I saw Avatar this weekend, and after our conversations about the movie in class, it was difficult not to watch it through a critical lens. One thing that stuck out to me was the overlying idea that evolution is a cycle. I noticed that Jake Sully's video logs took place in 2154 and therefore, his interactions with the Na'vi population took place in the future as well. The idea that the Na'vi's society was based on their interactions with nature demonstrates that future societies may rely on unevolved basics to live, which also supports that development is not a continuum, but is instead a circle.The idea that the existence of the Na'vi population was dependent solely upon nature contrasts with the values of the human race, which in the movie is represented by Americans. In the movie, the humans were willing to destroy the Omaticaya (a section of the Na'vi clan) and their world on Pandora to obtain a certain material that would make them rich. For them, the ultimate goal is monetary success, and they're willing to destroy anything and everything that stands in the way in order to get it. The human race fixates on material possessions to provide happiness and success, forgetting about simpler things like nature and love, which are the basis of the Na'vi belief system. For the Na'vi people, money does not exist and is of no use, making monetary success a useless and unattainable goal. Since they are not distracted by superficial things, their priority is to protect what they know and love-- nature. As long as they can stay in touch with nature and their Goddess Ewa, they are successful. For them, life is in and of itself success.
How do you define success? What type of success is valued in the American society? Is this the type of success we should be striving for as individuals/ as a country? How does Avatar challenge the things we have come to see as important?
3 comments:
I think that America has become extremely capitalist to its own demise. Most Americans say that they choose love over money, but in a normal situation, people would choose money. If you were explicitly asked, "take a million dollars or find love," you would probably choose love. But, many people faced with the choice of what to do with their lives choose money and "success."
I think success is achieving happiness and being proud of your achievements.
I think, however, the success that many Americans look for is monetary as is the case in the movie. Another type of success is achieving high social status, which often goes along with achieving monetary success. I think that many people assume that money and fame will lead to happiness, but I disagree, and I don't think money and fame should be measures of success.
Avatar challenges nearly the entire American society because the world they live in is so different than our own, and, in the end, they end up as the winners.
I kind of want to comment on just the movie itself because I loved it for so many reasons, some of which you talked about. I really liked how the Na'vi were so in touch with nature. That fact really made me think about American society and how we are so NOT in touch with nature. I agree with you that for them, life was itself, success. I really envy them actually because they achieve happiness in the simplest things, and I really wish humans could be more like that. I know some people did not like the movie so much because the plot was predictable, but aside from that, I really took away something from the Na'vi belief system. And that is to find happiness in small things, be in touch with nature, and just the other little things that are so important to them, but humans have no care in the world for. I really appreciated that aspect of the movie and that's what I like so much about it.
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