English 101A­09 Sherman Avatar : When life and Greed Hang In The Balance The film Avatar takes place in the distant future, on a planet called Pandora. It is inhabited by both beautiful, and dangerous creatures. The indigenous people called the Na’Vi reside in the rainforest. Planet Earth is experiencing serious environmental problems causing this big corporation to start mining on Pandora in search for Unobtainium. Throughout the movie, you will see how far greed and the search for power will drive people to do terrible things. You will see how technology destroys Mother Earth and how humans lose sight of the beauty around them. During the film, you will observe the rainforest and nature through the eyes of the Na’Vi people. Jake, one of the main characters in the movie, becomes more and more like them with every encounter with the alien race. The film, Avatar, depicts the differences between characters and their views on nature and the world. Most of the humans are portrayed as arrogant and selfish, showing no remorce or respect for the indigenous people or their environment. In contrast, the Na'Vi people love their mother planet, Pandora, and live in harmony with each other and all its creatures because they respect it. During the first couple of scenes in the movie, you can already get the feeling that money and greed drives the humans. Jake, the protagonist, was an

ex­Marine that got wounded in combat and is now paralyzed and discovered that his twin brother has passed upon recovery. While attending the cremation ceremony he is approached by two employees of Resources Development Alliance (RDA). They explain to Jake that his brother was a part of the scientific group working with the miners on Pandora. The two RDA workers refer to Jake's brother as a significant investment, instead of a human being. They offer Jake a job taking his brothers place, saying that he can get paid very good. Jake accepts the job and finds himself about to land on Pandora. Jake meets Grace who is the lead scientist on the Avatar program. She is upset that they sent Jake to replace his brother since he was just a Marine, not a scientist. Grace goes to complain to Parker, who is the station manager, about Jake’s involvement. Parker seems relieved that Jake is a twin so he could connect with the Avatar so they wouldn’t lose the money they had spent making it, being that they were very expensive. Parker, sensing that Grace had lost sight of what they were doing in Pandora, shows Grace a small rock and says it is the reason they were there. It was a piece of unobtainium that is worth 20 million dollars per kilo. He didn't care how many trees he tore down, how much of the wildlife he ruined, or even how many lives he took. The colonel, who was the head of security, sent for Jake and asks if he would be willing to give him inside info on the indigenous people. Jake agrees and when he speaks to Parker for the first time, he tells Jake to find out what the aliens want. Parker explains that they have tried offering them medicine, roads, and education but the Na’Vi people weren't interested. The problem for RDA was that the Na’Vi village was sitting on top of the biggest deposit of unobtanium they had ever seen, and that is where they needed to

drill. He goes on by saying the Na’Vi people were threatening the job and even though killing the natives looked bad the shareholders disliked bad quarterly statements more than bad press. At this point in the movie, we get to experience the beautiful and dangerous world of the Na’Vi people. It is the first time that Jake gets to try his new Avatar body, and he is overcome with excitement to be able to walk and run again. Grace, Norman (another scientist), and Jake go out to Pandora beyond the gates of the compound. Grace and Norman are collecting samples when Jake is attacked by an animal that looks like a black panther and gets separated from the group. Night falls and Jake finds himself surrounded by wild dogs and that is when he meets one of the Na’Vi people named Neytiri. She ends up saving him twice because some creatures that resemble floating jelly fish that are the seeds of the sacred tree keep on protecting him. She takes Jake back to her tribe where Eytuk’an, the tribe leader, and Mo’at, the spiritual leader, spare his life and allow him to learn the way of the Na’Vi people. For the next six months Jake learns the ways of the Na’Vi through Neytiri. She teaches him that they take pride in being great warriors and hunters, but they usually only kill when it is needed for food. Jake learns how to ride an animal that looks like a horse and how to hunt with a bow and arrow, but his kills must be clean, in other words, humane. Jake is trying really hard to understand the deep connection the Na’Vi people have with the forest. Neytiri feels Jake is ready for the ultimate test, it is time for Jake to get his own Ikran, a flying dragon­like creature. Jake has made a connection with his Ikran, and now he has become a real hunter. Neytiri explains to Jake that every

