essay final copy -Ellen Lee-

Movie ‘Avatar’ is an analysis of 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, and make Avatars look 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, because the sky-people wanted 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 the sky-people try to push the Na’vi from their home-tree. 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 has included cultural contact, colonialism, ethnocentrism, and marginalization.

In the movie, when the sky-people came the planet of Pandora to find resources, they make Avatars to look like Pandora’s natives, for the sky-people to contact the Na’vi. The sky-people built a school for the Na’vi to teach them 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 was when Korea was Japan’s colony. Japan forced them to change their Korean name and learn Japanese. But this part of cultural contact  occurred by Japan. Second, Canada built residential school for first nation of Canada to control them from 1890 to 1931. Canadians taught proper English to first nation of Canada’s children. The history of Canada, the First Nation of Canada, and the movie have resemblance because they 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 them to learn their culture. Because Japan thought “Korea’s culture is not important, Japan’s culture is more important than Korea’s culture so they must learn our culture.” This thought made the elders of Korea, use Japanese words. For example my grandmother sometimes uses Japanese words in her routine. And this thought is similar to, when 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 sacred home. So the sky-people and Japan think their 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  persuade the Na’vi to leave their place. So Jake approached the Na’vi. But the Na’vi thought  Jake was an outsider. So they didn’t think it would happen, to their family and ignored him. They didn’t hear Jake’s warning from the sky-people, and the sky-people attacked the Na’vi. This part is similar to first nation of Canada. Canada has lots of first nations of Canada. The nations who live in their area, and share with the Canadians. According to the Indian Act they can get some money from Canada’s government but they have to live in the reservations of first nations. It is an example of marginalization. Because the first nations of Canada are neglected in the white man’s society.

In the movie, the sky-people’s actions to the Na’vi, are related with Japan’s actions to Korea. The Europeans and the first nations of Canada relations are about cultural contact and colonization. And the sky-people’s army general thoughts related to Japan’s thoughts about ethnocentrism. And the Na’vi tribe’s actions to Jake related with settlers who built reservations for "Indians", who are actually called first nations of Canada, about marginalization. So, I think James Cameron may want to think about historical globalization and how it relates to his movie.