Racism In Avatar

In the Film Avatar, the seemingly detached reality that future humans live on the Planet Pandora, is just a microcosm of the racism and social tensions that we encounter in our day-to-day existence. It begs the question, can a film really have an “accidental” racist undertone? Or how could it not have possibly learned from the various films before it with an almost identical plot? (“Pocahontas,” Dances With Wolves,” or the “Last Samurai”) To better answer these questions we must define what this racist ideology is really considered. Nichols describes a facet of ideology as being “the internalized image of one’s place in the world bestows each individual an idea of what goals to strive for, which values and beliefs count most, what groups inhabit society, how to use and adapt common social practices, and what cultural ideas deserve emulation.”  Following this definition Jake initially interacted with the Na’vi according to his own experiences. He was a soldier first and foremost and approached everything like a mission. His place in the world was that of a “has-been” so to speak, so this put him in a precarious position. Everything he once stood for could easily be changed because of this, making it even more difficult when he really knew nothing about the new world he was thrown into. However, he quickly found a new way to act, and a new ideology, with the natives. He saw their “savage” way of living and quickly assimilated, even growing to revere nature as they did, fighting to protect their sacred tree. This is where the racism part is evident, because it follows a very familiar structure. Nichols puts it as “ the representations of groups can function divisively if they demean one group or subordinate it to another. In these cases, a more powerful group characterizes a subordinate group in discriminatory ways.” This can easily be said for the portrayal of the Na’vi in the movie. Their ways were seen as not only primitive, but inferior. If Jake had not intervened and become the hero, it is assumed that they would have otherwise lost the fight. They were seen as having nothing more to contribute than the Unobtanioum they happened to have their home atop. This is a classic example of institutional racism in which “the social practices of an institution embody discriminatory patterns.” The army and the corporation behind it takes full advantage of the natives and their kindness. I completely agree that this film is racist, it furthers pre-conceived notions of “natives” and undermines their culture as inferior. While it may offer a critique to some extent it is a highly expensive version of a classic Hollywood tale, one that need not be told again.