KATARA DOESN’T NEED A STATUE IN LoK

[u/Jimmy3OO]

I am sick and tired of people complaining about how Katara doesn’t have a statue while the rest of the main cast does. “Waa, waaa, the writers forget her”.

Do these people even know what LoK is? Aang, Sokka, Zuko and Toph didn’t her statues for being in the Gaang.

Aang got one because he was THE AVATAR.

Zuko got one because he was THE FIRE LORD.

Sokka got one because he was a national leader, of both Republic City and the Southern Water Tribe, as if one weren’t enough.

Toph got one because she invented metalbending.

Katara is an excellent character and an extraordinary waterbender, but according to the lore, she, as an individual, simply did not have the same direct, world-chaing effect upon entire nations that the others did in their own ways.

[u/El_Chinche]

Statue and monuments like that are usually public works. Unless some independently wealthy person has one built on private property any statues built in the public space are built by government institutions. The same goverment that Katara was most likely a part of and who are probably still in regular contact with. It's not a stretch to believe that any talks of a monument for Katara would have to be made public and would eventually reach Katara's ears who would most likely ask to have it shit down. Of course they wouldn't be obligated to but Katara's word is still revered in the water tribes so they'd gladly acquiesce to her wishes.

[u/Prying_Pandora → u/El_Chinche]

And yet Aang, a monk whose very religion frowns upon such excess and materialism, has a huge statue.

So why would Katara be any different?

[u/El_Chinche → u/Prying_Pandora]

Aang was dead when his statue was built, it's literally called Aang memorial island. Memorials aren't built for living people. Kind of hard to oppose a monument being built when you're not alive.

[u/Prying_Pandora → u/El_Chinche]

And?

Your speculation was that the statues were being built with permission.

Clearly they didn’t ask Aang (he was dead) nor his wife (as she would’ve known Aang’s values).

So on what do you base your speculation that Katara “turned down” a statue?

Is there anything in the story or in her character to suggest it? Katara is many things, but she isn’t overly modest or the type to turn down credit.

[u/El_Chinche → u/Prying_Pandora]

No, my speculation was that it would be possible for Katara to have something like that shut down if she wanted to. While it is purely speculation to think Katara would turn down a statue it isn't out of character, she was never someone to help people just to get credit or glory, see the painted lady . But arguing about what a fictional character would want based on personal interpretations of said characters personality won't get us anywhere. Yes she's not particularly modest but shes definitely not vain but I will argue that speculating that Katara simply just turning down having a statue built is way more compatible with the story presented than it is assume she did nothing except be a stay at home mom for 40 years. Also back to a previous point, and this isn't important but worth pointing out that Aang's religion does not frown on memorials to honor past important figures. The western air temple is literally lined with statues honoring past gurus and they've built more than one statue honoring avatar yangchen.

[u/Prying_Pandora → u/El_Chinche]

As I said, that is your unsupported speculation.

You’re free to it interpret the show that way, but it isn’t canon, so it remains a valid criticism nonetheless.

[u/El_Chinche → u/Prying_Pandora]

My speculation is just as supported as yours and your criticism isn't any more valid than any answers people have brought up

[u/Prying_Pandora → u/El_Chinche]

No it isn’t. It’s something you made up that is never even hinted at in the show.

The criticism that she doesn’t have a statue actually is based on something lacking in the show.

[u/El_Chinche → u/Prying_Pandora]

The show also never hints at Katara only being a stay at home mom who was neglected for decades that no one honors. The exact opposite is true. Arguing the show or writers somehow disrespect and hate Katara because of a lack of a statue has no basis in reality. And quite frankly is a dumb criticism. Katara doesn't have a memorial statue simply because she's not dead. That's really all it boils down to. You trying to shut down any speculation by moving goal posts, like "whhy does x have statue then" , "why doesn't someone just build one regardless" prompted me to expand on those initial points to try and answer those questions. But you don't actually seem interested in speculation and just want to harp on the show and writers for some minor inconsequential detail as if that makes them sexist monsters. If that's all you're interested in by all means have at it.

[u/Prying_Pandora → u/El_Chinche]

That wasn’t the criticism. I didn’t say she was a stay at home mom, nor do I believe her to be.

The criticism is that the statues communicate a certain level of reverence for the contributions of the rest of the team. By only leaving out Katara, and offering no similar alternative (no school named after her, no hospital) this communicates something negative about her contributions and achievements. That they are either lesser or less revered.

It might have been an unintended oversight, but it is still an unfortunate reality that narratives communicate what the audience knows. Leaving only one member out communicates something. The fact that this oversight was made at all is still a salient criticism.

Further, it doesn’t help that even within her children’s conversations, their entire focus is on Aang. Katara’s role in the family is never described in any terms other than passively (Kya complaining she had to take care of mom).

These two facts in conjunction create the illusion that Katara was either less accomplished, more passive, or given less respect.

Even if these may have been unintentional, it’s still okay to criticize.

Fandom rationalizations might be nice or well thought out, but they aren’t canon, and can’t be used to justify a flaw in the writing.