essay final draft -Ellen Lee-

Movie ‘Avatar’ is analyzed to historical globalization.

The Movie ‘Avatar’‘s story is about how Jake Sully changes from a human to an avatar.

Jake Sully was one of the sky-people before he was one of the Na’vi tribe.

The movie can be compared with historical globalization as it shows Jake’s process of change to an avatar. For example, I think when the sky-people try to contact with the Na’vi to make Avatars looks like the Na’vi this is an example of cultural contact.

When Grace and the sky-people built a school for the Na’vi tribe to learn English and the sky-people want to control the Na’vi. This is an example of colonialism. In the movie, the sky-people’s army general thinks “We don’t need to learn Na’vi tribe’s culture, we have to get resources. It seems like ethnocentrism.

When Jake came to the Na’vi tribe’s place, they ignored him. It seems like marginalization.

The sky-people are looking for resources so they find planet Pandora. Where there are useful minerals and they meet the Na’vi.

This is similar to historical globalization which included cultural contact, colonialism, ethnocentrism, and marginalization.

In the movie, when the sky-people came the planet of Pandora to find some resources, they made an avatar like Pandora’s native, Na’vi to contact them. And the sky-people built a school for the Na’vi to teach English. Because the sky-people want to control the Na’vi.

This is similar to Japan and Korea relation and First Nation of Canada.

First, Japan and Korea relation is when Korea was Japan’s colony, Japan force to change Korean name and learn Japanese. But this part’s cultural contact is occurring by Japan.

Second, First Nation of Canada is Canadian built residential school for first nation of Canada to control them from 1890 to 1931. Canadian taught proper English to first nation of Canada’s children. History of Canada about First Nation of Canada and the movie have resemblance about built a school for low-power people to teach English and control them. So these are examples of cultural contact and colonialism.

When Japan invaded Korea, Japan also forced to learn their culture. Because Japan thoughts “Korea’s culture is not important, Japan’s culture is important than Korea’s culture so they must learn our culture” this thought is made elder Korean use Japanese word. For example my grandmother sometimes uses Japanese words in her routine. And this thought is similar to in the movie the sky-people army general thinks “We don’t need to learn the Na’vi tribe’s culture” so they attack home-tree, the Na’vi tribe think sacredly. So the sky-people and Japan think our culture is better than low-power people’s culture. So this is an example of ethnocentrism.

Before the sky-people’s army general attacks home-tree, Jake got a mission to him about he have to persuade the Na’vi to leave their place. So Jake approaches the Na’vi. But the Na’vi think Jake is outsider. So they didn’t think their family and ignored him. And after they know Jake’s purpose, they didn’t hear Jake’s warning from the sky-people attack the Na’vi. This part is similar to first nation of Canada. Canada has lots of first nations of Canada’s area. The nations who live in their area. They can get some money to Canada government. But if they get some money to government they have to live in the reservations of Indian. It seems like marginalization. Because the first nation of Canada are neglected in the white man’s society.

In the movie, the sky-people’s action to the Na’vi related with Japan required to Korea, the European and the first nation of Canada relation about cultural contact and colonization. And the sky-people’s army general thought related Japan’s thought about ethnocentrism. And the Na’vi tribe’s action to Jake related with setting to build reservations for Indians who also called first nation of Canada about marginalization. So, I think James Cameron may want to criticize about historical globalization. So it is reason why I choose my essay topic.