Avatar

The avatar is the story of the World’s marine take over “Pandora” to take the plant’s supply of “unobtainium”. In Avatar, the Marines work with a group of researchers to learn the ways and traditions of the native people called the “Na’vi” hopes to access extremely costly and effective supply. The researchers came up with a different way to make it easier, by “growing bodies mixed with human DNA mixed with the native populations,” genetic material in order for the military to fit in better and earn the confidence of the “Na’vi”. They call these new bodies “avatars” and are able to link the bodies to each other.

The main character, Jake Sully, was on an assignment with a group of researchers that his twin brother worked with. He was the only one that could use that avatar. On the first day of working in the avatar bodies, After wondering away from his group, he was stalked by this creature saved by a native woman named “Neytiri”. She was hunting when she came across Jake Sully. Neytiri had planned to fire a “poison dipped arrow”, but when “seeds of life” from the holy tree set itself on her arrow, she decided he needed to be left alone.
The Na’vi belief structure is a lot like the Christian worldview. The native people of Pandora are very spiritual people who only believe in one goddess known as, Eywa. Eywa “is the creator of all living things and a part of all living things” according to Neytiri. Similar to what we, the Christians, believe about God.
The worldviews that are represented in the movie are the Na’vi’s goddess, Eywa and Christian God are a similar idea. Their goddess Eywa, according to Neytiri, “she only protects the balance of life and death.” The God that we know, certainly answers prayers. There are no guidelines taught about sex, only traditions, many Na’vi women and men’s relation are predetermined. The Na’vi just pray to the one Goddess and environment which is the most important comparison between the Na’vi belief and the Christian belief.
Another comparison that I caught is that “all things are connected.” In the Christian worldview, man is made in God’s image. This is like the Na’vi who “become one with one another.” A person may claim that Avatar, is not Christian, however, that God made man according to his image. I noticed the transfer of his soul to his avatar body was known as the “rebirth” my husband made the comment that is like baptism. I hadn’t noticed how closely faith in Eywa and Christianity are a like. I had actually never seen the movie so we bought it for the assignment. I was very encouraged by the pure attractiveness of the landscape on Pandora and how often in today’s world, we don’t think it. The Na’vi people are very grateful and when they kill an animal to eat, the killer thanks it. Reminded me of thanking God for scarficing his son.