Archetypes In Avatar Essay

Archetypes are common themes, situations, characters, or symbols found in books, movies, or other types of media that are recognizable cross-culturally. The 2009 movie Avatar, directed by James Cameron, exhibits multiple archetypes that propel the plot through two separate subplots. Avatar is set in a distant planet known as Pandora. It is inhabited by the Native people (Na’vi), as well as humans who are after a rare and valuable metal only found on this planet. The humans develop Avatars, which are lifelike Natives who are controlled by humans. Jake Sully is chosen to control an Avatar after his brother was killed. His goal is to befriend the Na’vi and convince them to leave so the humans can collect the valuable mineral. Soon after entering …show more content…
The symbol and meaning of the tree in Avatar is significant because the Native people are a very close tribe, and the Hometree, as it is referred to in the movie, is their home base. The Natives depend on each other, which comes into play in the movie when they are protecting their land from the humans. Along with the meaning of family, the tree also symbolizes life, which pertains to the movie as well. The trees in Avatar are somewhat a source of life for the Native people, and play a big role in the movie. The Tree of Souls is another important symbol in the movie because it is the native’s closest connection to their deity known as Eywa. The Tree of Souls, like the Hometree, is sacred to the Na’vi because of the role it plays in their spirituality. Because the Hometree and the Tree of Souls are so important to the Natives, they feel the need to protect them, which causes a conflict between them and the humans. The Na’vi are close to nature which causes them to work together to protect their land, which in the end moves the storyline by creating