What is Toph's character arc? | Avatar: The Last Airbender
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
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![What everyone gets wrong about Avatar: Is fleshbending possible? [ ATLA l LOK ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sejaGbhYKQ8/mqdefault.jpg)
Whose story in ATLA means the most to you personally? Maybe Zuko or Katara's resonates with you most. Stay nerdy!
Tim
Zuko has the biggest character arc, obviously. But I keep getting drawn to Sokka because he has to learn his place in the world.
Definitely Zuko and Toph's.
I think I relate to Aang the most b'coz I too am a bit of a push over, I'm passive, try to avoid discomfort and conflict (it almost never works), and I get stressed and feel powerless when I have deadlines and expectations set upon me by others.
I do want a life where I can just do me. I don't have to identify with or please others, although I would love to hav close friends and people I inspire. Which is why I want to be a writer... obviously I need to get a job and go to college before I can do whatever I want, but yeah. Im like Aang.
Plus if I had an element, I think my confidence would be boosted.
I'd say both Zuko and Toph. I resonate with both chars in various ways and got rlly invested in both of them
Zuo, but really sokka. Tims element is water eh.
As a person with a physical disability, Toph's character meant a lot to me. Disabled people are so often shamed into not asking for help because we're being a "burden" and not only is Toph anything but that, she learns to ask for help in a healthy way. Thank you for the genuine and emphatic way you approached this essay, Tim.
It’s interesting that you had that experience. With my disability, I kept feeling more of a sense of pity (when people actually believed I had a disability because most didn’t) and almost being forced to ask for help when I didn’t need it
@@TheAxeliono I'm sorry you experienced that :( we definitely face a lot of infantilization too and it's gross.
@@jeswicas I think most of the time it’s more of a ignorance. I just inform people who do it that it’s wrong and i can’t think of a single time where someone didn’t take the info to heart and actively try to change behavior
It's probably one of the most difficult things people with disabilities face to be honest. I have several invisible disabilities that only really became a problem after I was like 16 so I always felt like I had to keep going no matter what. It also didn't help that I tied my self worth with my academic achievements. I'm 24 now and have literally crashed and burned twice now in relation to pushing myself through academics when I should have just paused and taken care of myself. Luckily I still managed to achieve the same qualifications I was going to get but after I had a mental breakdown at the start of 2020, I'm still building myself back up to just perform daily tasks. I've improved a lot since then but being able to ask for help is probably going to be a lifelong battle.
Hard same. I needed to hear this so much...
Thank you, Tim.
8:18 The real life-changing field trip was, quite literally, the friends she made along the way.
Lmao god dammit, it's actually accurate for once
Yeah the entire series was a life changing field trip for Toph.
so accurate, it hurts 😭😆
this is one of the reasons why I HATE LOK. making Toph live alone in the forest and leave behind community was such a stupid thing to do to her and fundamentally ignores the growth of the first series
@@makingishwrong
6:36 I'd like to add that Toph could feel when people are lying, so she also knew Katara was telling the truth which I find to be so cute and wholesome.
I forgot this and I'm so glad you pointed this out!
That also means that she knew the other girl was lying from the start, but probably accepted it as being polite if insincere until they directly insulted her.
tbh that was a silly power to give her but meh
@@randomechodelta5689 It wasn't though, why do you think that?
@@randomechodelta5689 pretty sure lying changes your heartbeat, so toph would be able to feel that
One thing about Toph's "life changing field trip with Zuko" is that she opened up about her entire life story. Toph, who refused to rely on anyone physically much less emotionally at the beginning of her journey, felt safe enough to monologue about her childhood trauma to Zuko. Unfortunately Zuko isn't exactly emotionally intelligent but it was a massive act of vulnerability and trust that maybe went unnoticed, especially given the emotional intensity of the last season's finale.
She learns that not everyone wants to help her out of pity for her blindness
I might add that the Gaang often even forgets that she is blind. Her whole life she was being pointed out that she was blind by everyone around her. That was a huge change for her.
@@LetsTakeWalk Yeah, exactly! They treat her as an equal which unfortunately, her family didn't :(
Helicopter parents. They mean well; however, they end up doing other damage.
@@Klaaism they clearly love her, but their worldview of "my daughter is weak, blind and helpless" is so ingrained in their being that even when being disproven by seeing their own daughter show immense strength and earthbending prowress, they refused to change that paradigm. Instead they double down on it
Which episode does Toph meet Iroh?
Title: “What is Toph’s character arc?”
Thumbnail: “Asking for help.”
Well shit, that was easy
I thought they would roast toph in this video
XD Nooo
😭😭😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣
why does Tales of Ba-Sing-Se seem like an important part of everyone's character arc...
Because it's a masterpiece
It distills every character down to their basic elements
Because it is the entire point of the episode it doesn't advance the plot or introduce new plotlines.
It shows each character away from the main plot by slowing down and build what would they do in an everyday life living. It shows their character when their persona, their heroic masks to play in the main plot, is taken off.
Spoken like a true wise wolf 🐺
One contrast I really loved seeing was that Toph's family never talked about her without mentioning her being blind. As you said, they are more uncomfortable with her disability than she is.
Tema Avatar on the other hand, often does things relating to Toph, which could work for most people, but not Toph, since she is blind. Meaning, they see her as a person so capable, they sometimes forget her disability existing at all.
My favourite of this is when twice in one episode, 2 different people try to show her the wanted poster of her with only the words: "What is this?", and she's like: "Sounds like a piece of paper".
Also a good moment: "There it is!... Is what it's gonna sound like, when one of you spots it!"
