Analysis Of Neytiri Character From The Movie Avatar
Who is the most round character in the movie avatar? Most people would say that it’s Jake but I would argue that it is not Jake. I would argue that he is not even close to Neytiri when it comes to being an all-around great round character. This is a very common mistake to make, most people when watching a movie or reading a book take it at face value and don’t try to look into characters deeply. With avatar, on the other hand, the writers make it so easy and appealing for the viewer to look just a little deeper, and that is the reason for its immense success. Once someone does look a little deeper than face value they see how complex and great Neytiri is. She really is the most round character in this movie and some would argue in any movie and that is because of her complex emotions. She also has a very strange relationship with Jake and her family which enhances both her character and Jake‘s character. There is also the story arch of her being a warrior of love.
Let us begin with her complex emotions and her character acts and lives. She is technically an alien to the human race but acts emotionally like humans. I think that the fact she was raised and taught in a school made by humans has some effect on her in that aspect. The fact that she got to know how humans react to certain things and how humans can be in general can really play a role in the way she would act towards people. For example, Once Neytiri and Jake start too really hit it off and Neytiri falls in love with Jake and has a sort of teen love going on. That you would not expect from a species so serious. They would spend all day with each other, living life like there is no responsibility and the way that she would look at him reminds you of puppy love. So if you put this sort of human emotion side with very tough show no emotion type of society that she lives in it doesn’t add up for a very stable person. With that being said I would say that this is the reason that she was so quick to turn on Jake in the end, lucky for Jake though Neytiri does have a keen sense of reading Eywa and knowing right from wrong. With this odd mix of emotions that she has, one can assume that what it could lead too with jake does not sit well with her parents or her tribe which could lead to some tense situations.
The society that the Na’vi have built is a very emotionless society. Aside from being connected to the world and having more passion they don’t believe in love unless it is what the elders want. For example, Neytiri wants to be with Jake not only because that is what she wants to do but Eywa has shown her that he is the chosen one, her parents, on the other hand, differ in ideas. They had already had a marriage set up between Neytiri and the very serious tough warrior named Tsu’tey. Needless to say, Neytiri being the strong woman that she is not going to give in to Tsu’tey’s will. So she is taking control of her own destiny and making the risk of mating with Jake. With Neytiri taking big risks like this not only does it affect her and her relationships with both Jake and her tribe but this also affects the relationships between Jake and the tribe. With all the tension building and bubbling it finally comes to an end and luckily for both Neytiri and Jake the tribe and Neytiri’s family invite Jake in slowly and let the love flourish, with this happening it enhances the character of Jake and allows him to open up into different territories and opportunities, which eventually ends up with him joining the tribe. Neytiri had to fight for her love which brings me to my main point.
Neytiri is a warrior for love in a loveless world. She is the sort of beacon of hope in the story. Everything she does is in the name of love. When she takes Jake in and tries to show him the ropes it is because she has compassion and love, When she decides she needs to kill Jake and Grace it is because she loves the tribe and her family so much that she would do whatever it takes to help her tribe survive, and when she attacks Quaritch in the mech suit its for the true passionate love that she has for Jake. She attacked Quaritch’s hate because of her love for Jake. She is fighting in what could be the last moments of her life in the name of love. Without Neytiri, this story would be very dark with humanity killing and eventually enslaving an entire society of beings. Neytiri gives us hope, the hope that we too can try harder and fight for love in the world no matter how bad our world gets, as long as you have love you will have hope.
Neytiri really is such a convoluted character, but if you notice her emotional struggles and relationships that she has built that has formed her into this loving creature that would do anything for the people that she loves the most, you will come to love her. In a way, Neytiri is the viewer's guide through the world of Avatar but what makes the film amazing is that they have even made our guide just as complex as our main character. Which brings me to my conclusive question for you. After getting to see Neytiri on a deeper level, is Jake really the main character or is he just a vessel to get us to Pandora so that we can meet our real main character Neytiri?
