Avatar and Imperialism - 686 Words

The movie Avatar shares many themes with the Age of Imperialism. In the movie, the human protagonist takes the form of a local alien Navi in a conflict between humans and the Navi. The conflict arises because the humans in the film have arrived at the home of the Navi, Pandora, and begun to exploit its resources. At first, they ignored the Navi, but their quest for resources is now taking them into direct conflict with the native peoples of Pandora. The Navi are the only humanoid residents of Pandora, which is otherwise populated by abundant flora and fauna. In the imperialism parable, the Navi are the native peoples of Africa, the Americas, Australia and Asia; while the humans in Avatar are representative of the Europeans during the Age of Imperialism. During the Age of Imperialism, Europeans spread across the globe, setting up colonies and exploiting the resources of the lands that they found. When they began to set up colonial rule in those lands, there was tremendous suffering among the native peoples. Many native peoples during the Age of Imperialism lost their way of life to the imperialist powers. In Avatar, the loss of a way of life, and in broad the loss of culture altogether, is a theme explored in when the humans seek to destroy the Hometree as part of their plan to exploit the resources of the planet. The loss of the way of life for the Omaticaya people mirrors the dramatic changes to the way of life that can be found in the Age of Imperialism. NativeShow MoreRelatedDepiction of Imperialism in Avatar715 Words   |  3 PagesGeography (2009) defines imperialism as an unequal human and territorial relationship, usually in the form of an empire, based on ideas of superiority and practices of dominance, and involving the extension of authority and control of one state or people over another (p. 373). In the socio-political sphere, the Age of Imperialism lasted from about 1870 until World War II, however, this theme had a major impact on literature and in film, as can be seen in James Camerons Avatar (2009). Major imperialisticRead MoreParallels of Imperialism and Opression i n Avatar Essay1609 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature Film Parallels of Imperialism and Opression in Avatar Set on the planet Pandora, Avatar is a science-fiction story of a money-hungry corporation’s attempt to conquer and excavate the land of humanoids known as Na’Vi. Jake Sully is a paraplegic, who is sent to space to complete his deceased brother’s mission because they share the same genome, which is necessary to navigate the expensive avatar that had already been cloned. We learn that the avatar is basically a mind-transporterRead MoreAvatar, By James Cameron1710 Words   |  7 PagesJames Cameron’s film, AVATAR, is set under an imperialistic narrative of invasion for commercial gain, complete with the side story of â€Å"ethnographic exploration† in the name of science, on the planet of Pandora. The year is 2154, but the story is an old and familiar one - the Western colonization of non-Western peoples and the exploitation of their natural resources, such as land, oil, gold, or labor. While it is impossible to deny the impact and visual experie nce of the film and its commercial achievementsRead MoreActing White, by Stuart Buck724 Words   |  3 Pagespassage the author believes that racism is deeper than slavery, it has evolved to our modern day movies such as Avatar. Mitu goes into dept of how whites are more dominant in avatar than the blacks. The movie portrays many ethnic heroic roles defending the Navi. Many believe the navi are African Americans due to their braids and resemblance to color. Some may question the film but Avatar is a racist film. In other words the white messiah came into play when discussing the film. The author’s conflictRead MoreThemes Of Avatar841 Words   |  4 PagesWill White People Stop Making Movies Like Avatar?†, a recurring theme she’s noticed is the theme of white guilt. In her essay, Newitz depicts the movie Avatar as nothing more than a colorful rehash of this (apparently) common white guilt scenario. This is where the main white protagonist leaves the oppressive ( white) side to join the oppressed native side upon seeing the error of his ways. Some Americans, including Newitz, believe that movies akin to Avatar possess an underlying motive, which includesRead MoreAvatar, An Former Paraplegic Marine1029 Words   |  5 PagesIn the 2009 James Cameron film Avatar, an ex-paraplegic Marine, Jake Sully became indirectly involved with an expedition to natural resource rich Pandora, an extraterrestrial planet needed by Earthens to continue existing thanks to inevitable raw material exhaustion. For Jake, his call to adventure began when his life course was altered due to the â€Å"random† death of his scientist brother. Little did Jake know, with his cynical attitude, that his life was about to change for eternity. InitiallyRead MoreAvatar, By James Cameron1765 Words   |  8 PagesAvatar is one of those profound movies with a deep meaning that strikes different emotions of the audience, which they might have not known they had. It hit mos t of the questionable topics that are mostly unspeakable now. Avatar is a spectacular movie written and directed by James Cameron. The movie is set in a breathtaking alien world called Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na’vi race. At first, they are viewed as a primitive wild, race but in reality they are more highly evolved than the audienceRead MoreAvatars Message About Imperialism, Corporations, and the Environment2674 Words   |  11 PagesJames Cameron’s Avatar has been hailed by movie critics as one of the greatest and most pivotal films of all time. A critic for the Detroit Times stated in his critique of the: â€Å"I have seen the future of films, and it is Avatar (rottentomatoes.com).† Critics and audiences alike were entranced by the fast paced and intense science fiction film that was released during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2009. Many were marveled by the immense amount of detail, dedication, and creativity that it took toRead MoreCesaire: Th e Discourse on Colonialism Essay1111 Words   |  5 Pagesdominate inferior subjects in nations throughout the globe. Throughout the essay, Cesaire provides reasoning for the socially constructed experiences of those dictated by colonial imperialism, particularly Africans, and proletarian conflicts in Europe. In such a way, Cesaire suggests a critical course of colonialism, imperialism, capitalism and communism – fundamental themes in political and intellectual agenda, and in the declaration of the intellectuality in non-European societies. In the beginningRead MoreAvatar as an Allegory1879 Words   |  8 PagesAvatar as an Allegory HUM3321-14 Sean Gilman Avatar as an Allegory HUM3321-14 Sean Gilman Sean Gilman Jeffrey Bennett HUM3321-14 13 December 2011 Avatar as an Allegory In the 1600s and 1700s, the British began to migrate to and colonize â€Å"The New World†, America. As they arrived, they met a society for whom they displayed little compassion and much hostility.  Ã‚  The British invaded their land and oppressed the Native American people for hundreds of years due to their cultural differences