Something I kinda wish was mentioned in the video is how Toph actively tried to reach out to talk to Zuko when he first tries to join the group. Had it been the old Toph, she probably wouldn't have batted an eye at him to help him work things out.
Yes her attempt to reach out to him failed because she snuck up on a cautious, maybe paranoid, firebender in the middle of the night, but she *mostly* understood that by the time she got back to the others.
The scene seems like it tries to paint it as Zuko getting another thing to redeem himself for but I see it as the peak of Toph's character arc. She went from a lonely child with no friends and no meaningful support to the badass earthbender we see by the end of the series, willing to go against her friends to help someone who had been rejected for past misdeeds.
Toph's arc in ATLA means the most to me personally because I had a similar mindset. I didn't want to ask for help and I didn't want to help others, only getting out of that thanks to the friends I made when I was expelled and went to a new school for people with disabilities like mine. I had made friends who I could see as equals instead of the usual belittlement for something I didn't have much control over.
Avatar The Last Airbender is a beautiful show and I only wish other shows could reach the level of depth it does.
OMG YES
The change came full circle before that scenes here she and Sokka thought they might die
When Zuko joined she had learned about healthy ways to give and receive empathy and then her seismic sense also gave her the ability to discern who needed it and who didn't!! So she approaching Zuko who was clearly conflicted and such was her attempting to reach out, even when she wanted her field trip with him. She was no longer afraid of vulnerability and change from lookinginto herself and she wanted to improve so much that she chose to go with Zuko for her own "life-changing field trip". She wanted to open up about the things that hurt her and made her who she was but she didn't even realise that she had already changed so much by virtue of recognizing and acknowledging the need to talk about it at all! So even when she was shut down by Zuko because of the crisis they had at that moment, she wasn't bummed out.
She took it in stride (after initial disappointment) because at the end of the day she learned little things here and there ended up impacting her ever steadfast nature as a character.
Toph represents resilience, steadfastness and stability, but also slow, steady shifts in change. All the way from the library episode where she was first confronted with a situation that defied her notion of being all-capable (not being able to save both Appa and her friends because of her inability to sandbend), to that moment where Toph was absolutely certain she and Sokka were about to die, Toph makes small but incremental changes to better define and shape her (she even started practicing and mastering her sand bending), and in the face of immediate threat she overcomes, ergo her discovering metal bending.
Earth is not like other elements. It does not have the versatility of water or dynamic power of fire or the maneuverability of air, it is essentially stubbornness and while its subelements require a special kind of earthbender (flexible attitude for lava and deep-rooted resolve for metal) those subelements too are ultimately not like the subsets of fire or water or air. But earth too will change when it needs to. Either when confronted with another opposing force, where it will withstand whatever to remain, and it will change form if it means not yielding. Or on its own time. Like the grand canyon. The river came and the rock became a great valley to withstand it. It'll probably take a hundred years of consistent confrontation with other elements for it change from one form to another, but it too will change and adapt and it will still be the great grand canyon, carved from a rock.
I feel that is what Toph represents as a character and also as the representative of the earth element on her team. She doesn't really need to grow stronger or evolve. But here and there changes are made to compliment her already grounded character!
All of this
I love Toph’s and Katara’s friendship. It was heartwarming when Toph finally opened up to Katara.
9:25 that is a wonderful piece of wisdom right there.
This is why it kind of bothers me when Zuko ignores her in The Phoenix King. So much of Toph's story is about learning to open up, so having him ignore her like that, then playing it as a joke never sat well with me.
Toph relying on Sokka and Suki probably signifies her trust in her friends most of all. If it were any other member of the Gaang, she would be able to trust in their bending to save them even if she couldn't. Giving her faith to Sokka means that she's gone from someone with no friends to complete faith in a person who's magic power is friendship and quick wits. That's some real, true faith right there.
*Ok but think about how perfect a Toph+Zuko episode would have been.* They're different yet similar in so many ways- One was neglected and rejected by his parents, the other was overprotected and ran away herself, both from a family of status that ignored their children's needs. I imagine the crux of the episode would be about reconnecting and reconciling with her parents? And Vice versa with Toph being the one to give Zuko the push he needed to do the same with Iroh, since she was the only one other than Aang who actually spent time getting to know him back in season 2. Imo it feels more meaningful of a story beat than finding Iroh out of desperation- maybe Zuko could have known Iroh's location all along and simply was too scared to reach out, and they could have skipped the June mini-plot entirely.
Totally mindblown that I never realized the culmination of her character arc in Sozin's comet though, woah.
when he looked straight at the camera and said "...but one person's pain doesn't make yours less painful or less worth talking about." I cried
not ugly cried. not that hard. just some tears welling up to the point that I couldn't see
I laughed as I wiped my eyes and said to myself "man, I've got issues."
It is so hard to internalize that sentiment. I've heard that time and time again but I can't seem to accept it fully.
it's even harder to when it feels like there's a parade of people who will attack me for saying I have problems while being a straight white cis male because I'm "privileged" and can't possibly suffer as much as all these minorities. and those vocal people on the far left agree with the people on the far right that I, as a man, shouldn't complain. my dad says that the political spectrum isn't a line, it's a horseshoe. the crazies on the far ends have more in common with each other than they do with everyone else nearer the middle. unfortunately those people are really loud and kind of drown out everyone else
not to mention the whole "kids are starving in Africa" being a common thing to get kids to stop being picky.
even as I type this my very being is screaming at me "stop drafting this comment."
