From this scene, I got the feeling that it was arguing the idea that when switching from one kind of people to another or one culture to another, the other culture will be wiped out from that person. I do not agree with this idea, however, because one's past is hard to forget and identity cannot be erased and restarted that easily. No matter how one's identity is erased, some part of it will always be found in that person. Therefore, even if Jake Sully were to become a Na'vi, he will always be a part of the human race because of his history as a human and his culture. Na'vi are technically human, though, yet in another form, which in reality, is another culture of human kind. So, speaking in terms of reality, if an white American decides to join a Native American tribe, and he is accepted as one of them, he will never be truly Native American, however, because of his color, for one thing, and his former culture.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Switching Cultures
From the scene of 69:38 in the movie, Jake Sully says "the aliens went back to their dying world," yet his real form is one of those aliens, humans. The movie ends with Jake turning into one of the Na'vi. Then ending of the movie is what I want to focus on, on how Jake becomes one of the creatures from that world and how he says he will no longer be a part of the human world. This scene makes movie goers feel somewhat happy (the effect) to the fact that Jake Sully found his purpose in life (signified) since he is immobilized (signifier) and that he has finally found happiness (signified) and can walk again as a Na'vi (signifier). However, watchers of the movie would be also offended (effect) that they were discriminated (signified) in the movie since they were the enemies and were the aliens in the movie (signifier), as Jake had said.
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I agree with your argument that although Jake may have assimilated to the Na’vi culture he may desire to hold on to his background. This is similar to people that immigrate to America and hold on to aspects of their culture, although Jake has negative views toward his world, many people choose to hold on to their culture because it helps define them. What your saying is a lot like people that define themselves as Mexican-American or Italian-American, they are American but they still hold on to aspects of their past.
ReplyDeleteI think what this scene is attempting to argue is that through becoming a member of the Na’vi Jake has been able to see the flaws in our society. Jake chooses to embrace the sense of community with nature that the Na’vi value over the corporate industrial world he has known. By having Jake “go native” the film is able to argue that maybe our way of life is flawed in some ways.