best to be in the eye of the culture. You see it as discrimination, but they might think you are crazy and trying to take over their society. Put yourself on the other side instead of your one sided opinion for a change. Remember what Iroh said,

It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others - the other elements, and the other nations - will help you become whole.

- Uncle Iroh, Episode 2.9, "Bitter Work"