I ask it "why"
it gives a few reasons
"people will be offended, you mentioned politics!" "nobody cares!" "even if anybody cares there are going to be some assholes who'll burn you. call you a wuss" "some people will say the personification of your insecurities is super pretentious!"
well, it's 100% right with that last one at least
I use humor as a coping mechanism
anyway, I'm going to comment this. I'm not just going to type out a comment and delete it without posting it like I've done more times than I can count.
This was a very relatable read. It was almost like reading an exact description of me, the only difference being I'm bi and trans. Also, it's a really harmful notion that the pain of people who are privileged doesn't matter. Your pain is real. You matter 💜
I empathise with you, but I think you may be misinformed about "the left." I believe "the left" actually want to abolish toxic masculinity and the associated social norms that limit men from expressing themselves in healthy ways.
I agree that there are counter-productive sentiments from progressive types, often stemming from a misinterpretation of some valid ideas, and then further influenced by personal histories and feelings. And I get it, sometimes it can be difficult to cut through the noise to the nugget of a good idea.
However, this idea that "the left" will attack you and say that you can't possibly suffer as much as all these minorities is probably more... half true more than completely false.
"The left" (or at least, reasonable people) recognise that cishet men of all races are impacted by toxic masculinity, and that class and poverty are definite factors influencing quality of life. However, they also recognise that privileged people also tend to insert themselves into discussions about marginalised groups, shifting the focus from one issue onto another. A classic example is men turning discussions of domestic violence against women into discussions about domestic violence against men. Both horrible phenomena that we should work to reduce; yet one group is much more impacted by domestic violence than another, and if the topic at hand is about a marginalised community, what is there to gain from shifting the discussion to a different group?
I think it's worth stressing that your problems, especially mental health issues, are totally valid, and you are deserving of all the help you feel you need. But it's also important to recognise that intersectionality means different groups of people experience far different issues, some more pervasive or harder to mask than others.
Damn, I'm rambling...
At the end of this, I think you're a reasonable person! I just didn't want you to write off "the left" too fast. Cause "the right" typically want to maintain the status quo, while "the true(?) left" want to change things for the better for all types of people, including you!
My rant is also very stream of consciousness, sorry.
It's about equity vs equality baby. Equality wants everyone to be able to peer over a fence, so provides everyone with the same size crate to stand on. But some people are shorter than others, and still might not be able to see over the fence. Equity recognises that different groups of people have been oppressed in different ways, so provides the shorter people with larger crates than the tall people so that everyone, no matter their height, can see over the fence. No reasonable progressive wants to take your crate away, make you shorter somehow, or build a higher fence in front of you. We want you to see what's on the other side of the fence with us.
Have a nice life! (Not sarcasm)
"the political spectrum isn't a line, it's a horse shoe." That's actually very well said.
@@corvus_da that's not a new thing, look up horseshoe theory
Being vulnerable is never without risk. But you never want to cut yourself down because you assume some one will do it anyways. I am glad you took the risk and posted.
Toph's story is absolutely about her finding a way for her two personas (blind - vulnerable; WWE champion - untouchable) to coexist. Awesome video breakdown!
I feel like a large part of people ignoring her arc is that it’s relatively short. It’s pretty much over by S3E7 The Runaway, just 21 episodes after she’s introduced. Compared to other characters who’s arcs go almost the entire series. It doesn’t take an incredible amount of time, and is resolved before the halfway point of book 3
Unlike some arcs in storytelling, we get to see the reward of her arc. It's not always common to see just how rewarding and awesome it is to finally overcome your own troubles and trust people. She managed to launch them onto an airship taking off, kill bugs she had no hope of seeing or locating, and wrote a personal letter to her parents. None of that would've happened without her arc, and if it had resolved on Sozin's Comet instead, we'd get to see one or two deeds *maybe*. I disagree, seeing the reward of an arc is equally as pleasing as the arc itself!
It's also a much more subtle arc compared to the other characters having multiple more obvious and less nuanced arcs.
His point around 9:40 is something I run into all the time. I’ve been ill since I was 11 and well, it’s usually just another part of me. But when I need to reach out or vent, it’s hard, because if even the specialists can’t fix it, what can my friends and family hope to do? And when it comes to my family, all of them are and were ill as well, so it felt worse to complain about this thing they knew about but that we couldn’t change.
When my mom was dying of cancer, after nearly 40 years with Lupus and the illness i also have, she told me, “Imagine you go into the hospital, having fallen and broken all the bones in your body. Then a guy comes in and has horrific burns over most of his body, his skin just melting or boiled off in places. It doesn’t make your shattered body hurt less. Knowing that someone else is in their own agony doesn’t silence yours. It’s still there and just as real and valid as theirs is.”
She also said, “Don’t compare your pain with mine; it’s not wrong to bring up your pain when you know I have pain from my cancer added to my chronic pain. I love you and want to know how you are, and if my scale for pain is different than yours, that doesn’t make yours any less important.”
After I met my fiancé, it was difficult but important to get this across to him; he felt bad complaining if he sprained his wrist, tweaked his back, or had a tension headache because of his neck and pain located there. He felt guilty, because he felt it was so small compared to what I had to suffer, and have suffered for over two decades.
Well, he came to know my mother’s philosophy, and we’re a better and stronger couple for it. We can be real with each other. He doesn’t have to hide his pain (of any kind), and I don’t have to feel like a big drag to admit when I’m not doing so well. For me, just having someone CHOOSE to dwell in the suck, knowing there’s not much to do, that’s everything. Most people find it too depressing, can’t handle seeing it, don’t want the stress. But He’s right there with me. For the first time since I was 11, I have people choosing to be there with me.
