As Sokka watched the young girl take out a huge group of Earthbenders, his mouth fell open. For the first time in his life, he was watching a girl who wasn't weak. After his mother died, Sokka had found himself overly protective of other women, afraid that they too would be killed. And although Katara was anything but helpless, his view of women had forever been altered. Sokka felt the need to take care of women, that it was the man's job to make sure they didn't get hurt. He knew it was wrong, but he found women to be weaker than men.
It was all out of care and concern, but his mind had been set on the idea of women being weaker. Yet, as he watched Toph, the stubborn barriers in his mindset had broken slightly. She was a young, blind girl but she was more powerful than he could ever be. They needed her, he thought. Even though she was a girl, they needed her. Maybe, not all women were helpless.