Parallels of Imperialism and Opression in Avatar

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Native American Literature & 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-transporter used to be a part of and learn about the Na’Vi community. During his first expedition in the land of the Na’Vi, Jake gets lost and encounters one of the main female members of the tribe who ends up taking him under her wing and teaches him the ways of a Omaticaya. From here, the movie continues to tell the story of Jake’s dilemma between the mission he started with his people and the allegiance he slowly pledged to the Omaticaya clan. After watching Avatar the day it came out in theaters, I easily decided that it was one of the most extraordinary movies I had ever seen. My opinion may seem invalid coming from an uncultured fourteen-year-old, but even after having recently re-watched the film, I feel this movie and its social commentary are remarkable. There were many aspects to this movie, some controversial, that made the movie exceptional: its new-aged cinematography, disputable portrayal of the indigenous peoples, oddly familiar plotline, and mostly its critique on colonization and civilization. After having watched Avatar for the sixth time, I have come to the conclusion that this film much more intricate than its critics and supporters acknowledge. There are multiple parallels between imperialism and...

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...s Development Administration of the United States dominated Pandora and the Na’Vi.

Altogether, Avatar seems to accurately portray the contemptible history of colonization, exploitation and elimination of indigenous people in The United States of America and numerous other places around the world. Since the 18th century, colonizers from Europe have coerced indigenous peoples like the Omaticaya off their homeland and subjugated them for economic and private benefits. The mentalities that Colonel Miles Quaritch and Parker Selfridge have about the inquisition reflect exactly those of who tyrannized native communities in America and African communities too. Their justifications and propaganda were pulled straight from past oppressors. The movie does not do much to make the history of colonization look bad, as it was ignominious in of itself.

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