This week his mother came and took care of me after I had surgery, using her nursing background to help me with post op care and even showering and getting dressed. She made sure I took my meds and stuff, but she also chose to dwell in the suck just when she didn’t have anything she could do for me actively, and it made a world of difference. I was so happy. Some people get horrible meddlers for mother-in-laws, but I got her!!! She’s going to be my maid of honor at my wedding; it means that much to me that she actively chose to be there, dwell in the suck, and accept me for who I am.
Some Mothers would want to drive me off because they’d think I’m not worthy of their kid due to my genes or because my illness has worn me down quite a bit and it’ll be the challenge of my life to have kids, moreso than for healthy people. But she just sees me as ME, and because of that, and the great love I bear for her son, that is enough, and I am enough.
It truly makes all of the difference, just like Toph found out. And while I wish I’d found an intrepid band of friends at a much younger age, so my memories were filled with more laughter and less silence, I’m just relieved I found my person. I don’t need many people; as long as just one person SEES me and knows me snd didn’t think me a waste of space or resources, I can handle the pain and the silence that inevitably comes.
I never realized I had vulnerability issues until recently. I'm 30 and I hold so much in and rarely ask for help. I don't know how to get better though. I just feel like I always end up reverting back to my old ways. It was how I survived as a kid and I don't know if my brain can ever be healed.
Recognizing and identifying a problem is a big step. Sharing it with us and everyone is a bigger step. Now apply it in your life and ask for help. You can't move a full sized couch on your own!
Simply recognizing that you have a problem is the first big step towards healing, so you’re already on your way. If it’s financially possible for you to do so, I’d highly suggest trying to go to therapy. A good therapist can help show you how or where you can make changes to improve yourself. Everyone should have access to therapy, imo, but I know that’s not often covered even in places that give free healthcare nationally.
@@shadowofchaos8932
This is a good analogy. I would absolutely try to move a full sized couch on my own. And while I can certainly get started on my own or make minor adjustments, eventually I need help to carry it through the door and over the steps. The trick is knowing who is able and available to lift part of the load.
I highly recommend you look into internal family systems therapy, or IFS therapy - it's so so helpful for this kind of thing.
I will just say that while it is always good to strive for self improvement. Don't kick yourself too hard if you realize you missed an opportunity to be vulnerable. Don't think about your brain as having one giant blood spurting wound, think of it as having a bunch of cuts and bruises you work one at a time to fix. Though it may take time to get to all of them, and you will likely make negative choices in the meantime, those don't mean you as a whole can not heal and get better.
Sorry, that brain analogy got weird.
Now that I think about it, I absolutely cannot imagine Toph from when we first meet her asking where something is that she can't see with her earthbending, and then using what that person tells her to make a decision. It's such a small detail with the airships but it adds so much. Next thing you're gonna be telling me Suki has a character arc lmao
It’s really amazing how subtle all these things are in the show. And unless you’re familiar with these problems, it’s really easy to be oblivious of them
At the end you say "Toph didn't struggle with this..." which is largely because ever since her episodic introduction and gradual integration into the Gaang, she was rarely ever alone again.
Psychologically, her greatest internal confrontation was when she couldn't save Appa from abduction in "The Library." That's probably the most alone she felt since joining Team Avatar, mostly blind in sand and with peril on all sides.
It's something worth thinking about.
You made me cry at the end. This helped me open up to my mother about my depression. She was very supportive. Thank you so much.
I need Toph as a character. I have a disability too, though not a physical one. It's barely noticeable to the untrained eye, but as soon as it does become known, the "help" seems to come from all sides. Because of this, I now struggle to ask for help and accept help. It's tough for me to tell when someone actually wants to help and when someone wants brownie points for helping the disabled girl, and as a result I treat all unrequested help as an insult. It's not okay and I'm working on fixing it.
It is beyond my understanding how we can still look back at this cartoon almost 15 years after it has ended and still learn so much from it every time we look closer at a single character or relationship, but am I glad that it exists. Thank you for shining a light on Toph like that with this essay.
leave it to atla to have the character who seems the most skin deep to have a deeper arc than many can see. great video!
Perhaps we were the ones who were blind all along.
I just remember this Tv tropes opinated guide about Avatar the Last Airbender.
It's easy to find, it's from many years ago and the reviewer may as well have a different take of it nowadays, but for the sake of discussion I'll bring it here.
It wasn't exactly fair at all, in this review even the first episode of Aang going Avatar state was considered a ""deus ex machina"" as if a misterious luminous child from a iceberg isn't foreshadowing enough and as if it wasn't like... literally the first two episodes of set up.
It had many many unreasonable nitpicky criticism, specially harsh on Katara and Toph, the latter which the user said "any chances of character development was lost" and then concluding the show was a waste of time, and back then as I didn't know better I thought maybe I was biased and needed to revisit the series with more critical eyes.
If there is any chance this person is reading this, just wanted to say that as someone that learnt more about storytelling and stuff from this channel and other sources and came to rewatch the series recently, opinions and tastes aside...
The critical take on it back then was WAY far off and innacurate.
Who wrote that? Jeremy from Cinemasins?
@@EvilOverlord1662 I know Jerry comes off as a nitpicky asshole, but he has genuinely great insights majority of the time. His writing has gotten worst as he seems a bit desperate, but I'm sure he wouldn't be so blind as to write a character analysis as described here.
@@talphazero1036 If he fully committed to either being silly or critiquing thoughtfully instead of poorly straddling a half-assed balance of the two, I think his content and reputation would improve.
@@sluttyMapleSyrup people are just too god damn stupid and either treat everything he says as gospel or useless nitpicking
I don't have a physical disability but my autism makes it near impossible for me to ask for help without breaking down into tears and people telling me that I need to stop crying. Toph spoke to me because I have to put up this shell of myself that is similar to the real me, but isn't the whole truth.
