Analysis of the Hero's Journey in Avatar
The Journey of Avatar: The Hero’s Journey within James Cameron’s Avatar
Pandora. Within James Cameron’s Avatar, it is a world filled with wildly exotic plants and animals, often with little resemblance to our own world of Earth. It, like Earth, harbors it’s own sentient species, called the Na’vi. However, the Na’vi are a much more primitive race than humans, and do not react well to human technology and disregard to nature. The movie follow Jake Sully, an unfortunately disabled marine who’s twin brother was a leader in the Avatar program, which consisted of transferring human minds into Na’vi bodies, intended to help improve relations with the native Na’vi. However, Jake’s brother is unfortunately murdered in a mugging, but their identical DNA allows Jake to take his place. Jake, while totally untrained for such a task, accepts the job and, in a fit of irony, ends up being the one ‘human’ Na’vi accepted amongst the natives. Through a long series of events that will be reviewed here, he eventually switches sides and leads the Na’vi in driving the humans from Pandora, and transfers into his Avatar body so he can be with his lover. There are two hero’s journeys within Avatar, the first being Jake’s goal of being accepted into the Na’vi’s society, the second with pushing the humans from Pandora. To begin, the Call to Adventure within the first journey is the scene in which Jake is watching his brother’s body be cremated, and is offered to replace his brother on Pandora. The call itself is of course the offer to be part of the Avatar program on Pandora, even if he does not know the ultimate goal yet. There is no Refusal of the Call, as he immediately accepts said offer and sets off for Pandora. The Supernatural Aid within the first journey is his mentors in the Avatar program, namely Grace Augustine, leader of the Avatar program, and Norm Spellman, another avatar ‘pilot’ and scientist. Both help him as he gets used to using his avatar, and continue to help him
Pandora. Within James Cameron’s Avatar, it is a world filled with wildly exotic plants and animals, often with little resemblance to our own world of Earth. It, like Earth, harbors it’s own sentient species, called the Na’vi. However, the Na’vi are a much more primitive race than humans, and do not react well to human technology and disregard to nature. The movie follow Jake Sully, an unfortunately disabled marine who’s twin brother was a leader in the Avatar program, which consisted of transferring human minds into Na’vi bodies, intended to help improve relations with the native Na’vi. However, Jake’s brother is unfortunately murdered in a mugging, but their identical DNA allows Jake to take his place. Jake, while totally untrained for such a task, accepts the job and, in a fit of irony, ends up being the one ‘human’ Na’vi accepted amongst the natives. Through a long series of events that will be reviewed here, he eventually switches sides and leads the Na’vi in driving the humans from Pandora, and transfers into his Avatar body so he can be with his lover. There are two hero’s journeys within Avatar, the first being Jake’s goal of being accepted into the Na’vi’s society, the second with pushing the humans from Pandora. To begin, the Call to Adventure within the first journey is the scene in which Jake is watching his brother’s body be cremated, and is offered to replace his brother on Pandora. The call itself is of course the offer to be part of the Avatar program on Pandora, even if he does not know the ultimate goal yet. There is no Refusal of the Call, as he immediately accepts said offer and sets off for Pandora. The Supernatural Aid within the first journey is his mentors in the Avatar program, namely Grace Augustine, leader of the Avatar program, and Norm Spellman, another avatar ‘pilot’ and scientist. Both help him as he gets used to using his avatar, and continue to help him