The Themes Of Breaking Tradition In Whale Rider

The breaking of tradition usually results in a family falling apart, but sometimes families become closer. The film, Whale Rider, opens with a woman giving birth to twins. Sadly the mother and one twins die during childbirth. The grandfather, Koro, wanted a male gandson to become the next chief of the village. Tradition states that the first born son becomes the next chief but Koro’s first son does not want to become chief, the the next best thing is his grandson. However, the twin that died was male and the female twin survived. The female twin, Paikea, when she gets older, fights the tradition of a male chief, and eventually becomes chief. This idea of breaking tradition almost tears her family apart. Koro is a firm believer in traditional

When Koro is working on his boat engine, him and Pai talk. He talks about how the ignition rope represents the ancestors and how the individual strands are strong when they are tied together, like how when the people are united they are strong. The rope breaks, when Koro tries to start the engine, but Pai fixes the rope, symbolizing her right to lead the people. When Koro sees that Pai fixed the rope, he yells at her saying what she has done is dangerous. Later on in the movie a similar even happens. When the villagers are trying to save the beached whales, that Pai called for when was chanting to the ancestors. Koro tries to pull the biggest whale’s tail with a tractor while the villagers push the it, to turn the whale around. They fail because Koro was forcing the whale to go back. Also he does not allow Pai to help, because he blames her for all the bad things that have happened to the village. The whale recognizes Pai had the right to lead and that Koro was doing things the wrong way, therefore the whale rejects the rope used by Koro, and accepted the “rope” used by Pai. From Pai trying to help and doing some good, like fixing the rope, Koro is prideful and does not accept her help, he breaks her heart and in turn will break his when Pai almost dies, when she saves the