“While it is always best to believe in oneself, a little help from others can be a great blessing.” Iroh
I'm a proud owner of your book! Thanks for writing it, it's been helpful, as has your detailed world building series!
Edit - The story arc that resonates with me the most is actually Iroh. He is a man that been through more pain than anyone else (except maybe Aang), and is even mocked for it. It broke him almost completely, but it also made him kinder, and wiser. The pain is never gone, and he doesn't try to stop the pain of others, but wants to help them through hard times instead, like he had to learn how to do on his own.
You explained so nicely how much of an important event the final battle was for Toph, how she allowed herself to be so vulnerable, and literally have Sokka hold her hand throughout it all, yet not feel like that made her weak. It's such a perfect end to her arc that I feel like people miss.
Thank you, Tim, for making this video. It's something that's been on my mind for a very long time.
Toph's arc was always the one I resonated with the most growing up; I wasn't optimistic or cheery like Aang, I didn't have Katara's compassion, and I was too young to resonate with Sokka when I watched The Last Airbender for the first time. No, it was Toph who I felt I could connect with.
As a guy, I get that's a little odd, but I feel that kind of barrier doesn't truly exist when you connect on such an emotional level with a character. Toph was the reason I was able to break out of my shell and become more active in my own life, as watching her grow helped me to do the same. She was so powerful and strong, but it was her abrasive attitude that stifled her. That, to me, represented what I was, and what I could become. As someone who had such heavy expectations placed upon me, I was sort of the opposite of Toph, who's family expected nothing more of her than to sit and do nothing.
But watching her grow over the three years of the series, I realised I could too. She's still one of my favourite characters (Fallen behind Suki in recent years), but she represents so much more than that to me. She was my emotional foil, a representation of both what I was, and what I could become.
That's something that means a lot to me. Toph, unlike any other character of any story, shaped the person I became as a teenager, and as an adult. I just wish more people could see her for what she is, and what she represents.
"one person's pain doesn't make yours less painful"
liked the video right after that line, it's something I really needed to hear back in highschool
I have never seen a better example of a character joining the main group late in a series. She balances out the group perfectly!
And creates great character conflict at the same time.
10:11 'It's never just one person taking it all on, bottling it up in themselves, the people opening up to you want you to open up to them as well' The entire The Beach episode right there
Avatar content! Whoo-hoo! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Edit: 4:32 Sokka shielding Toph's body here was excellent, and show how selfless he truly is.
I've missed your videos. Thank you for all that you do not only in breaking-down ATLA, but in sharing your life. It helps more people than you know. Thank you.
one thing i have adored about your content is not only that you engage in meaningful narrative and critical analysis, but that you are inordinately gentle when discussing topics and characters that deserve not only tact, but gentleness
Everytime I watch your videos I appreciate even more how well written ATLA is.
I love how you mentioned swimming. Having also swam competitively, I was around the same environment but due to autism my emotions were always on display regardless of who I was talking too. Never paid it any mind until a guy I really looked up too took me to the side and thanked me profusely because every guy was cold and distant but I wasn't (in all honesty there were certainly other open minded guys on our team but he probably floated outside of their friend groups), and that is a memory i will take to my grave.
Bringing another great video to a beautiful close. I think I needed this.
Being able to help someone is one of the most profound joys I experience.
I don't see reaching out as a burden, I see it as a great compliment and a show of trust and love!
Must've been a pretty "Toph" time editing this video. Got to admit, it's pretty "solid", certainly some "rock hard" evidence you got there, Tim 😅
Sometimes, I try to explain to others why I hate being emotional. I’m disabled, I have cerebral palsy. I wasn’t looking to go on a self journey but something you said really struck a cord in me, because that is what I’ve been trying to say to everyone, explaining why I don’t need help. “Pity is uniquely dehumanizing. Because when people make you feel unable and helpless, even accidentally, the last thing you want to do is feed into that.” It’s the perfect world.
I think one of the reasons that toph is one of my favorite characters of all time, is because of how relatable she is. Sometimes she can’t tell empathy from pity, and pity is the last thing she wants because she was born with her disability, (like me) it’s just a normal part of her life. And pity is looking at it like it’s something different, bad. And because of all the shit people who are disabled- in any way- get from people their age, people older, that’s a worst case scenario. To be pitied.
Because for almost all disabled people I’ve met- pity has had a strong tie to some of their- and my- worst trauma.
And I swear, I act like it doesn’t bother me. I gained epilepsy, adhd, possible autism, and recently depression and anxiety. But because of a few different factors that have happened to me in my life, it really does. I’ve literally been called an ‘it’ before because my arm looks weird and I can’t exactly control it. (I understand that that’s some people’s preferred pronoun, but it’s not for me.)
And honestly, I’m like her. I can function normally. I can be like, a normal member of society, if society was willing to take me, and not pity me. But sadly I’m in America, and that’s not how shit works around here.
“And honestly, it’s like people were more uncomfortable with her disability than she was.”
Instead, I’ve gotten to a point where I have this constant urge to act like it doesn’t mean anything, because if I tell my sob story and show how I really feel about all of it, all I’m gonna get is more pity.
And it fucking sucks that we live in that kind of world.
Because just inherently, calling it a disability outs it as something different- and you know how humans are; different immediately equates to ‘bad’ with us.
Because toph is so powerful. She’s awesome, I love her. But ultimately, she only really got to shine once she left where she was born.
