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The Corruption Of Imperial Power In The Film Avatar

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Power, influence, control; these are the motivations of imperial powers. Imperialism refers to the policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Imperialism was introduced in the 1870’s, and the most powerful countries were Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. These countries were known as the “Mother Countries.” Imperialism was apparent in these countries, and it was thought of as a negative influence by most because it always included the use of power. The ideals of imperialism can be seen today in a movie directed by James Cameron called Avatar, which was released in 2009. The movie portrays imperialism negatively and includes the economic incentives, and the militaristic ideas of imperialism. Imperialism in history has key ideas that exist to help characterize itself. Economic incentive is seen through the production of rubber in Africa. Countries basically enslaved the native African …show more content…

There is an element in the movie called unobtanium which is very valuable, and is sought after. This element is on an alien planet, and the people there are called the Na’Vi. The unobtanium is the economic incentive present in Avatar. In the movie, the military is mining the unobtanium so they can obtain the valuable resource, and this is just like the rubber the Africans produced in Africa. The movie also included the view of the natives. The natives in Avatar were seen as barbaric and savage people. They were seen as very different than humans. This closely relates to the view of the native africans from imperialism in the 1870’s. Overall, the movie Avatar relates and portrays the ideas of imperialism in history very well. The movie was successful in doing so by taking the ideas, and making them something new and entertaining to people today. Imperialism can be seen in our lives today, and Avatar is a great sample to support

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