person is born twice. The second is when you earn your place amongst your people forever. The Na’Vi people are pleased with Jake’s transformation and hold a ceremony in welcoming him as one of their people. After the ceremony, Neytiri takes Jake to their most sacred place, the tree of voices, the voices of their ancestors. She tells Jake that their ancestors live through Ai’Wa and then they become mated for life. Throughout the movie Avatar, humans are depicted as selfish, ruthless, and greedy beings. They act superior and have no respect for the Na’Vi people or their home. They have ruined their own planet and know have come to take the resources of Pandora, even if it means destroying the village of the Na’Vi people. From the time Jake started learning the ways of the Na’Vi people from Neytiri, he had been passing intel to the colonel and Parker, the station manager. The colonel finally had all the information he needed and was ready to strike. The machines had made it to the village, and brought down one of their sacred trees. Jake tries to stop them, but to no avail. Grace tried to reason with Parker and the colonel by saying the wealth of the world isn’t in the ground, it is all around us, and the Na’Vi people know that and are trying to defend it. Parker then says they are not people, they are fly bitten savages who live in a tree. They proceed with the attack and send missiles bringing down the tree where the Na’Vi people lived. The colonel then says, “And that’s how you scatter the roaches.” This is when Jake switches sides and fights back with the Na’Vi people. He had betrayed their trust by not being truthful of the humans plans to take over their village. To earn back their trust he has to do something drastic, so he goes in search of the Turok, meaning the last shadow. Only a few people had ever ridden a Turok for they

were fierce and mighty flying creatures. Jake succeeds in making a connection with a Turok and flies to the tree of voices to talk to the Na’Vi people. He earns their trust again and the people call him Turok Makto, which means rider of the last shadow. They assemble an army of all the clans from the four corners of the planet and prepare for battle. Jake always had a hard time understanding the significance of the tree of voices and Ai’Wa, but found himself asking for help. He sits in front of the sacred tree and says that the humans killed their mother, that there is no more green there, and they will do the same here if not stopped. Neytiri overhears this and says, “Mother does not take sides, she only protects the balance of it.” The final battle begins between the humans and the Na’Vi people. Jake and Norman have joined them in the fight to save what is most precious to them, the sacred tree of voices. Colonel Miles had already taken their village where the unobtanium was, but claimed if they didn't make the first move to attack, the indigenous people would overrun the compound. The humans loaded up with explosives and ground troops. The Na’Vi people didn't stand a chance against all the hi­tech machines and guns that the humans had. Many of them lost their lives and just when it seemed they were going to lose the battle Jake’s prayers were answered. All the creatures of Pandora, friend and foe, joined the Na’Vi people in the fight. It seems that Ai’Wa has heard Jake and helped them in their time of need. The tables have turned, Jake destroyed the last ship containing the explosives, and the humans have lost the fight. The colonel tries to kill Jake while he is still connected to his Avatar body but Neytiri manages to save him. In the end, she shoots two arrows at his chest.

 Towards the end of the movie, the Na’Vi people send the humans back to their own planet. Only a chosen few were allowed to stay amongst them. Jake is no longer that cold hearted Marine he once was. He has fallen in love with the forest, with the Na’Vi people, and most importantly, Neytiri. He doesnt want to return to his old life or body, he wants to become one of them. His final transformation occurs when he goes before Ai’Wa, for his fate is in her hands. Jake’s human body is laid at the tree of souls next to his Avatar body. When you see the eyes of the Avatar open you know that Ai’Wa has allowed Jake to become one of them. She saw in his heart that he was good, he was now seeing the world through different eyes. Throughout the movie, Avatar, the message is clear that Mother Earth should be respected and cared for in order for there to be life. Without the the natural resources she provides our world would be uninhabitable. It serves as a warning of what could be in the not so distant future. If we keep ignoring the signs, if we keep destroying our environment, we will lose our home. Humans must learn to respect nature and all living creatures in order for life to be balanced. If we allow money, power, and greed to take priority in our lives, we will kill our home.