Hi!

I'm doing a project about Avatar to graduate from college. I'm exploring the tension between free will and destiny in the characters - specifically Zuko, Aang, Toph, and Katara.

As part of my research I want to talk to viewers of the show.

Here is what my research is about, briefly:

Each of the main characters in this show try to take control of their own destinies. For example, Zuko leaves the fire nation and joins the Avatar. Aang resists being the avatar and runs away from the monks. Toph leaves her family to become an earth bender. For some characters, this ends with them in the same place as they were trying to avoid (i.e., Zuko as fire lord) but they got there on their own terms. An important part of the process was coming to terms with who they are. For others, taking control takes them in a completely different direction than they were originally headed (i.e., Toph becoming the first metal bender instead of a passive blind girl). So, did they change their destinies by exercising their autonomy, or was where the ended up their destiny all along? Were they just left passively at the hands of fate, no matter their choices?

To the same end, what do young viewers take out of this show? Does it make them feel as if they are empowered and can take control of their lives, or does it make them feel like they lack the power to make decisions for their lives? Can a show with these messages shape the way they live their lives in the future?

If you could just answer the following questions, that would be great!

1. How old are you now? How old were you (approximately) when you first watched Avatar?

2. When you watch(ed) it, did the show inspire or empower you in your own life in any way? If so, how?

3. What do you think of this destiny vs. free will idea? Do you believe the show is advocating for the use of free will, or an inability to escape a determined fate?


4. What is your religious affiliation, if any?

Thank you!