Avatar Essay Questions

Why is Jake chosen to go to Pandora?

Jake's twin brother was slated to work with Dr. Grace Augustine in her research with the Avatar Program. His brother was a Ph.D., and well-suited for the job, but he died. Upon his death, Jake becomes his replacement because he has the exact same genetics as his twin brother, which will allow him to integrate with the avatar that has been created around his brother's DNA. Even though he is very different, and seems to have no interest in science, he is chosen to work with Grace.

Why are humans on Pandora?

Humans have found their way to Pandora in the year 2154. The military wing of the RDA is there to mine the mineral unobtanium to use as an energy source back on Earth. There is also a scientific research branch that is there researching the ecology of Pandora, as well as the native population, the Na'vi.

Why does Jake agree to spy on the Na'vi tribe for the Colonel?

Jake is a paraplegic who is unable to walk. Quaritch promises Jake that if he gathers information about the Na'vi tribe for the military, he will fund a medical procedure to give him back his mobility. This motivates Jake to spy on the Na'vi, but as he gets to know the customs of the tribe more, he becomes connected to them and realizes that he would rather stay in his avatar than go back to being a human.

How does Jake win the trust of the Na'vi once again?

He manages to tame and ride of the back of the toruk, a large and formidable dragon-like creature that has not been ridden by a Na'vi in many years. Neytiri tells him that the last person to ride a toruk was her grandfather's grandfather. Jake knows that if he is able to do so, the Na'vi will see that he is one of them and they will trust him again.

What is the central allegory in the film?

The film is an allegory for the struggle for resources between the colonizer and the colonized. The RDA represents the colonizer, a brutish organization that uses force to take resources from the indigenous population, the Na'vi. The story has many parallels to questions of sacred land, environmental protection, and post-colonialism that we see in contemporary headlines.