If anyone who isn’t disabled and doesn’t have any experience with disability is reading this- if you ever meet someone with a disability, who’s having trouble with something or another because of their disability, don’t go “Oh I’m so sorry that happens! That must suck.😔” instead, go “Oh, that’s okay. I’ll help you out.” Treat it like it’s not a big deal, and like it’s normal, because that’s what it should be. Same with mental disabilities.
Give empathy, not pity.
honestly made me tear up. that hit deep, i struggle with being vulnerable & tend to lash out because of it when i’m exposed for anything at all. even something simple as improper grammar.
That end really caught me by surprise. I struggle with telling my closest friends how I feel when I know they are stressed because I don't want to burden them
I bought your first book 2 years ago and its helped me develop my own world.. kinda stuck on some things but its getting there! I can't wait till volume 2 comes out!!! You are amazing for breaking down world building like this!!!
Toph crying at the end with sokka always gets to me. Because she trust sokka so much, shes literally completely blind dangling off an airship only held by his hand. And she stays calm because sokka hasnt given up yet, and while she cant see she has to know shes going to be ok. But then sokka says this is the end. She cant see what hes seeing. She cant see the army of firebenders about to kill them. But she trusts sokka, and sokka said this is it. And only THEN does she lose hope.
thanks for this video. I relate to Toph a lot and her arc, I still struggle with it a lot case time and time again im proven that asking for help will put you in a weak spot and leave you used and more damaged. Made me tear a bit, but wish more people understood this is actually an arc many peopel have to go trough in life
Yeah I know what you mean. I think the hardest part of asking for help isn't just feeling weak. It's knowing how many people will see you as weak and instead of wanting to help because of it, they'll take advantage. Sure they might "help" a little, but only so they can use that against you later.
@@princesseuphemia1007 Honestly. It's less about appearing weak and moreso about getting hurt by other people. Most of my time in school and at home, I refused to ask for help because I knew people would either get angry at me or insult me for even daring to be vulnerable. I remember I used to be so emotional when I was younger, but as time went on I realized that showing my emotions gave me more pain than hiding them, so that's what I did. If bad people perceive a weakness that you have, then they'll exploit that and give you something else to worry about in the process.
@@machinaowl910 That completely makes sense to me too. It seems like asking for help either gets you yelled at, looked down on, or manipulated and exploited somehow. All of the above are reasons I try not to show my emotions too much anymore either. It only leads to even more pain than I'm already in.
@@princesseuphemia1007 What annoyed me the most was when some of my toxic teachers tried to get me in trouble for not "working together". I'm sorry, where was that energy when you were treating me like I was a genuine nuisance and I shouldn't ever open my mouth? I rarely asked for help whenever I didn't understand something for this reason. I had one teacher tear up my essay I made in my face and tell me to do it again instead of explain what I did wrong. Shit like that made me absolutely hate going to school. I constantly felt like an outsider, like I shouldn't be there
@@machinaowl910 Unfortunately that's exactly how my elementary school teachers acted towards me as well, and I got horrible grades all the time. By 5th grade however, my family had moved to a different state where I got to go to school with teachers who were actually kind and caring towards me as a person even though my grades still weren't that great, and within a year or two I started to actually care about my grades and get straight As and Bs because I cared about my teachers, and in turn that made me start to enjoy the classroom as well. Who knew? Treating students with dignity actually makes them want to do their schoolwork well? :P I remember the teamwork dillemma all too well though. Before 5th grade I always got chided for not contributing anything in group projects, but the reason I never did is because every time I tried to all the kids in the group would make fun of me, ignore me, or tell me that my ideas were useless, so there was no point to trying. Instead I just let them come up with all the ideas and tell me what to do when they wanted me to help, but that still wasn't good enough either.
I really appreciate this video. Made me realize why I've been struggling so much with certain people recently. My mental health problems are a big struggle for me, but the pity I've received recently has only made me feel worse. I don't feel ashamed or upset by the unfortunate hand I've been dealt, but having someone cry at me because I mention my medication not working immediately... Felt bad.
I relate to toph so much so thanks for giving a deep analysis to her character!! There's very few videos on her development and it's a shame!
I love how she lets her fringe grow over her eyes because sh does not use them anyhow.
You are full of kindness Tim, you didn't have to bring up that bit in the end. But you did, because you are a good person. You may have saved someone's life today.
Thank you. I really needed this today.
Almost 15 years later and people are still talking about avatar. This warms my heart
It’s honestly the nuances throughout the series that you see her grow as a person.
Maybe it's just me, having grown up a "tomboy" and later realizing I'm nonbinary, but Toph to me represented every kid who felt different for how they presented in their gender. She's not traditionally feminine, she's crude and rough around the edges and wears whatever's comfy, and she's just - herself. It took time for her to find people that loved her for who she was, but she DID find them, and while I resonate more with Zuko on a fundamental level ( daddy issues, growing up under an emotionally abusive household, losing a mom , not really fitting in socially ) , and Katara for the reason of being the one to take on parental duties after a parent dies, Toph was very important to me as a kid who felt isolated and lost in the enigma of " being a girl". And I loved seeing a canon disabled character who wasn't a hinderance or a " one special episode appearance and then never seen again" cameo. I'm not blind, but I do have glasses, and I've had depression and anxiety nearly all my life, so seeing emotional trauma portrayed realistically in this show was really important. It gave me hope that things could get better if I just had the right support. Finding people who love you for all your quirks and weirdness is hard, and not an easy journey, but you CAN find them, and I love Bryke for teaching kids that valuable lesson- it's okay to not be like everyone else.
