The Fire nation as a metaphor
Monster as metaphor
It can seem somewhat odd to portray an entire country as a monster, but in Avatar it certainly seems to be the case. The Fire Nation heavily conquered many parts of the world, and they hurt many people to do it. Through their totalitarian government, the Fire Nation commits atrocities that they would have otherwise never have committed.
Although the four nations are never fully wiped out, the imperialism in the Avatar universe puts a heavy toll on the other nations. An entire race of people, the Air Nomads, are nearly murdered to extinction. The Southern Water Tribe is decimated, and the Northern Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom are battered after a century of war against a technologically and militarily superior foe. However, censorship by the Fire Nation ensures that the people don't know the effects of their expansion. Children were taught that the airbenders, who were pacifists, had a standing army, making their mass murder seem more like a fair fight. All of the citizens are raised to be unswervingly loyal to the Fire Nation and to not question elders, creating a society in which the Fire Lord and his advisers can get away with such abusive policies.
In Jeffrey Cohen's "Monster Culture," he emphasizes several points about the perception of monsters in society. One of his points is that monsters, by definition, are unable to be categorized. They exist beyond the realm of possibility, which is part of what makes them so unsettling (Cohen). This is true of the people of the Fire Nation. They commit atrocities on the other people of the Avatar universe, killing thousands and taking their land and livelihoods. On the other hand, they are still people, and are for the most part unaware that their government is abusing innocent people. The Fire Nation itself isn't necessarily any better or worse than the other nations, but the actions of the government were used to judge the people as a whole. This is the truly terrifying aspect of totalitarian government: it dehumanizes the people within it. Most have no significant role in the government or its actions. They aren't even aware of the true reasons their country chooses to create an empire or go to war, because censorship doesn't let them seek outside opinions. What is humanity, really, without the ability to voice an opinion? In a totalitarian government, voices are permanently silenced, both inside and outside of the government, through violence, censorship, and government bureaucracy that prevents many people from participating at all. The true fear that an autocracy represents is the dehumanization of the people who are both part of the government and vice versa.
Although the four nations are never fully wiped out, the imperialism in the Avatar universe puts a heavy toll on the other nations. An entire race of people, the Air Nomads, are nearly murdered to extinction. The Southern Water Tribe is decimated, and the Northern Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom are battered after a century of war against a technologically and militarily superior foe. However, censorship by the Fire Nation ensures that the people don't know the effects of their expansion. Children were taught that the airbenders, who were pacifists, had a standing army, making their mass murder seem more like a fair fight. All of the citizens are raised to be unswervingly loyal to the Fire Nation and to not question elders, creating a society in which the Fire Lord and his advisers can get away with such abusive policies.
In Jeffrey Cohen's "Monster Culture," he emphasizes several points about the perception of monsters in society. One of his points is that monsters, by definition, are unable to be categorized. They exist beyond the realm of possibility, which is part of what makes them so unsettling (Cohen). This is true of the people of the Fire Nation. They commit atrocities on the other people of the Avatar universe, killing thousands and taking their land and livelihoods. On the other hand, they are still people, and are for the most part unaware that their government is abusing innocent people. The Fire Nation itself isn't necessarily any better or worse than the other nations, but the actions of the government were used to judge the people as a whole. This is the truly terrifying aspect of totalitarian government: it dehumanizes the people within it. Most have no significant role in the government or its actions. They aren't even aware of the true reasons their country chooses to create an empire or go to war, because censorship doesn't let them seek outside opinions. What is humanity, really, without the ability to voice an opinion? In a totalitarian government, voices are permanently silenced, both inside and outside of the government, through violence, censorship, and government bureaucracy that prevents many people from participating at all. The true fear that an autocracy represents is the dehumanization of the people who are both part of the government and vice versa.