The depiction of the “savage” native woman in the film Avatar
Paper details:
Things to be considered: begin by asking how the film retells the story of Pocahontas. Ask, does the film offer the familiar version of the Pocahontas myth, in which the native woman (Neytiri) falls for the apparently superior white male? Or is this something different? What does it mean that the white male hero of this story, Scully, establishes his relationship with the Pocahontas character while he is inside the replicated body of a native male? We learn early on that Scully is actually disabled, being inside the avatar body thus allows him to re-connect with himself, physically. How does this complicate things for us? Is this a story about a white American who needs a “savage” body to be complete? And how does this complicate our understanding of his relationship with Neytiri- the sex scenes, etc.? More generally: is this simply an absurd fantasy of American colonial superiority, or is it in fact an actual critique of the Pocahontas myth in our culture? Provide compelling title and use quotes and detailed discussion of specific scenes to support what you have to say.