HI there, Tim. As always, fabulous character analysis on the ever legendary Toph Bei Fong. When she first graced the screen, I remembered enjoying her for her rambunctiousness and her toughness. However, with every repeated viewing, I have learned to validate, respect, admire, and cherish Toph on a deeper level because of what she had to endure with her parents, her gradual willingness to be her inwardly vulnerable self, and find a sense of acceptance with the likes of Sokka, Katara, Aang, Zuko, Suki, and Iroh. Toph may be remembered for her sarcasm and super strength, but she is also remembered for her courage, independence, perseverance, and strong will.
when you said about people avoiding help because they believe others have it worse. That really hit me deep and you explained exactly how I felt and why I avoided help
the part at the end was really surprising. i didn't expect it at all but it made a lot of what i've been going through feel validated for once. thanks for that.
Outstanding analysis as always Tim.
I didn't expect this video to make me wanna cry this much, my dude. I struggle really badly to ask for help when I most need it, it's borderline impossible for me to speak at all when I need help with something cause of selective mutism and social anxiety, my brain just spirals out of control the more I try to get myself to open my mouth and speak/ask. It's been worse lately cause my country just came out of lockdown and I'm a chef, my city is really big on the food industry so my works been absolutely mad. And my manager whos new has been berating my to communicate more... Needless to say I wanna go back into lockdown hahaha
From a fellow NZ'er, who seemingly thinks like you. I'd like to think the values you have discussed in all your videos, has made me a better person, that YOU have made me a better person. For that, there is no other expression suitable, other than, thank you. Your videos are actually just a goldmine of wisdom.
I'd also like to indirectly (or perhaps, directly?) thank you for working for the suicide hotline. I have had to call a fair few times. Although they didn't solve my issues, they allowed me to vent. Being that vent, I couldn't imagine, so once again, you're doing good to the world, so keep it up!
ATLA is so full of wonderful story telling. I honestly never really thought that much about Toph’s arc even though I greatly enjoy the character and the interactions she has throughout the course of the show. Your deep dives are always showing me something new to consider.
PS - YAY, on Vol. 2 coming out. So looking forward to it. I can’t get enough of Vol. 1.
I have a strong feeling this is one of those videos that causes a bunch of confessions in the comments
I recently reached out to the National Suicide Hotline for the first time in my life, while I was home alone and questioning if I was safe with myself. It was scary, but they made me feel okay again. Seeing this video just reminded me of that, and Im glad you are putting this sort of message out there.. thank you, from a abuse survivor, a suicide survivor, and someone who has struggled with asking for help. Thank you from me, and everyone you have undoubtedly helped to realize that needing others for support is okay. Thank you so much.
The part at the end is very true. I work the graveyard shift, so I'm often very tired. One time, my friend griped about being tired and then apologized, for complaining. Saying she shouldn't complain 'cause I have it worse. I told her that just because I'm tired doesn't mean your tiredness disappeared. You're allowed to be tired.
Toph has always been my favourite character in ATLA, and there was a time when I thought "that's lame" bc she's a fan favourite also :D but she's awesome and as a kid, she was very relatable too. As a kid I always refused any help, because I thought it would make me look like I couldn't handle stuff myself, even if I ended up doing things wrong. I've gotten better at asking for help now that I'm an adult, but it still feels bad ugh :D
I love character arc where the character doesn't have a major transformation just learns something new along the way and i love the fact that you highlighted this in Toph's journey
Wow! I can't even begin to describe on how many levels this video is amazing. When I saw that it was "only" 10 Minutes long I was kinda disapointed and confused why Toph gets such a short video.
But these 10 Minutes are filled with so much valuble information. You manage to teach something about character writing, tell us about yourself and apeal to us, to accept help if we need it.
Thanks so much Tim, its not every day, that a TH-camr cares that much about his/her viewers and is willing to open up about vulnerability. You picked the perfect topic from our favourite show to talk about this important issue!
I litteraly have tears in my eyes, since this is something I'm struggeling with right now.
Ok, the end of that hit me hard. Really hard. I'm currently in the process of generally opening up to people and having them opening up to me. I've very often been been the person people open up to, but seldom opened up myself. It's a very... tumultuous experience. But it's really worth it in the end. I couldn't agree more with Tim here. Talk to people about your feelings and your problems and listen to theirs. You'll all come out as stronger people afterwards, together.
This remindes me about the struggles I had/have surrounding my dyslexia.. A bunch of feelings and acts I can relate to.
I Really enjoy the videos you make. Love ATLA as a series but love it even more after your in-depth videos!
Thank you Tim!
I wasn't ready for that sincere life lesson at the end
I am also a competitive swimmer in college and it’s crazy to see others like you out here on TH-cam doing something way different then we’re used to! Keep up the great work!
This is a concept I’ve been working through psychologically and it’s touched me so deeply that you’ve created an example for self care and vulnerability through one of my favorite shows. Thank you💖 Please do not ever underestimate the validity of the concepts you bring awareness to and how deeply they ring true with people❤️
@tim pls make sure that your 2nd book also looks this amazing. Your first one might be my favourite book cover ever and even tho the cover isnt really relevant i still feel its one of those small details that when done right are amazing
I realized this long ago.
Everything about Toph as a character coalesces in the finale as she hangs off the edge of that airship. Her link to the world is her feet- dangling hundreds of feet in the air she is entirely separated from everything she knows,
Except Sokka. His hand holding on tight. Yes he is physically holding onto her, but more than that as well.
That moment represents every bit of love and trust that Toph has gained for the others over the entire rest of the series.
While he was referring to the movie Ratatouille with this statement, I'd like to think they apply here as well- in the words of Schaffrillas Productions, "There is only one word that comes to mind. And that is cinema."
