Transcending the Other: A postcolonial perspective of Avatar

In the box office breaking and award winning movie, Avatar, director James Cameron tells a science fiction story of colonization in the future. As stated by Lois Tyson (2006), “post-colonial criticism analyzes literature produced by cultures that developed in response to colonial domination.” Through the eyes of human protagonist, Jake Sully, the journey takes place on the planet of Pandora, which is colonized and exploited by human forces for economic interest. The planet is considered hostile, strange, and inhabited by a strange other; the Na’vi people.

As Jake begins the movie by obeying military order to find intel on the natives, he eventually transcends into their way of life. Jake ventures to Pandora, after his twin brother’s passing, to continue his work with the avatar program. Jake eventually earns the trust of the Na’vi people, through his avatar body, and turns against his own kind to defeat colonialization. Jake’s leadership allows the oppressed Na’vi people to fight against their colonizers, indicating an anti-colonial message. While Cameron conveys a message against colonial intentions, he ironically uses racist representations and stereotypes of the other to emulate the oppression of the other.

It is evident throughout the movie that the Na’vi people are characterized as the other. The Na’vi people have blue alien skin and differ from humans. The colonizer, the human forces, dehumanize the Na’va people by referring to them as animals and depicting them as savages. By emphasizing the physical features of the natives, the director creates a focus the racist representation of the natives, which place the Na’vi into the other category.

In order to demonstrate anti-colonial rule, Cameron transcends Jake’s character into the leader and force to attack the human military. Jake’s whiteness, or ability to be superior and normal, does not follow the typical main white characters. However, this transcendence is allowed due to his whiteness.

            Jake begins Avatar as a demoralized, crippled white man in a wheelchair. As a veteran, Jake upholds the obedience to following the white man in charge, but ultimately transforms into a native.

Jake initially follows the Na’vi to gather intel on their land and resources, but soon finds a liking to the life on Pandora. In order to bring balance and end the Na’vis colonization, a white character must transcend into the native to thrive. Cameron presents many conflicting aspects in Avatar, but this transcendence is key. While Cameron focuses the movie on Jake’s moral, physical, and emotional transformation to end the colonizing of Pandora, he still emphasizes the racial implications among the natives. To Cameron, it is only through the rise of the inferior white character, that the native people were able to fight against their colonizers.

To viewers this indicates that in order for there to be real order or justice, a white person must transcend into the native for trust and utilizing their knowledge to conquer the journey. Cameron makes great strides to present a colonized world and it’s later decolonization, however the racist representations and transcendence of a white man into leading the natives complicates that post-colonial perspective.

Sources
Cameron, James, director. Avatar.
Tyson, L. (2006). Critical Theory Today: A User-friendly Guide. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.