Upon watching the movie Avatar it is very easy to be taken a back by all the beautiful graphics, amazing innovation, and below the surface the power to portray a message that is not always clear upon seeing the movie once. James Cameron faced the challenge of trying to change the different views that individuals had on the preservation of nature, and the protection of the environment. It just so happens to be that when this movie was brought to fruition the US was facing the strongest wave of protest for the preservation of nature. In continuation, the movie had many symbolic representations of earth even within it pictures, the planet Pandora for example has a very strong resemblance to earth in a sense, and even the un breathable atmosphere it posses is a symbol for what would happen to our own planet if wild life, and plants is whipped out, he brought about the questions how would …show more content…
we breath and how would we live. In all honesty the most obvious rhetorical aspects presented to me would have to be logos, ethos, and pathos. Ethos represents the director himself, James Cameron is known world wide as one of the best movie producers in the world, it is almost as if everything he touched turns into an instant success so that is enough support in itself. Logos on the other hand, around the time that Avatar was released, America was going through somewhat of an energy crisis. In fact, the Republican Party was encouraging drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge as well as offshore. Environmentalism was becoming a huge issue at the time, which led to constant conflict between those who supported it and those who did not.
Through the use of Avatar, Cameron had the opportunity to show that the environment needed to be protected before it was completely destroyed. And lastly pathos, the audience was definitely won over by the sconce in which the Na`VI peoples tree of life was destroyed, further portraying the effects that humans can have on an ecosystem and how a single person can make a difference and bring awareness to a global cause. Also, The movie contains many themes such as themes of imperialism, environmentalism, consumerism, anti-capitalism, etc. The one I would definitely have to agree with the most is environmentalism. As humans we have a long history of claiming things that are not necessarily ours for the taking. This mostly includes the destruction of forests in order to obtain vital things to human life. Now that being said, it doesn’t provide a reason for the destruction of nature and that is exactly what Cameron tries to implant in his audience’s
mind. Lastly, the audience that is trying to be reached is by far the most crucial point of any movie, this movie is directed at a more matures and adult audience, it is quit obvious that a young child would only be awed by the special effects but they would not truly understand the deep meaning behind the different scenes in the movie; this movie isn’t your local basic movie it was directed to impact a global audience, and boy did it to that it will forever go down in the record books as one of the best movies in entertainment history, and it is all thanks to James Cameron and his message.
Society does not appear to be worried about how nature has vanished. Recently, most humans are only worried about the development in technology and how it benefits them. The world of the feed has become so consumed in their precious technology that oxygen factores need to produce artificial air. For example, when Violet was having a conversation with Titus father on how Jefferson Park was being destroyed to create oxygen factors, Titus father says, “it’s inefficient to have trees next to an air factory” (Anderson 125). Ironically, trees produce oxygen, yet humans are destroying trees to build oxygen factories. Trees clean the atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing the oxygen that living creatures breathe in. Ever since humans learned how to utilize an a hatchet, humans constantly cut down trees without seeing the impact it has on the earth and our society. Moreover, due to society’s overpopulation humans utilize the advancement of technology to replace forests with numerous factories and skyscrapers. As Titus father describes, the trees are “nice, and it’s too bad, but like...Do you know how much real estate costs?” (Anderson 125). The earth has slowly deteriorated due to mankind abusing natural resources and transforming them into our everyday
The movie Avatar, written and directed by James Cameron, is based off many influence from his life. These range from the science fiction books he read as a kid to obscure dreams told to him by his mother. But even though the movies character were not made to fit the religious stereotypes that accompanied the culture at the time of the making of this movie the unconscious bias we all have about foreign culture clearly impacted the making of the movie.
Nesson directs much of his attention in the film at the general public with an emphasis towards the environmentalist in the crowd. His intent with the film is to inform the viewer how the environment is improved with environmental friendly
In the dystopian novel, Brave New World, Huxley uses symbols to create meaning and to get his agenda across. The use of sex and reproduction, and Shakespearian writing and religious texts, as symbols in the novel help to push Huxley’s agenda that total government control is devastating, and the inner human drive to be an individual can never be suppressed. Also, the fact that the novel was written in 1931 shows that Huxley was attacking the newly forming Socialist nations.
Chapter three of the text, Inside Social Life by authors Cahill, Sandstrom and Froyum; discusses the importance of symbolism and how each individual within society comprehends the realities which surround them. Humans have the capacity to relate, internalize and interpret in their own words; the objects they visualize, smell, taste, hear and see on a daily basis. The chapter discusses how symbolism helps regulate human life and activity; alongside forming cohesion and stability within society. For example, if humans stayed at the level of sensation, experiencing everything around them; soon all would become overwhelmed and utterly distracted. (Sandstrom, 2014). This short paper will aim to critique and analyze author Sandstroms’ chapter on Symbols and the Creation of Reality. Discussed within the paper will be points which to the reader are deemed as ones of great value; in conjunction with points which may have brought the chapter to lose its major emphasis.