Take a shot every time he call Toph "tough" 😂
Toph 's character arc is not just about asking for help I mean it is but I believe
it is also about exploring the world and making bonds and friendship.
Toph never had a single friend her entire life before meeting aang , katara and sokka.
I don't remember who, but once someone told me that lie we tell our self of "i can't be sad because others have it worse" it's as illogical as saying "i can't be happy, because others have it better"
Toph may not have gotten a life changing field trip with Zuko, but at the theatre, in the intermission, Zuko got a life changing conversation with Toph.
When Tim said "One person's pain doesn't make yours less painful or less worth talking about" I thought about something that I had read somewhere
Saying you can't be sad because someone might have it worse than you is like saying you can't be happy because someone might have it better than you.
I once shared a similarity to toph but with a twist. When I was young my mother was the only one who showed me genuine empathy. Others either couldn't or didn't want to understand what ailed me. Thus I had to put on a facade of independence for everyone bar my own mother. A facade that as much as I tried I could not make convincing. This was difficult because at home I often couldn't rely on my mother in the presence of my father and sister, because neither my mother nor I could get my father or sister to understand my struggles in life. Thus, I was alone even when I wasn't. Eventually, I met people who were more understanding and respectful of my issues, and only then was I able to put that facade to rest. Eventually, I was able to find common ground with my whole family, and we're all now aware of and show respect for each other's issues. For many of my formative years, I couldn't rely on anyone for anything myself or otherwise, but I was able to make the changes necessary to overcome this. In that sense, my growth as a person isn't that different from toph's growth as a character.
That was incredibly beautiful. Thanks for sharing. And thank you for continuing to make thoughtful content.
One of the greatest contrasts showing growth in Toph is imo that between when she chooses to go on the airships in the finale, and when she chooses _not_ to go in the drill in s2e13. Metalbending is obviously part of it, showing a growing skill. But she also displays character growth, choosing to go with her friends rather than trying to help from outside.
That's why Toph is my favorite character, her arc is so subtle that it's simply my favorite of the series. I'm a private person, I always have been, but in a different way than Toph, which didn't stop me from identifying with some things
I play a lot RPG, you know? And my characters are ALWAYS more like Toph, with arcs like that
I was a combat soldier.
We pretty much squashed the idea that expression of feelings means that you are weak…
As long as you know how to stick it in your pocket during the height of the battle, you’d be stupid to keep it bottled up after you are back to safety
This truly is a great channel it's so good to get more into depth with the characters you know and love
I have this problem of not wanting to bother anyone, which is why whenever I do, it’s hard but I make myself feel better by telling the other person to open up when they need it too, making it clear that I’m not the only one with problems so I’m willing to return the favor of being listened to
This is exactly the channel I need right now.
Crying in a bus from the very morning wasn't something I expected while podcasting that video lol thank you
The greatest earthbender of all time does not need a character arc
PERIOD! But no fr I get so annoyed when people act like because she didn’t have the same dramatic life altering paradigm shift as zuko. Like yes this is an ensemble cast, but it was always zuko and aangs story, so their arcs were always gonna be the longest and most involved. But every character grew and changed, and that’s what makes the show so good. Even the side characters got episodic arcs
man I missed these videos Tim,
thanks for the new content !
I keep this video downloaded and it has gotten me through some of my own struggles, thank you.
You, mister, are really cool! Loved this video, and many others, the empathetic and understanding way you make them is absolutely wonderful, and wise. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with all us.
Makes sense given that she's an earthbender too and there's that hard stubbornness that's associated with earth bending.
Toph is my favourite character because of her disability. She's strong, not despite it, but _because_ of it. And the fact that she learns to ask for help is something that I need to look at more myself. I have several disabilities, all of which I was born with, and I kept feeling like asking for help made me weak. Like it made me less of a person. So I stopped asking, and I started struggling. There are a number of people I haven't told about my mental disabilities, which isn't great, considering that I'm an executive member in a club at my uni. I usually live with my heart on my sleeve. But my autism tends to be a different story. All because I'm afraid of it seeming like an excuse, when it isn't. I'll get there. I want to be comfortable with asking for help like Toph did.
What I have learned is that people do not like to hear "I am sorry for you" for having something like a disability or similar. These people are often very capable of doing things (of course this has exceptions) since they have lived with that a long time and adapted. Ecouraging these people is a far better support than just taking all tasks from them. If they ever need help, they will ask.
I feel this is why Toph was the best choice to be the character that doesn't judge Zuko on his past actions so he can have a healthy relationship with someone from the get go. Not only because she wasn't there to experience that, but also because her arc is similar to parts of Zuko's. As Iroh points out, Toph sounds like Zuko. Someone who is afraid and ashamed to admit that they might need to help. She was also the only one who saw that Zuko was the best, but only choice to be Aangs firebending teacher. Given what Zuko did to be back home after the events of Season 2, coming all this way while telling the truth probably aided in Tophs trust towards him. Even after he unintentionally burnt her feet. Toph was still on Zuko's side. Toph learned to accept help from others, so now she can pass that along to Zuko. This is probably why the pair never had a "soul searching" journey. Because there was no bridge to mend, there was no shared struggle. Zuko and Aang needed to learn what Firebending truly meant and its intended purpose. Zuko helped Sokka regain his "honor" by liberating his father (and Suki) from prison. Then help Katara find closure over her mothers death (something he could relate too. Having your mother taken away by forces outside of your control). But what can you do with Toph and Zuko? At this point both characters have completed their character arcs and since they had no prior history, there was no bridge to mend as mentioned before. Having a conversation with eachother was all that was needed. And to think it happens in the shows best "filler" episode.