Just as in the James Cameron films that serve as the game’s basis, the environmental and anti-colonial themes present in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora They do not require much analysis to be understood. Although the films were rightly criticized for resorting to problematic clichés such as the “white savior” who “goes native,” The game does a thorough job of redeeming the story of the Na’vi’s confrontation with the human invaders.. It dares to criticize one of the most important elements of the franchise and explores some of the cruelest aspects of GDR imperialism, inspired by a painful chapter in true history.
I already mentioned these elements superficially in my game reviewbut they are very important and I think they deserve further analysis.
The main character of this adventure and his companions are Na’vi who grew up under the tutelage of the GDR. Since they were children they were told that their parents had abandoned them. They were raised with “human values” so that when they grew up they would serve as ambassadors or even as soldiers defending the company’s interests.. When they are finally freed, they must rediscover the culture to which they belong and the traditions that were taken from them.
cultural imperialism
The intentions of the villains in the game Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora nor do they require further analysis: They want to appropriate the resources of this moon for the economic benefit of the company. There could be nuances if their goal was to get something they need for human survival on the ruined Earth, but that’s not the case. From the beginning they make it clear that the unobtanium, the amrita of the tulkun, the gases, minerals and oil they extract from Pandora have an economic purpose. The opposition of the Na’vi to its extraction is nothing more than an obstacle to overcome on the path to enrichment.
The first historical comparison that comes to mind is the westward expansion of settlers into the United States, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans. Not content with keeping their land, the invaders also tried to wipe out their traditions and beliefs and replace them with those of the white man.
European colonizers viewed their cultures and beliefs as “correct and superior” to those of the people they subjugated. Although there were tribes and native people who voluntarily converted to Christianity and adopted European traditions, the vast majority of them were deceived or forced to adopt them. In some places practicing their previous traditions or praying to their gods became a crime.
One of the cruelest and most atrocious aspects of this part of history was what they did to the children. Tens of thousands of minors were taken from their indigenous parents and placed in “European-style schools” that sought to “take the Indian out of them.”. They made them forget their traditions or they took them so young that they never had the opportunity to know them.
From this moment on we will talk about some topics that could be considered ‘spoilers’ for the game.
This is what reflects Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the horrors of colonialism in the real world. In the last third of the game we learn something we suspected from the beginning. The protagonist and her friends were not abandoned by her clan, but were survivors of a massacre perpetrated by the GDR. Her purpose was to “acquire” Na’vi children who could be raised to her liking.
These children were transported in cages like animals and made to feel ashamed of being who they were. One of the most terrifying things they say is that they were aggressively bathed with disinfectant, making them believe that they were “dirty” for not being human. It’s heartbreaking to hear the characters talk about this, but it’s even more heartbreaking to know that all of these coasts happened in the real world. If you want to know more about this, we highly recommend this episode of Extra Credits. Unfortunately, it is only in English.
Both in Pandora and in our world, it is not simply a matter of the name they mention when praying, but of ending different forms of society. Let’s continue using Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora as an example. The use of a coin is replaced by the clan favor system, which represents the friendship we have with the different Na’vi tribes and how willing they are to give us what we need. This, of course, goes against the capitalist beliefs of the GDR. It is no coincidence that the first time we see the protagonists in a class, they are being taught about how the market works.
Years later, these Na’vi children are damaged people. Nor lives full of fury because he lost the ability to connect with his roots. Teylan would rather be human and Ri’nela feels insecure about herself. Finding your identity and culture is one of the main themes of the game. That is why this title necessarily has to reject one of the main elements of the film: avatars.
Cultural appropriation in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Despite being raised by humans, the game’s protagonists are Na’vi. There is only one avatar—a human who uses neural connection to control a Na’vi body—in this story, and her name is Alma Cortez. She was a member of the GDR and was the teacher of the children they held captive. In fact, it was she who saved their lives when the company decided to eliminate them. She joined Jake Sully’s rebellion and is one of the most ardent believers in his cause to protect Pandora.
But Alma is not a heroine.
Nor—one of the protagonist’s Na’vi companions—says that he doesn’t trust Alma “because she’s not one of us.” There is always a character like this in these kinds of stories and his arc is usually that he learns to appreciate those who are not like him, but this plot goes another way. So’lek, the Na’vi who becomes a mentor to the protagonist, is similar: he works with the human resistance, but he doesn’t let us forget that they are not Na’vi.
The message of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora It is not that “we are all equal and fight for the same thing”, an analysis of its themes reveals something more interesting and that is the importance of protecting these cultural differences. Unlike the Na’vi, the resistance does not fight for a home on Pandora, they fight because they want to make up for the damage that humans have done to Pandora and to prevent it from suffering the same fate as Earth.
You have probably heard the term “cultural appropriation.” This refers to the way in which a group adopts cultural elements from a minority ethnic group as part of an aesthetic or fashion. This is strongly criticized today and people, especially white people in the West, are asked to inform themselves about the meaning of these elements before turning them into a “costume.”
Bring this discussion to the world of Avatar It’s quite complicated because, although the Na’vi are clearly a fictional species, they are analogues of real indigenous cultures. Jake not only uses his Avatar to survive on Pandora or forge relationships with its inhabitants, but rather adopts their belief systems, culture, language. Some compare this to a religious conversion, but others see it as more problematic because of the white savior cliché.
Returning to the game, we discover that Alma hid the truth about the extermination of her clan from her Na’vi students. Nor holds her responsible for the loss of her roots and hates that she tries to “using a face that does not belong”. In a way, Alma adopted an identity that does not belong to her because of the shame she feels for the sins he committed and sees the Na’vi as redeemers. Nor’s reaction is clearly excessive—she tries to kill her—but Alma has no right to “be” a Na’vi. The game itself asks us if we want to forgive her or not. This doesn’t affect the plot, but giving us that option makes us have to think about all of that.
Look at me
I hope this in-depth analysis of some of the game’s themes of colonialism and cultural violence Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora They found them interesting. If you are still interested in this or want to discuss the other topics in the game, leave us a comment here or on social media.
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