Azula's Self Determination

 It's about Drive it's about Power

    When examining motivation one of the most simple ways to understand it and how it works is to look at internal and external motivation. This is known as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is known as the internal and occurs because the person doing the act is gaining pleasure, joy, happiness, or more from it, in simple terms it is something people do because they enjoy it. Within intrinsic motivation there are concepts known as autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy refers to the feeling that one has choice and is willing. Competence displays how much one is willing to participate, persist, and master their goal. Finally, relatedness refers to the need to feel connected and if you belong with others. With this is mind, extrinsic motivation occurs because it will result in meeting an external goal, such as a prize, gathering praise, or even winning. 

Tied together into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is something known as Cognitive Evaluation Theory. This theory deals with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and the effects that external results have on internal motivation, as well as how much a person believes that what they are doing is controlled based upon something internal within themselves or externally from the environment they find themselves in. This can lead to how in control of a task or action as person feels as well.  

When looking at Azula and her life as a character she displays multiple means of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.  When we first see Azula in the series she is going to collect her brother Zuko and her uncle from a hot spring location. When she encounters them, she tells them about how much their father regrets banishing Zuko from their nation and wants him to come home. However, it is revealed shortly after this tale that she is lying and intends to instead arrest her brother due to his incompetence and shameful results toward catching the Avatar. These actions reveal Azula to be mostly extrinsically motivated and shows her autonomy. Azula is extrinsically motivated because this is a mission she was given by her father and she wishes to please him and bring results back to the palace. In addition, it can be said that due to Azula being the younger sibling she wishes to stick out and do better than her older brother so that she may be named superior, once again supporting her extrinsic motivation for praise. 

After failing to arrest her brother, Azula begins on her journey to capture the Avatar herself in hopes that bringing home the prize her brother was intended to hold she will be better off. With this goal in mind, Azula gathers two close friends, Mai and Ty lee. By doing this, it can be said that Azula shows her intrinsic motivation. This is due to the concept of relatedness. By gathering her friends on a mission that she feels will lead to a big reward and success she is displaying her need to also be connected to others while doing so. Azula also makes it clear to her friends that she is their leader through intimidation and control tactics and does not take no for an answer from them when she asks them to join her journey. She expresses that they are the only people that she feels she can trust. 

Throughout the series Princess Azula continues to show her extrinsic motivation through her chase and command for capturing the Avatar. She is unyielding in her mission and uses a mass of different techniques and tracking methods in her attempts and displays competence. Another notable and prominent example of her extrinsic motivation comes in Season 2 when she lays seize on the Earth Kingdom capital Ba Sing Se. Azula and her friends obtain a large, destructive, and seemingly indestructible drill that successfully pushes through the layers of wall, in what is known as “The Impenetrable City”. Azula’s motivation for now trying to lay claim on the Earth Kingdom city is due to orders from her father Fire Lord Ozai. Additionally, by doing this Azula will potentially be praised for being the first to break down the wall, as well as be able to say that she conquered the Earth Kingdom for the Fire Nation and their great expansion. Therefore, meeting the conditions needed for an action to be extrinsically motivated. With this in mind, Azula also displays Cognitive Evaluation Theory, because she has a sense of belief that the things that occur and motivate her are due to the environment, she finds herself in. She sees herself as responsible for an entire nation and the respect they garner, therefore she needs to be the best and accomplish the greatest achievements, especially because her brother is seen as a failure and was banished, leaving the burden to please their father and nation on her shoulders. 

    Azula's action begin to show some intrinsic motivation at the end of season 2 and in season 3. Azula does indeed manage to conquer the Earth Kingdom even after her unsuccessful drill attempt due to a coup. Within this coup she fights alongside her brother Zuko and manages to land a life-threatening blow against the Avatar. Thinking he is now out of commission; she claims the success of killing the Avatar and officially conquers the Earth Kingdom. After this action we see Princess and Prince Zuko in the Fire Nation officially and formally welcoming Prince Zuko home after his time away. Azula expresses that her actions of redeeming her brother in their fathers’ eyes by claiming Zuko killed the Avatar was because she wished for Zuko to be home and I secretly believe she wanted to see her best friend Mai (Zuko’s girlfriend) happy. All of which gives her an intrinsic motivation because she did it for herself. 

We also see intrinsic motivation during the Ember Island episodes. This is displayed when Azula plays a game of volleyball for fun with her friends (despite her inevitable destruction of the net). Azula also later expresses how she was seen as a monster by their mother because of her violent tendencies and cruel remarks. and because of that she is no longer bothered by how people view her. She expresses that she feels freed to be who she is and do the things she does. Showing how internal beliefs lead to her life choices and actions, once again displaying Cognitive Evaluation Theory.