(As a very long aside-as-prelude: We don't have much detail on how the war affected the Fire Nation, but I've always wondered how it could chip away at their social order. You've got sons and, to a lesser extent, daughters of nobles dying on the battlefield. Suddenly second and third children have a more realistic chance to inherit the family goods, and there's also the possibility of whole family lines being wiped out entirely. Then you're looking at families desperate either to marry their last heir(s) into an even better marriage, or to adopt successful somebodies into their family in order to keep the estate in one piece.)
There's also the issue of Mai's uncle, who runs (well, ran, most likely) their nation's most max-security prison. If he's a maternal uncle, then the Governor could have been a rising star who allied himself with the daughter of a fellow civil servant. If he's a paternal uncle, then you have two rising stars who perhaps marry into an "old name" family for mutual benefit. But then both scenarios depend on who's the noble and who's not, and if both families aren't nobles.
I suppose it could depend on how to read Mai's mother's comments in "Return to Omashu," about enjoying being treated like royalty in the city. Compare that to the other Fire Nation nobles we meet, Zuko especially, who simply presume they should live well and be treated with deference. So Mai's mother could be 1) making a bit of New Money posturing Beverly Hillbilly style, or 2) an old but impoverished noble who's finally able to live it up like someone of her status was meant to.
So many possibilities!
But I agree about Auntie Mura not being Mai's real aunt. Given Aunt Wu's position, perhaps Mura's title is more of an honorific for an unmarried older woman of good community standing.
Also:
* Zuko's tossed out Ozai's supporters from the government. So who did he bring in? I think Iroh supporters. Iroh was the longtime Crown Prince. Lots of entrenched support. It'd be logical for Ozai to move his own supporters into power once he got the crown, as Zuko apparently did. Given Zuko is both young and spent years abroad in exile, he probably doesn't have much of a base of support. Iroh could help there. He's old and a bit disgraced, but if Zuko's a way back from the wilderness for Iroh's supporters then I could see them backing him despite his pro-peace views.
* If Mura is Mai's biological aunt, is she from the same side of the family as the warden uncle?
* I'm actually writing a sequel of sorts to Mai's adventure here. It should be up in a few days.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2013-05-10 10:56 am (UTC)(As a very long aside-as-prelude: We don't have much detail on how the war affected the Fire Nation, but I've always wondered how it could chip away at their social order. You've got sons and, to a lesser extent, daughters of nobles dying on the battlefield. Suddenly second and third children have a more realistic chance to inherit the family goods, and there's also the possibility of whole family lines being wiped out entirely. Then you're looking at families desperate either to marry their last heir(s) into an even better marriage, or to adopt successful somebodies into their family in order to keep the estate in one piece.)
There's also the issue of Mai's uncle, who runs (well, ran, most likely) their nation's most max-security prison. If he's a maternal uncle, then the Governor could have been a rising star who allied himself with the daughter of a fellow civil servant. If he's a paternal uncle, then you have two rising stars who perhaps marry into an "old name" family for mutual benefit. But then both scenarios depend on who's the noble and who's not, and if both families aren't nobles.
I suppose it could depend on how to read Mai's mother's comments in "Return to Omashu," about enjoying being treated like royalty in the city. Compare that to the other Fire Nation nobles we meet, Zuko especially, who simply presume they should live well and be treated with deference. So Mai's mother could be 1) making a bit of New Money posturing Beverly Hillbilly style, or 2) an old but impoverished noble who's finally able to live it up like someone of her status was meant to.
So many possibilities!
But I agree about Auntie Mura not being Mai's real aunt. Given Aunt Wu's position, perhaps Mura's title is more of an honorific for an unmarried older woman of good community standing.
Also:
* Zuko's tossed out Ozai's supporters from the government. So who did he bring in? I think Iroh supporters. Iroh was the longtime Crown Prince. Lots of entrenched support. It'd be logical for Ozai to move his own supporters into power once he got the crown, as Zuko apparently did. Given Zuko is both young and spent years abroad in exile, he probably doesn't have much of a base of support. Iroh could help there. He's old and a bit disgraced, but if Zuko's a way back from the wilderness for Iroh's supporters then I could see them backing him despite his pro-peace views.
* If Mura is Mai's biological aunt, is she from the same side of the family as the warden uncle?
* I'm actually writing a sequel of sorts to Mai's adventure here. It should be up in a few days.