After analyzing cultural relativism over the semester, I have come to the conclusion that cultural relativism under anthropological analysis defines every single culture with some aspect of worth as viewed by an individual within that society. Franz Boas, termed the “Father of American Anthropology”, first introduced the concept of cultural relativism. He wanted people to understand the way certain cultures conditioned people to interact with the world around them, which created a necessity to understand the culture being studied. In my words, cultural relativism is the concept that cultures should be viewed from the people among that culture. When studied by anthropologists, cultural relativism is employed to give all cultures an equal
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...
What is symbolism? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary symbolism: is the use of symbols to express or represent ideas or qualities in literature, art. What is the writer or artistes trying to intemperate in their work? William Faulkner and Edgar Allan Poe were literary geniuses in their use of dark and subdued writing styles, but in my opinion no one takes the time to look in depth into the real meanings of there works . This paper will elaborate on the use of symbolism in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.
Symbolism is a part of human nature; it has been a form of communication long before the written language. Ideas are conveyed through symbolism. It is frequently used in pop culture today. Many songs and music videos have symbolism in them. The music video for “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus is symbolic for a destructive relationship. Her being stripped to nothing but her skin represents her vulnerability and how love destroyed her; she emotionally becomes ‘stripped and naked’. The wrecking ball represents how she feels. Miley Cyrus becomes the building and the wrecking ball crumbles her to pieces, leaving her in the middle of it all. Another song with symbolism is “Love Club” by Lorde. When Lorde says “love club,” she is using it as a symbol for equality. In this club there are no fights for being someone’s best friend, girls don’t fight over the littlest things, popularity doesn’t matter, you don’t have to worry about fitting in, and the thoughts of suicide are gone; everyone is equal. “Firework” by Katy Perry displays many cases of symbolism. Symbolism is used when Katy Perry says,...
...ishing. While it makes clear that changes need to be made politically, this is a film meant to appeal to the environmentally concerned citizen. The film-like elements, while distracting to those watching the film with analytical intent, would most likely evade the average viewer. Such thematic elements help to increase viewer engagement, already lacking in environmental films, as becomes significantly easier to watch. Rupert Murray created a film not to be picked apart by critics, but to serve as conversational material between average citizens. He takes steps to ensure that viewers are given simple directives and memorable arguing points, such as repeating images of the MSC sustainable logo. While the statistics may have be victim to claims of arbitrariness, it is easy to visualize an individual at a party asking if others have heard that seafood will end in 2048.
In the film “Avatar” directed by James Cameron, wide shot, close up shots, gesture, lighting, sound, facial expression and dialogue are used to help the audience better understand the themes, good vs evil and respecting the environment which is expressed in the film.
The most obvious reason that the environment has moral significance is that damage to it affects humans. Supporters of a completely human-centered ethic claim that we should be concerned for the environment only as far as our actions would have a negative effect on other people. Nature has no intrinsic value; it is not good and desirable apart from its interaction with human beings. Destruction and pollution of the environment cannot be wrong unless it results in harm to other humans. This view has its roots in Western tradition, which declares that “human beings are the only morally important members of this world” (Singer p.268).
Nature is Speaking with the voice of Julia Roberts is a powerful message to the public about conserving our resources and taking care of the environment. The main message tells us that humans will die, nature will stay. I believe the message of the video is very empowering and important. It is very important to let humans know that we have limited resources and need to conserve them to the best we can to bert-care for our beautiful planet. The video was effective to the public with the synced images of nature, eerie music, and a powerful voice of Julia
When I think of the perfect place, I imagine a cascading waterfall, a vast forest, a stunning mountainside, or a warm sunset on the beach. I look up around me, mesmerized by the vastness of the natural world and breathe in the fresh air. Over the course of my life, I have come to respect the environment and the earth’s natural surroundings in ways that most others do not in the industrialized and technological era of today. I can appreciate the beauty of the Earth and of all the different landscapes and organisms that surround me. The way in which I value and treasure the environment has evolved just as I have. I see the environment as something to be preserved and admired, not destroyed or exploited. My relationship with the environment is
While watching the movie you feel for sad the Avatar people and anger towards the humans and corporations that are taking control, wanting to destroy the environment through mining to make money. It is a message of caution; look at how things could be in the 22nd century if we aren’t more careful with the resources the Earth provides now.