Blog 6 Avatar

DTC 475
Blog 6

In avatar there is no clearly defined dichotomization of gender by the Na’Vi or the humans like there is in traditional American culture. In some ways there is a conventional separation of male and female. For instance the female Na’Vi gives birth and is slightly more welcoming of outsiders than her male counterparts. However the roles or duties of the Na’Vi aren’t delegated by gender, aside from the Male sovereign and female spiritual leader. Neither hunter nor warrior were gender specific, both connected to the flying creatures in the same way, had nearly the same physique, and are all given the chance to speak as equals in public forum.

The people of earth are dichotomized in a more traditional manner but some characters work against the traditional separation of gender. For example Michelle Rodriguez’s character is one of the best pilots, if not the best pilot in the marines yet is female. In addition Sigourney Weaver is playing a strong and high ranking female character.

A few of the multiple and contradictory identities being played out by Jake Sully in Avatar are his multiple identity of a low ranking Marine who is loyal to his commanding officer, the general, his country, and his employers, the corporation. And contradictory to this complex identity is his new found identity of a disabled person, his identity of a researcher united with the scientists in their cause, and his other new identity that of a Na’Vi. His role and duties as a Marine and as an employee challenge his new identities continuously throughout the movie. In the beginning his allegiances are with the corporation and the General but as the movie progresses and the Jake Sully character develops his opposing roles begin to overlap until finally he must choose a permanent identity.

I think that the avatars in the film function like and unlike personal web pages for their users in a number of ways. Both the avatar and the webpage are a space for the reflexive construction of identity. Many people use their web pages for the exploration of their identity and the re-establishing of it after troubling events that disrupt their lives. To help a person better define their sense of self, multiple, contradictory, and stigmatized identities can be explored on a webpage. In the movie Jake Sully uses his avatar in a similar fashion. His life is disrupted by the loss of his brother and the ability to walk. He uses his avatar to explore himself and then to construct a new self-narrative.